Poplar Grove Youth Group Campground

Catoctin Mountain Park

Poplar Grove offers youth groups and organizations enjoyable year-round primitive tent camping. Located just steps away from the Catoctin Mountain Park portion of the Catoctin National Recreation Trail in the rolling hills of Thurmont, Maryland. Poplar Grove allows youth groups to experience traditional wilderness camping in a beautiful, natural setting.

Poplar Grove allows youth to connect with nature in a rustic campground setting. Three (3) group sites can accommodate up to 25 visitors. There are (2) two vault toilets, with no handwashing facilities. A shared potable water spigot and pavilion are centrally located. Indivdual campfire circles and grills exist at each of the three camp sites. Firewood is provided onsite, dead wood may be collected for fires. Each group site is limited to (1) one onsite vehicle. Due to seasonal road closures, hiking access is required to the campground from Mid-November through early April. Please contact the park for exact dates.

Notifications and Alerts

Poplar Grove Youth Group Campground is not available on a Walk-In basis; reservations must be made by phone or online in order to camp at this facility. There is a minimum booking window of 2 days - earliest date to reserve will be 2 days from today.
Reservations may be made 6 months in advance

Need to Know

Sanctioned youth groups/organizations only
At least 50% of groups must be under the age of 18 and currently enrolled in the organization
DUE TO SEASONAL ROAD CLOSURES, HIKING ACCESS IS REQUIRED FROM MID-NOVEMBER THROUGH EARLY APRIL. Please contact park for exact dates.
Orientation and check-in by Park Rangers is required before entrance.
Please check in at the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., or call 1-866-677-6677 to arrange check-in with a ranger.
Check out time is 12:00 p.m.
One vehicle is allowed per site. Additional parking, located 1 mile from the campground, is available for vehicles in Camp Round Meadow.
Pets are not allowed
Please check the park site at www.nps.gov/cato prior to your arrival, as we experience periodic closures
Firewood: The transportation of firewood into the park is not permitted. Dead/downed wood may be collected. Firewood is available at Poplar Grove for a requested $5 donation.
Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.
Shared facilities include two (2) vault toilets, waste dumpsters, potable frost free water spigot, and pavilion.
No handwashing facilities are available in Poplar Grove.

Natural Features

Poplar Grove offers tree sheltered, flat tent sites. The campground is surrounded by a hardwood decidious forest.
Whether blanketed in snow in winter months or blooming with wildflowers in the spring, Poplar Grove offers beautiful scenery all year. Since the site is located in a remote area, it is accessed by a gravel road during summer months, and is a hike-in only facility during winter months.

Nearby Attractions

The Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center is located four miles away and offers interpretive programs. Just three miles away, visitors can enjoy fishing and canoeing at Cunningham Falls State Park. Cunningham Falls charges a daily entrance fee.

Recreation

As a primitive camping area, Poplar Grove encourages youth to use healthy doses of imagination while surrounded by the natural landscape. Nature hikes and campfire circles are popular activities. Catoctin Mountain Park offers 25 miles of trails for additional hiking opportunities.

Contact Information

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6602 Foxville Rd Thurmont MD 21788

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 1 (301) 663-9388

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

Poplar Grove is located on Manahan Road in the western portion of Catoctin Mountain Park. From Route 15, exit at Catocin Mountain Park/Route 77. Travel approximately six miles west, passing the Visitor Center and Park Central Road. Turn right on Foxville-Deerfield Road and bear to the right onto Manahan Road at the fork. Poplar Grove is located about a mile ahead on the gravel road.

Available Campsites

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