Catoctin Quaker Camp
Catoctin
Quaker Camp lies just below the ridge of Catoctin Mountain
and is adjacent to protected state forests and the Frederick
watershed. The nearest town is Thurmont, Maryland.
Catoctin offers in-camp and trip experiences. Younger campers will be away from camp for shorter periods of time with less demanding activities than older campers. Trips may take them to various sections of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. We backpack roads and trails; we canoe the Potomac, Rappahannock, and Shenandoah Rivers; and we give technical rock climbing instruction at several sites.
Activities in camp include swimming, arts and crafts, informal music and drama, low pressure athletics, and chores. Potters' wheels and a kiln are available.
Spiritual development is nurtured through daily silent worship at the fire circle, regularly scheduled campfires, and in less formal ways by example and through continuous sharing of love.
All meals include a vegetarian alternative.
Please Note: Ages 9-14 or 8 entering 4th grade may apply. Catoctin applicants entering fourth grade may apply only for the 1st or 3rd two-week session. 14 year-olds at Catoctin should come for four weeks.
| Two week sessions: |
| Saturday, June 28 – Saturday, July 12 |
| Sunday, July 13 – Saturday, July 26 |
| Sunday, July 27 – Sunday, August 10 |
| Four week sessions: |
| Saturday, June 28 - Saturday, July 26 |
| Sunday, July 13 - Sunday, August 10 |
Camp address (driving & mailing):
Catoctin Quaker Camp
12611 Tower Road
Thurmont, MD 21788
Emergency: 301-271-2156
Social: 301-271-2184
Please pay attention to whether you have a Saturday or Sunday drop off and pick up. EVERY session is different. The first session runs from Saturday to Saturday, the second from Sunday to Saturday, and the third from Sunday to Sunday.
Please drop your campers off after 2:00 p.m. on arrival
days and pick them up before noon on departure days.
Catoctin Equipment Lists - Printable List (PDF)
General Advice:
• Do not bring items to camp that you can not bear to lose—especially jewelry.
• It is essential that proper equipment be provided for the camper. This is especially true for younger or smaller children. The quality of your child’s experience depends largely on the appropriateness of his or her equipment. Without the clothing and camping gear that best suits your child’s needs, your child may be miserable and may not want to return. Please help your child enjoy camp.
WORDS FROM PARENTS:
"My 2006 camper is the third of 3 children to have attended Catoctin.
It has been a wonderful experience for each of them, in unique ways.
We will definitely be sending him
back next year. This particular child has ADD, and struggles all year
with external expectations that are
not always easy for him to meet. Catoctin represents freedom, exploration, and support for his creativity as no other experience in his year does. The nurturing, accepting environment is uncommonly fertile
ground in which he can grow. He LOVES camp, objects not a whit to
not being at home, praises camp to all his friends. I can’t think of a
single reason why we wouldn’t send him back…"
"What a growth experience for our son! He came home with a sense of peace and confidence that I have
not seen in him before. Thank you! I would like him to go to Catoctin
until he’s 30! Why? He loves it, becomes more independent and self
sufficient every year. The fire in his center grows larger. He loves the singing, the food, the chores (??!) and the people. When he comes
home he helps without asking! Thank you!"
