A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

National Park Service campground

Owens Creek Campground

National Park Service campground in Catoctin Mountain Park, Frederick County, Maryland. 1,214 feet. 4.8 miles from Thurmont.

Managed by
National Park Service Catoctin Mountain Park
Elevation
1,214 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
50 50 standard non-electric
Longest rig
22 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Owens Creek Campground offers families and individuals enjoyable primitive tent camping. Located just five miles (8 km) from Thurmont, Maryland, in the rolling hills of Catoctin Mountain Park.

Recreation

As a primitive camping area, Owens Creek encourages visitors to use healthy doses of imagination while surrounded by the natural landscape. Nature hikes and campfire circles are popular activities.

Catoctin Mountain Park boasts 25 miles (40 km) of trails. The Deerfield Nature Trail connects directly to the campground and is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) loop with a connection to the park's western system of trails. Browns Farm Trail is nearby in the Owens Creek Picnic Area and offers budding archeologists with a peek into the history of the area. This trail is also a youth friendly 'Track Trail'. For more information, visit the Catoctin Mountain Park - Browns Farm Loop Track Trail information on the Kids in Parks website.

Facilities

This campground offers 48 single campsites with a limit of five people, or immediate family, per site. There are no-hookups. Maximum trailer length is 22 feet (6.4 m) and maximum RV length is 30 feet (9 m). There are three pull through sites: #12, #39 and #43. Flush toilets, showers and drinking water are available and centrally located in the campground. All sites are equipped with a tent pad, picnic tables, and fire ring. All tents must fit on the tent pads. Firewood is available.

Natural Features

The campground is surrounded by a rolling landscape, perfect for hikes of any level from easy to extremely strenuous. Owens Creek flows past the campground providing a peaceful setting beside a bubbling brook. Whether blanketed in snow in winter months, brilliant with color in the fall or blooming with wildflowers in the spring, Owens Creek offers beautiful scenery all year.

Nearby Attractions

Catoctin Mountain Park is located near many historical and cultural sites:

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (8 miles/13 km)

Monocacy National Battlefield (18 miles/29 km)

Antietam National Battlefield (26 miles/45 km)

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (26 miles)

Eisenhower National Historic Site and Gettysburg National Military Park (20 miles/32 km)

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (28 miles/45 km)

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (37 miles/60 km)

Other Attractions include Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo and Cunningham Falls State Park.

For more information visit the Tourism Council of Frederick County .

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • climbing
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • historic & cultural site
  • interpretive programs
  • swimming site
  • visitor center
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Owens Creek Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated June 23, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.