Catoctin Mountain Park

In July of 1929 the police raided the Blue Blazes Stills here and a deputy was killed. The original operation was destroyed, but bootleggers produced thousands of gallons of ‘whiskey’ in 18 huge vats. When FDR was elected to deal with the Great Depression, he decided to clean up the eastern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Maryland, regrow the forest and employ people to create campgrounds, trails, rustic lodges and the bootleg still exhibit above. Camp David is in the immediate vicinity, and since I wasn’t invited there, I stayed here in one of the historic lodges at Camp Misty Mountain in my sleeping bag, a short walk to parking and restrooms, for $50. The sites are open from May to October, tent sites cost $30, larger facilities are available for groups, and there’s even an accessible pool, which FDR would appreciate.

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