Overnight in Baltimore area?

[Downhill Trucker]

Looking for a quick overnight out and bak or loop for this Thursday night. I've done the AT extensively in the area and don't mind going there... But I'm also looking for something different...

If it matters we will be ham mocking and I want to have a fire.

[PapaGarrettP]

Never mocked a ham. Tipped a cow once...

[phaedrus]

Would love to hear some suggestions as well. Just moved to Baltimore and almost have my cold weather sleep system complete. Going to try it out in the backyard, but then will be looking to get out on the trail. Of course right now the weather is amazing!

[Cookerhiker]

Closest place I can think of is Catoctin Mountain National Park (http://www.nps.gov/cato/index.htm). According to the websire, there's backcountry camping but some trails have been closed so you want to call them first. Catoctin is a bit closer to Baltimore than the AT.

You could also hike an out-and-back on the Tuscarora Trail if you're willing to drive further. Check with the PATC (http://www.patc.net/PublicView/).

[Spirit Walker]

Maryland is hard for for overnight trips. You need to travel a bit as most parks don't allow backcountry camping. However, the Greenridge Trail in western MD is not far. You might see if you can find the PATC book on hikes in Western MD or their Circuit Hikes book for MD, VA, PA. The camping on the Catoctin trail is either in campgrounds or at a backcountry site at the north end of the linear trail. The Shenandoahs are an option, though again, it's a bit of a drive.

If you really want good backpacking, northcentral PA is the best place - the Black Forest, Chuck Keiper, Susquehannock, Quehanna, Bucktail and Donut Hole Trails offer miles of good hiking.

[AegisIII]

As everyone has noticed, you're not that far from Pennsylvania. Michaux, Buchanan, and Tuscarora State Forests are all within reasonable distance for an overnighter, plus Green Ridge in Maryland. And I'm surprised that nobody has suggesting looking at Mid Atlantic Hikes (http://www.midatlantichikes.com/) for any ideas in those places.

[Hodge Podge]

The closest overnight to Baltimore I can think of is the AT between PenMar and the Potomac, through Greenbrier State Forest and the Catoctins. Lots of good sections to pick from, and of course you can skew north into PA (i.e., Michaux/Pine Grove Furnace) or south into WV and Va. The Skyline Drive/Shenandoah section of the AT and all the attendant side trails (White Oak Canyon, Old Rag) are within overnight distance, too.

If you want an easy stroll, the C&O Canal towpath along the Potomac has overnight camps, and runs from Cumberland to DC. The section from Williamsport through White's Ferry is easy to access.

Further west, Green Ridge State Forest is an excellent area to explore, with a network of trails. Also, the Tuscarora Trail offers a less-used alternate route to the AT, forming a western loop from VA through WV and MD and rejoining in PA. In Maryland, the Tuscarora runs through Hancock, near the I-70/I-68 split. The PA section to the north is a great hike, and a few friends and I just hiked the WV section through Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area. Gorgeous countryside, and a little over a 2-hour drive.

[Cookerhiker]

The Great North Mountain area of George Washington National Forest on the VA/WV border also has a network of trails - much less likely to see people than the AT in Shenandoah NP.