Mountain Spies Tour, The Secrets Of The Catoctin Mountains

Chris is an amazing storyteller. He started offering tours early in 2026, but the tour was so polished and insightful that you know he has spent a lot of time crafting the story of his Catoctin Mountains. He brought the area to life using a combination of historical videos and walking the actual grounds. I learned so much on the tour about the Cold War history. It was an amazing experience and he has found an amazing niche. Cant wait to pick up his book mid 2027! Loved the toy soldier he passed out at the end to remind you that these stories represent actual men who served out country...many of the families unaware of the sacrifices they made for democrscy. If you enjoy history and the gorgeous Catotin Mountains schedule a tour wirh Chris.

We had an absolute blast on the Mountain Spies tour! Our tour guide, Chris, was incredibly passionate about the history, bringing every detail to life with impressive knowledge and enthusiasm. Even though we’re from the area and already had some background on the local military history, we were blown away by how much new information we learned. It completely exceeded our expectations. We’re already looking forward to booking another tour and continuing to learn more!

We booked the Mountain Spies tour on a whim, and it ended up being the highlight of our trip. From the first message to the final goodbye, everything was smooth, friendly, and well organized. Our guide was fantastic. They were knowledgeable, funny, and patient, and they shared history / wildlife / local stories that we never would have discovered on our own. They kept a comfortable pace and checked in on everyone in the group. They also found the best photo spots, and the views of the Catocin Mountains were breathtaking. Communication before the tour was clear, pickup was easy. Safety was clearly a priority, and I felt in good hands the whole time. The tour was also great value for what we got. Whether you're an experienced hiker/traveler or a beginner, you'll feel welcome. Book ahead, bring layers and a camera, and prepare to be wowed. We'd happily do another tour with this team.

The experience was one of a kind!! The admission fee was well within reason of our tour. The length of visit was awesome!! The atmosphere was beautiful with the fall perfect weather! The crowd size was small and it was so perfect! The staff was extremely knowledgeable and helpful!! Best for anyone who loves history and loves lifelong learning!!! Definitely will do this tour again!!

What a wonderful experience. Chris and Susie were great tour guides. Chris is a wealth of knowledge and obviously a subject matter expert. we learned more in 3 hours than I would have on any other tour. If you are visiting the Gettysburg area this is a MUST DO. Mike & Sandy G

Chris is very knowledgeable and packs in a lot of information. He presents it in an entertaining and comprehensive way. The highlight is stopping at High Rock and taking in the beautiful view. Chris does everything he can to be accommodating and considerate of everyone in the group.

Chris was engaging and very knowledgeable. Great tour. Lots to learn about the early intelligence community.

This was an awesome experience. Guide was extremely knowledgeable and shared so many interesting insights. A must do for history buffs. Would highly recommend.

Fascinating adventure! Chris was incredibly knowledgeable and easily answered questions. We definitely enjoyed the experience and highly recommend the Tour.

Wonderful experience! We all had a great time

Excellent fun experience. Our guide Chris Hill delivered more than we expected. Chris was lots of fun and extremely knowledgeable. This tour made our vacation exceptionally special. Thanks Chris. If you’re in the area, I recommend you take this tour it is awesome.

An absolute must do if you’re in this area! Oh the things we learned, wow! We’re a family group of six all over 60 yrs old and we’re so amazed at what we didn’t know. Chris is an amazing knowledgeable guide and very entertaining. Being on the grounds of Camp David was a surprise and so exciting. Great value for the $. Exceeded our expectations! It was the best tour of our week long stay in the area and we took a few. Comfortable large Mercedes van for transportation and minimal walking. Thanks Chris, 5 days later we’re still talking about our tour with you.

Wow! We had such an incredibly fun and unique experience with our private Mountain Spies Tour AND Briefing Room Happy Hour. Chris picked us up at our nearby farm and then completely captivated us with his knowledge of the history of the area during the years leading up to WWII and beyond to the present day continuity of government compound. He and Suzy are just incredibly nice humans to be around which was an extra bonus. If you are at all a history buff, I highly recommend. Most may not be aware the area has played a significant role well beyond its Civil War contribution to American history. Chris was an incredibly knowledgable guide to take one thru the birth of the intelligence community for America in the region as well as the significant WWII era history around Fort Ritchie and how Camp David began during the FDR years and continues to be used today….. I could go on and on. We learned so much! The Happy Hour stop at The Briefing Room also was really special….and so unexpected! It was this cute little boutique bar/ speakeasy at Fort Ritchie with the most amazing cocktails and elevated bar food ( think deviled eggs done multiple ways with creative spins like Bloody Mary deviled eggs and delicious charcuterie board). Our group was from Washington DC and Charlotte NC and Camden Maine ( so no strangers to good cocktail bars!) and all felt the cocktails were truly top notch. Plus, like Chris and Suzy, the people at The Briefing Room were so welcoming and friendly and fun. All this to say, if you are considering doing this tour with happy hour, I strongly recommend….we will be back with others that come to visit!

We thoroughly enjoyed the Mountain Spies tour. We have lived in the area for over 25 years but did not know how important the mountains were in the history of American intelligence. Chris Hill’s enthusiasm for uncovering, verifying and sharing the events that took place in this region is captivating. The tour was a well-organized journey through an important time in our country’s history. We learned so much and highly recommend this tour.

Chris's extensive research and ability to synthesize a lot of information into meaningful stories is just incredible. The 3 of us learned a lot about the importance of this area and its contribution to our US intelligence history. We each learned something (or a lot of info) we did not know before the tour. We especially appreciated Chris's passion and thorough knowledge of the subject matter. Thank you Chris for making sure this history is not lost, but instead celebrated and shared. This tour is well worth every penny.

Very informative. Easy to listen to. The two Chris’s show a real passion and knowledge for the subjects they covered. Those subjects ranged from military,government and local history to spy-craft, tactics, topography,and more ! The six of us who participated, ranged in age from 16 to mid-70’s. All of us found it to be fascinating ! The Chris’s accommodated several of our group with slight mobility issues in a seamless fashion. All had a great time!

Our group of nine had a wonderful experience on the Mountain Spies tour. We traveled in a comfortable van on a beautiful June day, and our guide, Chris Hill, provided exceptional service. His encyclopedic knowledge was perfectly augmented by video clips and poignant first-person accounts during the travel time between sites. Additionally, his hands-on demonstration of modern image interpretation was fascinating. During our short walks, Chris shared his impressive ability to read the Catoctin landscape, divining clues to past activities and relating tales of historical events. He clearly explained the evolution of these operations from their improvised WWII origins to the sophisticated systems in place today. This tour is an excellent choice for anyone interested in the history of US intelligence, while those less inclined will still enjoy the scenic countryside and the visit to the Fort Ritchie museum.

We thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful day with Chris our guide. It was fascinating, informative, engaging and inspiring. The depth of knowledge about an area so close to our home was mesmerizing the entire time. I highly recommend this tour/adventure/experience regardless of how much or how little you know of the area. Truly a remarkable experience.

The tour was excellent. Chris was so knowledgeable and provided us with great detail about the history of the Richie Boys and how they were trained along with the other spies. He took us past several sites such as Camp David and the museum at Fort Richie. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone wanting to know more about this history.

The amount of knowledge the 2 guides have is amazing. I am not a history buff, but I was interested the entire time. I had no idea of the amount of history taking place so close to home.

A thoroughly engaging, informative “tour” of places and processes that built the security apparatus for the US. Both leaders (Chris and Chris) were experienced professionals who created a unique “learning on location” tour.

This is a wonderful tour. So interesting. So many things that you never knew about Camp David, Government Intelligence, Fort Ritchie, Site R, etc. The two tour guides were so knowledgeable. So worth the money and time for this tour.

If you are at all interested in the history of spies, intelligence, covert operations, and other WWII and Cold War topics, plus enjoy seeing unusual, out of the way places tucked into the Catoctin Mountains near Camp David and Raven Rock, this is an excellent tour. Chris and Chris absolutely know their stuff and they are passionate about spreading their knowledge. I would definitely recommend watching the videos they have on their website as background orientation to what you will be seeing and hearing. The 3+ hours went by quickly, with 3 or 4 stops, some easy walking, and a lot of narration in the van while moving (if you can't hear well, sit closer to the front) The areas traveled are quite beautiful, too. All in all a very unique experience, certainly unlike anything else, and in our opinion worth the cost and time.

Tour guide/operator Chris introduced us to the other side of the Catoctin Mountains and the area’s role in the cultivating spies. The tour was both informative and fun.

Taking the Mountain Spies tour was a truly memorable experience. To learn that so much history was made right in this area was very surprising! The tour was very informative and was told in a manner that was easy to comprehend. Our guide, Chris, is very knowledgeable and very personable as well, and this made the tour all the more enjoyable. I would highly recommend the Mountain Spies tour if you have an interest in local history or are intrigued by the shadowy world of spycraft!

The tour guide Chris is very knowledgeable about the area that you tour mostly in the van. You will definitely learn a lot about the secrets of the government, the war efforts, how spies were trained and where. Catoctin mountains and the surrounding areas hold alot of secrets that many don't know about. I'm interested in anything involving history especially WW2 and Civil War and I learned great deal from this tour. You will see different areas but unfortunately the only downfall is that I wish I could've seen more but I understand it's the government. You can see where they land helicopters and the new Ospreys. I definitely recommend this tour if your interested in espionage, spy rings and how they operated and trained, The Fort Ritchey Boys, secret missions during WW2 and The Cold War by the government, ..it was truly truly interesting. Book a tour today!!

Mountain Spies is a fabulous experience! Both tour guides (Chris Hill and Chris Price) are extremely knowledgeable with respect to the locations of, and history behind, the clandestine locations they show you. In addition, their collective real-life experiences derived from their many years working in the intelligence community supplement an already extremely fascinating tour. We highly recommend Mountain Spies to anyone with an interest in this area! This tour does not disappoint! Check it out!