Adventuring LGBTQ+ Outdoors Club

(Cancelled because of excessive heat forecast. Hope to reschedule soon.) Another Fourth Of July is about to explode all around us, so it's time to renew the annual Independence Day hike at Great Falls (MD), an Adventuring tradition started by the late, great Damon Miller.

This will be an easy round-trip stroll of about five miles, starting and ending at the historic Great Falls Tavern on the C&O Canal. Shortly after our start downstream, we will detour off the Canal towpath across Bear and Olmstead Islands to the Falls Overlook, where we can savor its ever-fabulous view of Great Falls. Retracing our steps to the towpath, we will pass several locks and the impressive Widewater Basin. Our turnaround point near Anglers Inn just beyond Widewater features nearby restroom facilities.

Our return leg will be on the Berma Road atop the Washington Conduit that carries Potomac River water down to the Georgetown Reservoir. Once we're finished our hike back at the Tavern, we'll head over to the nearby picnic grounds to enjoy our lunches. Those who are still thirsty after our bully summer endeavor may consider adjourning to Anglers Inn for refreshments, if there's any room at the Inn.

Bring plenty of beverages, lunch and/or snacks, sunscreen, bug spray and the $5 Adventuring trip fee; carpool passengers from Tenleytown Metro should also give their drivers $5, plus a share of the Park Admission Fee in case the entrance stations are staffed. (Bring a National Parks Pass if you have one; it will get your entire carload in for free.)

Those needing rides and those able to offer rides will form our carpool at the Tenleytown Metro Station in front of the Panera at Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street at 11 a.m. Carpool participants will rendezvous at the Great Falls Tavern with those driving directly to the Park at 11:45 a.m. The Tavern's address is 11710 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, MD 20854. We should finish by 3 p.m.

This easy hike returns our group to Prince William Forest Park after a long hiatus for a small sliver of American history tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence. This area is notable for General George Washington and General Rochambeau's travels on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail in the 1780s.

Our easy 6-mile circuit hike meanders along the mostly shady Quantico Creek on the Turkey Run Ridge, North and South Valley Loop trails. We'll start the loop at the Turkey Run Ridge parking lot G.

Meet at Franconia-Springfield Metro Kiss & Ride at 8:30am to form carpools. We're starting early to beat the heat and any return holiday traffic. There will not be a pitstop along the way to the trailhead.

Bring water, lunch, snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, sturdy footwear, and $14 for transportation and trip fees. ($5 for the Adventuring trip fee, $4 for mileage reimbursement, and a shared portion of the $20/car park admission fee. (We can usually cover the Park’s admission fee with those hikers who hold annual park passes.)

RSVPs for this hike open 2 weeks before the event.

This hike quickly became one of this trip leader’s favorite hikes for its many charms and beauties. The flat rock outcropping provides a pew above the Staunton River Valley and the nearby mountains almost wrap around you. Bear Church Rock is one of the few overlooks without human structures in view (save for the the communication towers on Folk Mountain)

This visit, we will approach Bear Church Rock from Skyline Drive (MP 55) at Bootens Gap where we'll start atop the Appalachian Trail before dropping elevation to Bear Church Rock. This trail will take us through a lesser-travelled section that is home good backcountry hiking. Be warned, the overgrowth has been semi-unmanaged since the Pandemic Times and Stinging Nettles may be this part of the hike. This trail also rarely provides for flat hiking and the return trip is generally an uphill climb to Skyline Drive. That said, don't let this discourage you. Hopefully the hiker's reward is well worth the effort.

This very strenuous out-and-back hike is 10 miles in length with approximately 2300 feet of elevation gain. After the hike, we may stop for a meal before returning to the Metro.

Bring water, snacks, lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, sturdy footwear and long hiking pants (recommended). We'll make our usual Sheetz pit stop to pick up lunch or any last-minute snacks. Trip fees should be about $28 ($15 for gas reimbursement, $8 for park entrance++, $5 Adventuring fee)

++We can often pay the park admission fee by using a park pass, as someone in each car will usually have a National Park Service Annual Park Pass.

TRIP NOTES:

1. We'll start 15 minutes earlier for this hike. We'll gather at 8:15am.

2. A very strenuous hike will generally be long and steep, and may include challenging terrain. Only well-conditioned and well-prepared hikers should attempt very strenuous hikes. If you have questions, please contact the trip leader prior to submitting your RSVP.