What we’re about
THE CLUB www.nvhc.com
The Northern Virginia Hiking Club (NVHC) offers a range of hikes of various difficulty levels in Virginia, Maryland, DC, and beyond. The club also offers other outdoor events occasionally. NVHC members reflect the rich diversity of the Washington DC Metro area. Annual membership fee is $5. Guests are welcome and enjoy a month’s free participation in the club events. NVHC is a nonprofit organization and donates funds to local parks and trail maintenance organizations from time to time. The selection of the parks and organizations is based on club usage - it is our way of giving back. Monies vary each time - $7,200 were donated in 2023.
Members are required to accept the liability disclaimer by typing “Accept” in the fields presented when they join the club.
DIFFICULTY RATINGS
NVHC hikes are assigned difficulty ratings. A combination of linear distance and elevation gain is used to determine the rating, with 400 feet of elevation gain considered to be equivalent of 1 mile of linear distance. With the “miles” derived from elevation gain added to the linear distance, following are the ratings:
A+= Very Difficult (19 miles or more)
A = Difficult (13 miles or more, but less than 19 miles)
B = Moderately Difficult (10 miles or more, but less than 13 miles)
C = Moderate (7 miles or more, but less than 10 miles)
D = Easy (Less than 7 miles)
For example, a nine-mile hike with 1,000 feet of climbing would be rated B (9 + 2.5 = 11.5).
Elevation loss is not measured in this system. Also, the difficulty rating is separate from the pace of the hike, which is determined by the leader, and is usually specified in the individual hike descriptions.
RSVP ETIQUETTE
Often there are limits on the number of participants on NVHC events, set by our leaders. This creates wait lists on Meetup. If you find yourself in this situation, we request that you keep in mind the interest of the leaders and your fellow hikers, and follow the guidelines below:
- If you RSVP’d “yes” for a hike, change your RSVP to “no” as soon as you decide not to go, so that someone else can go.
- If you RSVP’d “yes” to overlapping events on the same day, decide on one as soon as possible, and change your RSVP to “no” for all others.
- If you are on a wait list and decide not to go, remove yourself from the list.
DOGS ON HIKES
Dogs are welcome on NVHC hikes at the discretion of the hike leader. Several restrictions apply including advance notification to the leader, dogs being well behaved, and their being kept on a six foot leash. See dog policy located at [https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy] for details.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Bear Church Rock (Rating: A)Graves Mill Boundary Access, Madison, VA
You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.
A 9½ mile hike with ~2100' of uphill with a visit to remote Bear Church Rock and excellent views on central SNP via Staunton River and Jones Mountain Trails. In addition we will take two side trips to see remnants of chestnut trees and the Jones Mtn cabin.
Hike difficulty: A https://nvhc.com/2020/hikeinfo/ratings/
Optional — There are 2 side trails that you may eliminate to reduce the difficulty down to a B-hike.Pace: 2 to 2½ mph
Leader: Harvey Haines
Driving Time to trailhead: 1 hr 30 minutes from Centerville Park and Ride. Feel free to organize car pools in the comments section below.
Park entry fee: $0
Dogs: permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Hike map:
pdf map:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oL2vdQVmAdvq-IOU7TzzF0jbzK_-NQ0q/view?usp=sharing
GAIAgps map:
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.5/-78.4030/38.4521&layer=GaiaTopoRasterMetersGeology:
Bear Church Rock is one of the few hikes on the older (1+ billion year old) basement granites. I find this rock easier to hike on than the more ubiquitous Cotoctin formation which is prevalent for much of the AT in northern Virginia and Maryland.In addition there are recent Debris-flow deposits which are the result of catastrophic landslides. A storm in 1995 caused debris flows and floods in the area between the Robinson River to the North and Conway River to the South in Madison County. As much as 2¼ ft of rain fell in a 50 sq mi area, which resulted in about 1,000 debris flows in Madison County. We will see evidence of these debris flows as we hike up the Staunton River at the start of the hike.
- Dolly Sods Wilderness/BFSP Day 1 (Rating:Varies-Read Below)Blackwater Falls Campground, Davis, WV
You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.
Come join us for 3 days (Friday-Sunday) of hiking and adventure in WEST VIRGINIA at Dolly Sods Wilderness & Blackwater Falls State Park. The Dolly Sods Wilderness – originally simply Dolly Sods – is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US, and is part of the Monongahela National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service. Wilderness areas have a max of 10 ppl per group. So this is currently limited to 20 ppl by splitting into 2 groups with 1 leader for each group.
***Due to length of the hikes, If I am not familiar with your hiking abilities, you must send me have hikes completed of similar distance/elevation in the last 3 months. Contact me directly***
Please DO NOT register if you don't think you can make the trip. There is such limited space and if you can't make it, it wouldn't be fair to others.
Planned Itinerary: (Hikes may be changed)
Friday Noon: For those who can arrive by noon, (12 noon) we will meet at Blackwater Falls Campground Office GPS: 39.115452439803605, -79.48904045720263 and hike approx 7.30 miles/670 ft elevation loop hike to see Blackwater Falls and a couple of very nice view points. (Should be about 3-3.5 Hours)
*PROBLEM WITH POSTING MAP LINK, I WILL BRING PRINTED MAPS
Friday EVE (really short) Sunset Hike: Then after dinner meet again at the Backwater Falls Campground Office @ 7pm GPS coordinates 39.115452439803605, -79.48904045720263 for a short (carpool) drive to a beautiful location for a sunset. Due to limited trailhead parking, we will meet at the Blackwater falls campground to carpool the sunset location. The hike to sunset spot from parking is only about 1/2 mile walk each way (1 mile total) BUT WELL WORTH IT.
Saturday: Hike 11+/- miles/1500+/- ft elevation gain (Rating: Right on the borderline of A to A+). Due to limited trailhead parking we will meet at the Blackwater falls campground to carpool to Dolly Sods. Meet at 8:00am. There is a rocky trail & the trails can be wet. However it is a great hike and there are really beautiful views. There is a very good chance that your feet will get very wet on this hike (depends upon water levels) as there are several water crossings, so I suggest that you bring water shoes for this one.
**SATURDAY NIGHT** Following the hike, I made us 7pm Dinner reservations at the Smokehouse Restaurant at Blackwater Falls state Park. Bring cash in case they won't split the bill.
Sunday: Hike 12+/- miles 1300+/- ft Elevation gain (Rating: Right on the borderline of A to A+). Drive on your own to trailhead, ready to step off at 9am. From campground it'll take about an hour to drive there. This is a nice hike, not as steep or as rocky trails. However we will be rewarded with some magnificent views of the valley and distant mountains from the rock cliffs that we will hike to.
**EVENT WILL END AT THE CONCLUSION OF SUNDAYS HIKE**
Lodging: I STRONGLY SUGGEST TO GET CANCELLABLE RESERVATIONS!!!
Blackwater Falls: https://wvstateparks.com/park/blackwater-falls-state-park/
GPS Coordinates: 39.113155791756284, -79.48000247301795Blackwater Falls Camping https://wvstateparks.com/places-to-stay/campgrounds/
GPS Coordinates: 39.115452439803605, -79.48904045720263There are other hotels, lodges and campsite nearby. The closest town is Davis, WV. You can google to find other lodging.
We hike at a 2.5-2.8 mph pace. Slower on steep inclines, declines, wet trails and rocks.
DOGS: Well behaved dogs with responsible owners are welcome. Make sure you pet can hike with hike distance and elevation and is ok on rocks, YOU MUST KEEP DOG LEASHED AT ALL TIMES ON ALL TRAILS WE HIKE. In addition make sure you have water and food for your pet and bags as you MUST clean up after them. NVHC Dog policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
CANCELLATION DUE TO WEATHER: Hike in light rain, may be cancelled if heavy steady rain or thunderstorms.
Ratings: Vary
Park Entrance fee: $0Carpools: Due to the mutli-day nature of this trip, no carpools to Blackwater Falls will be organized by the leader. However, YOU MAY post carpool information or requests in the comments section below. Neither the Club nor the hike leader is responsible for coordinating transportation to/from the trailhead. Hikers are not guaranteed to get a ride to the trailhead from the carpool location. Carpooling is organized by the participants and they participate at their own risk.
- City Nature Challenge: Fairfax City (Rating: D)Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, Fairfax, VA
You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.
(YOU DON'T NEED TO ATTEND THIS HIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY NATURE CHALLENGE. PLEASE READ ON!)
Come hike with us for roughly 4 largely flat miles along a soothing City of Fairfax stream valley dirt trail to survey birds, beasts, & beautiful foliage for the global City Nature Challenge. Even if you can't attend April 26, you can join this friendly nature competition & either survey on your own anywhere in DC, MD, &/or VA between April 26 and April 29 &/or help us (& other ordinary folks turned citizen-scientists) to identify our finds online from 4/30-5/5. You can find other in-person and/or virtual events here: https://citynaturechallengedc.org/events/
Our pace will be roughly 2.5 mph with a plethora of stops. We'll find songster mockingbirds, Barbie-sized fish, sunning turtles, miles of wildflowers, and perhaps evidence of a coyote family that dwells near the creek.
We'll meet in front of the Sherwood Community Center at 2 pm and do a quick stroll through Van Dyck Park before hiking out-and-back along the Daniels Run Trail. (Daniels Run is a tributary of Accotink Creek.) We'll also venture into a tree-lined neighborhood to sample nature's gems at the Ashby Pond Conservatory Site.
The hike leader is a Virginia Master Naturalist but more a jack-of-all-trades than a specialist in birding or botany. So birders, botanists, herpetologists, biologists, and others with specialized knowledge are especially welcome. But EQUALLY WELCOME ARE COMPLETE NOVICES who are excited to learn about (and protect) the goodies in our figurative and literal backyards.
IT'S EASY-PEASY TO JOIN US:
1. RSVP here.
2. Before you come, download the iNaturalist app and practice with it in your own neighborhood or in a local park. Basically you just photograph an animal, a bird, a plant, fungi/molds, and just upload them to the app or website on your computer. (No pets or cultivated plants, please.)
https://www.inaturalist.org3. Join the "City Nature Challenge 2024: Washington DC Metro Area" PROJECT on the app. (Optional.)
iNat offers lots of tips, including videos, if you need help. But if you prefer some more personalized help, just post here or send the hike leader a private Meetup message.
MEET: 2 p.m. in front of the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center (next to the police station), 3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax, VA
https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation/rental-venues/rental-venues/stacy-c-sherwood-community-centerIMPORTANT NOTES: Adults only. No pets. We'll likely finish well before 6 p.m., but that's for planning purposes since we don't know what we'll discover on our hike.
BRING: Sense of humor, sense of awe, water, full-charged cell phone with iNaturalist app, optional camera and/or binoculars, sunblock, hand wipes, bug spray, and dress for the weather.
WEATHER: We'll hike in light rain. If a storm is forecast, we'll likely reschedule our hike for Sat., Sun. or Mon. I'll post an update here by 5 pm on Thursday.
RESTROOMS: Bathrooms at start. Portapotty along the trail.
Our event's website to share with many others:
https://www.meetup.com/nvhc-hiking/events/300222679/City Nature Challenge Washington DC Metro Area:
https://citynaturechallengedc.orgiNaturalist:
Nonprofit group's crowd-sourced scientific database.
https://www.inaturalist.orgStacy C. Sherwood Community Center:
3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax, VA
https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation/rental-venues/rental-venues/stacy-c-sherwood-community-centerDaniels Run Trail Map:
https://www.fairfaxva.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/756/635149641097230000City of Fairfax Trail Map:
https://www.fairfaxva.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/15050/637673958584900000Friends of Accotink Creek's Section Map:
Accotink Creek is a 51-square-mile watershed that eventually drains into the Potomac River.
https://www.accotink.org/DMDanielsRun.htmVirginia Master Naturalists:
http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org - Buck Ridge-Marys Rock-Buck Hollow (Rating: A)Centreville Park & Ride, Centreville, VA
You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.
This hike is 9 miles’ circuit with an elevation gain of approximately 2600 ft., featuring Mary’s Rock Vista. The hike starts from parking area on route US-211.
Parking is limited near the trailhead, recommend carpool and try to be on time. In case if we run out of space in the main parking lot (coordinate location), we may need to park couple of cars in next parking lot which is few hundred meters ahead. Also there are some small parking spots available on both sides of 211, within few hundred meters from the trail starting point. If you have to park any of these spots please make sure to park safely & properly to avoid any issues and walk carefully. If you plan to meet at Centreville Park and Ride, be there NLT 06.45 AM to sort out carpool and we leave sharp 7.00 a.m. from park and ride.
Safety is paramount for all of us. This circuit is steep on descend at places and may be slippery and wet so please bring hiking poles and wear proper hiking shoes to enjoy the trails safely. Additionally, given the warm weather please bring minimum 3 liters of water.
This hike is suitable for experienced, fit hikers who did similar distance/elevation in past few months. This circuit has uphill/downhill climbs so please be prepared. If you have ANY question about your ability to complete this hike, please contact me.
Need to know details:
Distance: 9 miles
Elevation gain: 2600 feet
Pace: 2 mph
Terrain: Steep
Park entry fee: None
Carpool Fee: $7
Trailhead Coordinates: 38.658276, -78.281928
Directions from Centreville Park and Ride: https://goo.gl/maps/2VepbpipEwjFpsLa8Trailhead meetup time: 8:15 a.m. We aim to start the hike at 8.30 a.m.
Dogs permitted in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicyBring: Adequate water, food/snacks, hat, layers, basic first aid kit, map, rain gear (depending), hiking poles, hiking shoe (It’s steep trail on descend) sunscreen, bug spray, water shoe (for water crossing, if any), additional pair of socks and your big happy smile 😊.
Quiz: At lunch stop we can have 3 quizzes related to this hike. First correct answer gets the prize 😊
Thanks: To the teams, individuals and volunteers who contributes to keep the trails safe, beautiful and updates the portals to keep the trail data up to date which helps fellow hikers.
Any questions? Message or text me! Looking forward to this awesome hike.
Saran
(848) 248-0555