Alexandria Area Walking & Hiking Group

• From the parking lot behind the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, we'll go for a short walk along the Stone Wall, Marye's Heights, and the National Cemetery, arriving back near the Visitor Center to pick up any late arrivals.
• From there we'll head out down Lafayette Blvd and Willis St, where we'll pick up the Virginia Central Railway Trail and follow it west to Alum Spring Park. After a loop around the park along the banks of Hazel Creek we'll retrace our steps along the Virginia Central Railway Trail to the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.
• The total hike is about 4.5 miles and should take about 2 hours. The surface is paved and dirt trails, with a few flights of stairs and slight (~50 foot) elevation gains ascending Marye's Heights and climbing out of the Hazel Creek stream bed at Alum Spring Park. This is an easy hike.
• Google map: https://tinyurl.com/yckt4aan

❷ How to get there:

• From the I-495 Capital Beltway (either direction), take I-95 S to Plank Rd in Fredericksburg; about 41 miles. Take exit 130A onto State Route 3 (VA-3) East toward Fredericksburg. Follow VA-3 for almost 2 miles and turn left onto Lafayette Blvd. Follow Lafayette Blvd for about 0.5 miles; the visitor center will be on your left. See https://goo.gl/maps/wn3Y8G8caU7E8pSZ6
• Sorry, this is not a Metro-accessible hike.

❸ What to bring: Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend (leashes please). Sunscreen, shades, and bug spray are recommended.

❹ Weather: The forecast is partly cloudy and a high of 80F, with light NE winds and an 8% chance of showers. Updates here: https://tinyurl.com/y8t93unj

❺ Advisory: As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers.

❻ Administrative stuff: Restrooms are located at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, beside the book store, and in Alum Spring Park.

❼ Notes:

• Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center, 1013 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401; (540) 693-3200, http://www.nps.gov/frsp

H/T to Abby for the event photo!

• After starting atund DuPont Circle, we'll walk northwest along Massachusetts Avenue, go up Embassy Row, cut across to Woodley Park, Creek Park, and return along Connecticut Avenue. Along the way we'll see the historic mansions, condominiums and rowhouses of the DuPont and Kalorama Districts, with examples of several different architectural styles. Today a lot of these buildings house embassies from around the world, so we'll see much of Embassy Row along the way.
• The total walk is a clockwise loop of about 5 miles and should take 2 hours at a moderate pace. The surface is pavement and sidewalks throughout, with lots of changes in elevation.
• Google map: http://tinyurl.com/jux9v3v
• Site photos/descriptions: http://tinyurl.com/pdjgjvt
• Print map and notes (pdf): https://tinyurl.com/2p9x8sfy

❷ How to get there: The DuPont Circle Metro Station is on the Red Line. To get to the meetup point, exit the station towards DuPont Circle South and at the top of the escalator, proceed into the circle to the fountain. See https://www.wmata.com/ to plan your trip. If you are driving, there is free parallel parking around side streets nearby, but give yourself some time to find a spot!

❸ What to bring: Water, comfy shoes and your furry friend if desired (leashes required at all times).

❹ Weather: The forecast is sunny and a high of 79F. Updates: https://tinyurl.com/ych2tr5v

❺ Advisory: As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers.

❻ Administrative stuff:

• There are restrooms in commercial establishments around DuPont Circle if you need to make a pit stop before and/or after the hike. There are also several commercial establishments along our route, but to avoid an unduly long hike, we will not take any scheduled breaks except at the Omni hotel near Woodley Park.
• Woodley Park-Zoo Metro Station is near the two-thirds point of our walk if anyone needs to depart early or would like a shorter walk.

• From the meetup point in front of Brickmaker's Cafe, we'll hike upstream along the Cross-County and White trails to get an overview from the heights over the Occoquan River. After returning to the Brickmaker's Cafe area for a short break, we'll continue downstream and follow the Red Trail for a counter-clockwise circuit of the park, to end our hike back at the starting point. Touring the over 100-year-old Brick Kiln and the Suffragist Memorial is at your individual discretion.
• The hike is about 4 miles, and should take no more than 2 hours at a moderate pace. The surface is mostly paved and fairly level, but there are stairs and a 220-foot elevation gain along the White Trail, which is a dirt surface covered with pine needles.
• Google map: https://tinyurl.com/yu2kadc4

❷ How to get there:

• From the I-495 Capital Beltway, take I-95 S for about 8 miles. Take exit 160 to merge onto VA-123 N toward Occoquan/Lake Ridge. Drive about 1.9 miles, passing a 7-Eleven on your left and crossing over the Occoquan River bridge. Take the first right to enter the park. See https://goo.gl/maps/gZHGF5wnDovi9RHt5 (Google directions vary depending on traffic conditions)
• Sorry, this is not a Metro-accessible hike.

❸ What to bring: Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend if desired (leashes, please). Sunscreen and insect repellent are recommended.

❹ Weather: The forecast is partly cloudy and a high of 82F, with light ENE winds. Updates here: https://tinyurl.com/uc4wampa

❺ Advisory: As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers.

❻ Administrative stuff: There are restrooms at the entrance to the Brickmaker's Cafe, adjacent to River View.

❼ Notes:

• Occoquan Regional Park, 9751 Ox Road, Lorton VA 22079, (703) 690-2121. https://tinyurl.com/28apyc2e
• Brickmaker's Cafe (opens at 11 am), 9751 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA 22079, (703) 646-9486. https://tinyurl.com/4dnxv5jp

H/T to Abby for the event photo!

• From the bike rack we'll walk south and east to Wilkes St, which we'll follow east through Wilkes St Tunnel to the waterfront. From there we'll walk upstream to the north side of Founder's Park and head west along Oronoco Street to Fairfax Street, walk south along N Fairfax St to King St, and then walk west along King St back to our starting point.
• The walk is a little over 3.5 miles and should take around an hour and a half. The surface is mostly paved throughout and fairly level.
• Google map: https://tinyurl.com/psdd2s94

❷ How to get there:

• Metro: King Street Station is on the Blue and Yellow Lines. Current Metro status and alerts: https://tinyurl.com/y7lklnl7
• Driving: From I-395, take VA-7 / King Street east about 2.8 miles. Take the first right after passing under the railroad (Daingerfield Street), and an immediate right onto Diagonal Road. From US-1 / Richmond Highway, follow King Street west 0.5 miles, take a sharp left onto Daingerfield, and the first right onto Diagonal Road. There is free and metered parallel parking in the area.

❸ Weather: The forecast during our visit is partly cloudy, temperatures in the low 80s, and a 25-30% chance of showers. Light SSE winds. Sunset is at 8:35 pm and civil twilight ends at 9:06 pm. The moon rises at 8:39 pm. Updates here: https://tinyurl.com/yck2442z

❹ What to bring: Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend if desired (leashes, please). The streets are well lighted but you may want to bring a flashlight.

❺ Advisory: As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers.

❻ Administrative stuff: There are restrooms at several commercial establishments along our route.

❼ Notes:

• Moonrise, Moonset, and Phase Calendar for Alexandria, August 2025: https://tinyurl.com/4j5tdak7
• August Sturgeon Moon: https://tinyurl.com/4597xbzw