Banshee Reeks - Loudoun County (Rating: C)
Details
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 is an 8 mile hike with 500' elevation gain in the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. https://bansheereeksnp.org/. We follow our AllTrails route as we go through the many trails in this Preserve.
According to local history, an Irish farmer named Jordon Luck purchased the land in the late 1830s. One dark and blustery night, after visiting a nearby tavern in Leesburg, he was traveling back through his property. The howling wind, strange nocturnal animal sounds, and dense fog spooked the farmer and his animals. When he arrived home, he frantically claimed that he had heard a "banshee on the reeks" (a shrieking spirit on the hills). Modern local historians suspect the spooky "screams" he heard were actually screech owls, foxes, or bobcats. Nevertheless, the farmer's spooky account stuck, and the property officially became known as Banshee Reeks.
We hike at a pace of 2.5-3.0 mph while moving.
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Leader: Ed Brimberg 703-944-9920 (C)
Meet: Plan to arrive at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve Visitor Center at 8:15am so we can get everyone checked in and start at 8:30am.
The address in Meetup may not get you to the exact location, use GPS Coordinates.
GPS coordinates: 39.028758, -77.599534 https://goo.gl/maps/AADrS4iNX1kYTUZo7
Park Entry Fee: $0.00
Alltrails Maps: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/banshee-reeks-ab2ce2a?u=i
Banshee Reeks Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fwiDfFL9P9PABzkYXkUaEQuHBqVwDmNh/view?usp=sharing