About us
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 was 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
29
Algonkian Park Nature Sanctuary (Rating: D)
Volcano Island Waterpark, 20015 Volcano Island Dr, Sterling, VA, USYou 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 a ~ 7 mile hike with ~100 feet of elevation gain in Algonkian Regional Park. We'll start on the Potomac Heritage Trail (PHT) and hike downstream to the Algonkian Nature Sanctuary where we'll make a loop and then return to the start point. The Algonkian Regional Park Sanctuary consists of 30+ acres of wetlands on Lowe's Island adjacent to the Potomac River. The wetlands are a unique part of the Potomac that supports a variety of flora and fauna including Bald Eagles.
There will be some hiking along the Potomac River, the golf course and recreation areas. We will start on the PHT near the parking lot at Volcano Island Waterpark in Algonkian Regional Park (GPS coordinates: 39.061784, -77.386796). Some of the hike is on trails, pavement and gravel road. We hike at a pace of 2.5 to 3.0 mph while moving.
Dogs are welcome on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicyhttps://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolic
Leader: Steve Frith cell 703-629-0174
Park Entry Fee: $0.00
Map for hike:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map-january-31-2024-e5ae7b1?u=i&sh=iypgzx28 attendees
Cox Farm Fall Festival Hike and Hayride (Rating: D FUN)
15621 Braddock Rd, Centerville, VA, USYou 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.
Join us for our second annual fun fall celebration with a 5 mile flat hike around Cox Farms and Robert Jones Park, followed by a group hayride and cider tasting. We’ll walk about a half mile to Robert Jones District Park, and do a 3 mile loop on mostly dirt trails. We'll be using the crosswalk, though we will be walking for a short distance along the road in a grassy area (pants recommended over shorts here). The last part of this event will be a 1 mile walk through the Cox Farms forest trail and corn maze, followed by a group hayride. We hike at a pace of about 2.5-3mph while moving.
Following the hike and hayride, feel free to join us for lunch in the picnic area and explore the festival at your leisure. You may bring your own food, or purchase something at the farm. There's a petting zoo, giant slide, “Foamhenge” full size Stonehenge replica, pumpkins and fall market. Our own NVHC member Bob R. Is part of the Cox Farms family, and kindly offered to host our group for this event. The entry fee will be waived.
We will meet in front of the Festival Market to the right of the entrance (*not* at the ticket booths), so after parking, look for the big Festival Market rooftop signs. We'll distribute entry ticket bands before our hike. Please park in the dirt parking lot to the right as you enter. The parking area to the left will be reserved for school buses. We'll be hiking in Robert Jones Park while the kids are at the festival.
RAIN DATE Monday, Oct. 5
Leader: Kris N. 618-623-2484
Park Entry Fee: $0.00
No dogs permitted on this hike please.
59 attendees
Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park ( Rating:D)
Edwards Landing Park, 901 Powhatan Court Northeast, Leesburg, VA, USYou 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 a 4~5mile hike with an elevation gain of 600' on various trails in the Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park
https://www.novaparks.com/parks/balls-bluff-battlefield in Leesburg, VA. We will stop half way for a short snack break. We hike at a pace of 2.5 mph while moving.This is the site of one of the largest Civil War engagements in Loudoun County. Major sites at Ball's Bluff include a cemetery, which is the third smallest national cemetery in the United States. Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park also features an interpretive trail, signage and an amazing view of the bluff itself, overlooking the Potomac River.
We will start Edwards Landing Park.Leader: Nancy 703-346-3218 (C)
Rating: D
Meet: 9:00am at Edwards Landing Park. GPS coordinates: 39.120075, -77.524277
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JnfJ9EURn4Z9GURC7Dogs are not permitted on this.
Carpool Fee: N/A
Park Entry Fee: $0.00
20 attendees
Two Falls and One Summit (Rating: A+)
Gainesville Park and Ride, Virginia, VA, USYou 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.
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST, CHECK TOTAL LINEAR MILES, ELEVATION GAIN AND THE PACE BEFORE RSVPING.
If I don’t know you, you MUST message the hike leader within 24 hours of signing up with a recent A+ hike you have done with NVHC or a hike leader from NVHC who can vouch for you. Otherwise, you will be moved to “Not Going”.This hike is an A+ hike suitable for experienced, fit hikers who did similar distance/elevation in past few months.
This hike is ~13.7 miles circuit with an elevation gain of ~ 2930 ft., featuring Rose River, Dark Hollow falls and Hawksbill Summit. The hike starts from Upper Hawksbill Trailhead parking lot on SKL-D. Refer to the trailhead coordinates and the map posted for driving directions.
Safety is paramount for all of us. This hike is steeper and very strenuous at some places so please review the description fully. There are multiple water crossings on this hike. Please be prepared.
Carpools: Meet at Gainesville Park and Ride at 6:30 a.m. ET. GPS coordinates 38.801080, -77.589775. Carpool’s location is just right in front of new Sheetz gas station across the street. If you plan to drive directly to the trailhead parking lot, then please be there by 08:15 a.m. ET. Please check the GPS coordinates for trailhead parking lot in the description below. Approximate driving time from carpool location to trailhead is 90-95 minutes without break depending on the traffic. Hike leader will meet the group at trailhead.
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.
PLEASE PRINT OUT ANY MAPS THAT YOU MAY NEED AS I DO NOT PROVIDE COPIES OF MAPS. ALL THE LINKS AND COORDINATES YOU WILL NEED HAVE BEEN PROVIDED.
If you have ANY question about your ability to complete this hike, please contact hike leader.
Need to know details:
Distance: Approximately 13.7 miles
Elevation gain: Approximately 2930 feet
Pace: 2.5 mph (Average)
Terrain: Strenuous/Steep
Park entry fee: $30 per vehicle; if you have national park pass entry is free.
Carpool Fee: $9
Trailhead Parking Lot Coordinates: 38.543710, -78.393151
Directions from Gainesville Park and Ride: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eGd8uSkuJinUcLHY7
Trailhead meetup time: 8.15 a.m.
Dogs permitted, please on leash. NVHC Dog Policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Bring: Minimum 2-liter water, food/snacks, sun hat, layers, basic first aid kit, rain gear (depending on weather), hiking poles, hiking shoe, sunscreen, bug spray, and your big happy smile 😊.There are restrooms available (Sheetz Gas Station) at Gainesville Park and Ride and at the trailhead.
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 contribute to keeping the trails safe and beautiful.
Any questions? Message or text me! Looking forward to this awesome hike.
Saran
(848) 248-055521 attendees
Past events
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