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
16
Prince William Forest Park (Rating: B)
Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center, 18170 Park Entrance Rd, Triangle, 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.
10 mile circuit hike with 790 feet of elevation change.
Description: A scenic hike along the Quantico Creek and the adjoining forest. We will hike several trails - Laurel Loop, South Valley, North Valley, Taylor Farm Rd, and a few shorter connector trails.
There are several rolling hills, but they are short and spread out. It will be a good winter workout!The pace will be about 2.5 mph.
Info: There are restrooms at the Visitor Center area where we start as well as Turkey Run Education Center where we will make a brief stop.
Bring: At least 2 liters of water/hydration, snacks/lunch, and sturdy hiking shoes since there are a few rocky areas and tree roots along the way. Hiking poles if you normally use them.
Winter weather can be unpredictable, so I'll be closely monitoring weather conditions as the hike day approaches.
Fee: The park entrance fee is $20 unless you have a National Park Pass. Military, veterans, and gold star family members are also eligible for free admission. I
https://themilitarywallet.com/military-free-admission-national-parks/Dogs are welcome. NVHC Dog policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Meet at the trailhead parking lot 15 minutes early to allow everyone to sign in and get ready to hike at 9:30am.
Prince William Forest Park link: https://www.nps.gov/prwi/index.htm
You must be able to hike this distance and elevation gain, any questions regarding that please contact me.
Meeting Place Instructions:
We are meeting at the Pine Grove Picnic Area near the visitor center. There are two parking areas in an L shape - you can park in either area, but we will meet down near the playground (currently under construction).
Take the SECOND left after entering the park and continue straight ahead into the large lot. GPS Coordinates 38.56040, -77.34952Optional post-hike rehydration at Stonebridge Potomac Town Center.
Any questions, please message me here or text/call @202-528-0456. If you text me, please include your name.
34 attendees
Banshee Reeks - Loudoun County (Rating: D)
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, 21085 The Woods Rd, 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 an 6 mile hike with 400' 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.
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 8:45am so we can get everyone checked in and start at 9:00am.
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/custom-routes/banshee-reeks-6-miles-7648732?u=i&sh=7cs7ov
35 attendees
Tuscarora South of Route 55 (Rating: A)
Centreville Park & Ride Lot, 14700 Lee Highway, Centreville, VA, USYou must read the following https://nvhc.com/CovidDocument.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 11 mile in and out hike on the Virginia/West Virginia border with 1900 feet elevation gain on Great North Mountain in George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. We will follow the Tuscarora Trail from route 55 south for 5.5 miles to a ridge with an overlook. We will then retrace our steps back to the Gerhard shelter where we will stop for lunch. We will then continue back to the cars. Nice views from the ridge. We hike at a pace of 2-2.5 mph while moving.
Leader: Dick Pregent (703) 587-2359
Carpools: Meet at the Centreville Park and Ride at 7:30am. Suggested carpool fee is $5. The leader will not be at the carpool location. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited. GPS Coordinates: 38.836038, -77.455371. https://goo.gl/maps/hc3LRG7Hsy2wMJs18
Driving time to trailhead from carpool location: 1 hour 5 minutes.
Meet at the trailhead @ 8:45am. GPS Coordinates: 39.085566, -78.509264 https://goo.gl/maps/Zph8XiJSqghYgHtXA
Park on the left side of the road by the chain link fence. For safety you may need to continue down the hill a little to find a safe place to make a U-turn. Parking is on the shoulder of road.
Neither the Club nor the hike leaders are 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.
Park Entry Fee: $0
Rating: A
Map for hike: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1YnThwxtF-hN3laSmotSHFoMzg/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-KVZJsK_d_1OJ-4bjD5hbZQ
Alltrails Map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/tuscarora-south-of-route-55?u=i
****You must be experienced in hikes of this distance, pace and elevation gain***
20 attendees
NEW DATE: Fairfax Park and Bike Lane Brewery-Reston (Rating: C)
The Bike Lane, 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, 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 an enjoyable hike with the Lake, lots of graceful full growth trees and the fun of winding through multiple trails in this relatively compact Park. The Hike route is about 7 miles with 460 feet of elevation. The Hike route is a loop consisting primarily of dirt trails.
We will start at the Bike Lane Brewing &Café, at 11150 Sunset Hills, Reston VA 20190. The Bike Shop and Brewery is adjacent to Lake Fairfax Park and for those interested, we can enjoy a beer after the hike.You must be experienced with hikes of this length and elevation gain. We hike at a pace of approximately 2.5 -3.0 mph while moving.
Restrooms are available at the start point and at our break point during the hike.
Dogs are welcome on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicyhttps://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolic
Leader: Willem Janssen
Steve Frith cell 703-629-0174Park Entry Fee: $0.00
Map for hike:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map-july-23-2025-ad7bdca?u=i&sh=iypgzx hi23 attendees
Past events
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