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
26
Raven Rocks and Bear Chase Brewery (Rating: C)
Dulles Town Center Park & Ride Lot, Dulles Town Center, VA 20166, USA, Dulles Town Center, 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 hike is 5.8 miles with 1600 feet elevation gain. Although this hike distance is short, there are four uphill climbs of about 300-400 each. The trails are rocky. Will will start near the Appalachian Trail (AT) on route 7 and go in and out on the AT to Raven Rocks,
After the hike, for those that choose to do so, we will drive a short distance to lunch to the Bear Chase Brewery, https://bearchasebrew.com GPS Coordinates: 39.111372, -77.845820.
We hike at a pace of 2.5-3.0 mph when moving.
No dogs permitted on this hike
Leader: Ed Brimberg 703-944-9920 (C)
Carpools: Plan to arrive at the Dulles Town Center Park and Ride at 7:45am we will depart at 8:00am. The leader will be at the carpool location. Suggested carpool fee is $4. Driving time to the trailhead is 40 minutes.
GPS Coordinates: 39.034079, -77.430102 https://goo.gl/maps/Lj1uBdayGR9GTS7VA
If you are going to the trailhead, meet at the Snickers Gap - Appalachian Trailhead at ~8:45am, GPS coordinates: 39.115727, -77.846759 https://goo.gl/maps/Wks6xstQANuKcti57
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: C
AllTrails Map hike: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map-1a996ec-9?u=i&sh=7cs7ov
***You must be experienced in hikes of this distance, pace and elevation gain.***
33 attendees
Belle Haven, River Farm, Dyke Marsh (Rating: D with C option)
Belle Haven Marina Inc - Mariner Sailing School, 1 Belle Haven Rd, Alexandria, VA 22307, USA, Alexandria, 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.
5.9 mile hike from Belle Haven Marina to River Farm out and back with 148 ft. of elevation; 1.9 mile Dyke Marsh option.
We will hike to River Farm along the Mount Vernon Trail from Belle Haven’s public parking lot.
Once at River Farm, the home of the American Horticultural Society, we will take advantage of the magnificent gardens and have lunch in the gardens over looking the Potomac.
Once part of the George Washington’s original farmland, River Farm is a beautiful 25-acre property of formal and naturalistic gardens, a historic estate house, and magnificent scenic view overlooking the Potomac River.
The headquarters of the American Horticultural Society since 1973, River Farm showcases AHS’ mission to promote the art, science and joy of growing plants.
We will return back along the Mount Vernon Trail which will bring us through the fabulous Wellington Villa neighborhood, offering stunning vistas of the Potomac River.
For those wishing to extend the 5.9 mile hike another 1.9 miles, there is the option of walking out to the end of Dyke’s Marsh which is adjacent to both Belle Haven Marina and our parking lot.
Dyke Marsh is one of the largest remaining freshwater tidal wetlands in the Washington metropolitan area. Its 485 acres of tidal marsh, floodplain, and swamp forest can be explored by boat or on foot.
Pace: The pace will be about 2.5 mph while moving.
Bring: adequate water/hydration, snacks/lunch, and sturdy hiking shoes and hiking poles if you use them.
Fee: None
Dogs are welcome. NVHC Dog Policy
Weather: weather for this location is HERE.
Where to Meet:
We will meet in the public parking lot adjacent to Belle Haven Marina,
6401 George Washington Memorial Parkway. GPS LinkAs soon as you make the left as if to go to Belle Haven Marina, you make an immediate left to enter the public parking lot.
Facilities: Belle Haven Marina, River Farm
Post-Hike Fellowship: The Haven GPS LINK
Literally five minutes if that from Belle Haven Marina. There is ample parking on Potomac Avenue right before arriving at the restaurant.
Questions, please message me here or text to 703 533 9231
Dawn25 attendees
Goats and Horses - Gabrielson Garden Park Reston/Oakton (Rating: C)
Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr, 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 7.5-mile hike with 600 feet of elevation gain through the woodlands of Reston and Oakton. On the hike we'll pass horse paddocks and may even see a group of curious goats. This is one of my favorite sections of the Cross County Trail and probably the least traveled. Thanks to Tom Underwood for the photo.
We'll start at the Walker Nature Center and pick up the Cross County Trail (CCT) for an out and back of the northern half of CCT Section . Our turn will be at Gabrielson Garden Park,
Park on Glade Road so the Nature Center parking lot can be kept open for the Center's pre-school activities and drop-offs.We hike at a pace of approximately 2.5 mph while moving. You must be experienced with hikes of this length and elevation gain.
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/gabrielson-garden-goats-horse-steve-frith-4cc5400?u=i&sh=iypgzx30 attendees
Past events
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