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
18
CCT — Colvin Run Mill to W&OD (Rating: C)
Colvin Run Mill, 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls, 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.
Description:
This is a 7½ mile hike with ~200-feet of elevation gain on the Cross County Trail, from Rt 7 (near Colvin Mill Run) to the Washington and Old Dominion path and back. We will start on the Cross County Trail access road just north of route 7 near Colvin Run Mill.There are 2 stream crossings: one on rocks (see picture above when it was uncrossable, it should be lower and crossable on Friday) and the other on concrete pylons.
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Leader: Harvey Haines
Rating: C
(7¼ mi + 200 ft/400ft/mi = 7¾ equiv. mi. C-hikes range from 7-10 mi)Trailhead Meeting Location: on the Cross County Trail spur road off Colvin Run Road just north of route 7. Please to plan to arrive by 8:45 to sign in. We leave promptly at 9:00.
GPS coordinates: 38.9676, -77.2890
If you cannot use GPS coordinates, the Best address for navigation is 9950 Colvin Run Rd, Great Falls, VA. This will take you to the sewage pump station close to the parking area.Maps:
A pdf map of this section of the CCT:
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/05eVzFBePshItlpjqZzE4Q6og#cct-9-difficult-run-stream-valley_8.44.46_AM
GAIA-GPS map of the trail:
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=17.0/-77.2931/38.9696&pubLink=nT5xNso4Vt4cJS590reDYkXJ&trackId=da5ca300fac1600e2994ed97cc7756bb30 attendees
Reston Lakes and Woodlands (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.
We're all ready to start hiking again and next week the Weather is warming. It looks like we will have 3 days of balmy (everything is relative) temperatures to start melting/ softening the snow for the Friday hike day.
This is an enjoyable hike with beautiful lakes, wooded trails and even a snack/rest room break at a Starbucks. It is about an 8 mile hike with 423 feet of elevation gain around lakes and among the woodlands of Reston. We'll meet at the Walker Nature Center at 8:45 am and hike through the Glade Stream Valley and then along Lake Audubon and Lake Thoreau. The hike route is about 60% on paved paths with the remainder on dirt trails. Restrooms are available at the Walker Nature Center.We hike at a pace of approximately 2.5 mph while moving. You must be experienced with hikes of this length and elevation gain.
Parking will be challenging on Glade Road so I am limiting the group size.
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:
25 attendees
V-Day Hike: Catoctin Mountain (Rating: A)
Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center, 6602 Foxville Rd, Thurmont, MD, USFeliz Valentine's Day :-)
You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/sign... and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.
This hike is approximately 11 miles’ circuit covering multiple vistas and viewpoints with an elevation gain of approximately 2200 feet. If this your first A hike with described elevation and distance & if you have never participated in A or A+ with this group, please ping me as soon as you sign-in to have a quick discussion.
Safety is paramount for all of us. Please wear proper winter weather gears, bring hiking poles, proper hiking shoes to enjoy the trails safely. Please bring minimum 2 liters of water. This hike is suitable for experienced, fit hikers who did similar one in past few months. If you have ANY question about your ability to complete this hike, please contact me.
Carpools: Hikers organize themselves. Please refer to the visitor center meetup point details in the description below. The leader will be at the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center from where the hike commences.
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.
Need to know details:
Distance: ~11 miles
Elevation gain: ~2200 feet
Pace: 2-2.5 mph
Terrain: Steep/Flat
Park entry fee: $0
Carpool Fee: $0 (Please self-organize carpools)
Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center Coordinates: 39.633822, -77.449639
Visitor Center meet up time: 8.30 a.m. ET.
Dogs permitted in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Bring: Adequate water, food/snacks, hat, layers, basic first aid kit, map, winter and rain gear (depending), hiking poles, hiking shoe, additional pair of socks/liner (to protect feet from water, if needed) and your big happy smile 😊.Quiz: At lunch stop we can have 3 quizzes related to this hike (or perhaps Valentine’s Day) and the correct answer wins the prize 😊 😊
Thanks: To the teams, individuals and volunteers who contributes to keep the trails safe, beautiful and updates the portals to keep the trail data up to date which helps fellow hikers.
¿Preguntas? Message or text me! Looking forward to this awesome hike,
Saran
(848) 248-055550 attendees
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.
30 attendees
Past events
4679
