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
21
Tuscarora South of Route 55 (Rating: A)
Centreville Park & Ride Lot, 14700 Lee Highway, Centreville, 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 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
Conway Robinson State Forest (Rating: D)
Conway Robinson State Forest, Lee Highway & University Blvd., Gainesville, 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 about 6.2 miles with 344 feet of elevation gain. We will be hiking the Blue, Orange, the short in and out to creek and connector trail. We will be walking through a mix of coniferous and deciduous tree cover with several swampy low-lying areas if it has recently rained.
We are hoping the Blue Bells will be in bloom along the creek.2.5 – 3.0 mph while moving.
Parking and Trail Head Coordinates:
38°48'11.5"N 77°35'13.0"WDirections:
Leaders:
Sharon Morris 571-215 6517 (c)
Joanne Arnold 571-213-0216 (c)Rating: D
Meet: 8:45 am in parking lot near the picnic tables, just off Rt 29. Sign in with leaders before hiking.Fees: This is a NOVA Regional Park: No Fee
24 attendees
Occoquan PEEPS Show (Rating: C)
Brickmakers Cafe, 9751 Ox Rd, Lorton, 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.
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Join me on this fun walk to historic Occoquan for the annual marshmallow PEEPS Show, featuring cute PEEPS dioramas displayed in Occoquan storefronts and Town Hall. After we view them all, we get to vote for our favorite. It's usually a tough choice as there are so many good ones!
We will walk two miles from Occoquan Regional Park to the town of Occoquan. The first mile will be on the dirt path with a little climb, and the second mile on the bike path along Ox Road. We'll walk two miles in Occoquan to check out the displays, then return on the paved trail to Brickmaker's Cafe for lunch (for those interested). There is some elevation gain in Occoquan Park and then returning on the bike path from the town of Occoquan.HIKE: 6 miles (out and back) with 500 ft. elevation gain on paved and dirt trails, with some roots. Pace will be 2.5 -3 miles per hour while moving.
MEET: Upper parking lot across from Brickmakers Cafe in Occoquan Regional Park. Please arrive by 8:45AM to get everyone signed in.
DOGS: No dogs please, as we will be inside the Town Hall and some stores.
FEE: none
RESTROOMS: Brickmakers Cafe at start and finish
LEADER: Kris N. (618) 623-2484How to get there:
From I-95 South, exit 163 for VA-642/Lorton Rd. At the end of the exit ramp take a right onto Lorton Rd. Follow Lorton Rd for 1.4 miles then turn left on to Workhouse Road. In 0.6 mile make a left at the light onto Ox Road. In 0.4 mile take a left at the light into Occoquan Park. Go about 0.7 mile and park in the big parking lot on the left, across from the Brickmakers Cafe. This is the upper level lot. Please do not park in the lower lot near the water, as that lot is for boat launch.39 attendees
Bull Run Occoquan Trail - Hemlock Overlook Regional Park west (Rating: C )
Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, 13220 Yates Ford Rd, Clifton, 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.
8 mile out and back lariat hike with 540 feet of elevation gain.
Description:
Join us for a scenic hike along Bull Run and in the adjoining forest. We will hike on the Bull Run Occoquan Trail from Hemlock Overlook Park and proceed to Johnny Moore Stream Valley Park and take in the sights. There are rolling hills, but they are short and spread out. There is a stream crossing that is negotiable over concrete pads. This will be a nice workout!The pace will be about 2.5 mph.
There is no restroom at the trailhead so you may want to schedule a pit stop on the way before you arrive.
Bring:
At least 2 liters of water/hydration, snacks/lunch, and sturdy hiking shoes since there are some rocky areas and tree roots. Hiking poles if you use them. Bring insect repellent as some of the trail sections in Hemlock may be overgrown.Meet at the trailhead parking lot 15 minutes early to allow everyone to sign in and get ready to hike at 9:00am.
Fee: There is no parking fee.
Dogs are welcome. NVHC Dog policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Bull Run Occoquan Trail: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/bull-run-occoquan-trail
Meeting Place Instructions: We are meeting at 8:45am to sign in so we can start promptly at 9am. Look for the parking area on the right side of Yates Ford Rd, across from Paradise Springs Winery.
GPS Coordinates 38.76605, -77.40652
Finding the trailhead can be difficult if you are not familiar with the area. Use 13220 Yates Ford Road, Clifton VA 20124 for Google directions. You can also plug in Paradise Springs Winery. Do not put Hemlock into your GPS as that may take you to a different parking area.
NOTE: We park in the dirt parking area across the street from Paradise Springs Winery.
Optional post-hike rehydration at Paradise Springs Winery., Clifton, VA
Any questions, please message me here or text/call @202-528-0456. If you text me, please include your name.
32 attendees
Past events
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