Northern Virginia Hiking Club (NVHC)

4.9•30509 ratings

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

See all

Little Devil Stairs-Piney Branch Loop Loop (Rating: A)
Tue, Sep 29 · 7:15 AM EDT
Centreville Park & Ride, 14700 Lee Hwy, Centreville, VA, US
You 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 variation of the popular and scenic Little Devils' Stairs Hike. For this version, we start from a parking area off Skyline Drive, and walk along the Piney Branch and Hull School Trails (and past the Bolen Cemetery) and the Keyser Run Fire Road before climbing the Little Devils' Stairs trail and returning to the parking area via the Keyser Run Fire Road. The loop is about 10 miles and 2500 ft. of elevation. Poles are recommended due to the stream crossings, especially after recent rain.

Pace: Between 2.5 and 3 mph

Trail map https: https: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/piney-branch-little-devils-stairs-circuit-743ba70

Rating: A

Carpool Parking: Meet at the Centreville Park and Ride (Coordinates: 38.83735,-77.45773) in time to depart by 7:15 am. Suggested carpool fee is $7.

Trailhead Parking: Meet at the trailhead no later than 8:45 am so we can begin hiking by 9:00 am. It's about an 1hr 30 min drive from the Centreville Park & Ride lot. The parking area is relatively small, with room for about 10 cars, and is on the south side of Skyline Drive coordinates between mileposts 19 and 20 (38°45'26.2"N 78°15'24.2"W)

Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy

Leader: Randy Wood 703 475-8334

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: $30

You must be experienced in hikes of this distance and elevation gain. There is significant uphill in the first couple of miles and another shorter one towards the end.
6 attendees
8 seats left
South Run to Burke Lake Loop (Rating: C)
Tue, Sep 29 · 9:00 AM EDT
South Run Field House, 7550 Reservation Dr., Springfield, VA, US
You 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.

Details:
This is 8 mile walk mostly in the shade and on partially paved wide trails from South Run Park to and around Burke Lake. The route is mostly flat with a mix of paved and dirt trails on this hike (250 ft elevation gain.) We will walk 2.5 to 3.0 mph when moving with a brief break (restrooms / snack) part way through.

No park entrance fee.

Bring:
Adequate water/hydration. Snacks/lunch. You may want to bring insect repellent and sunscreen. Most of the hike is in the forest canopy other than a couple of short sections.

Dogs are welcome. Dogs are welcome on the hike (see the NVHC Dog policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy )

MEET AT THE END OF THE PARKING LOT - NEAR GREEN ROOF FIELDHOUSE BUILDING - see map below.
GPS: 38.74676, -77.27376
If there are any impacts to parking at the Fieldhouse due to events, we'll park by the Rec Center and walk down.

Please arrive a few minutes early to get signed in. We start promptly at 9:00 am
South Run Field House has restrooms. There will also be a restroom about 3/4 of the way.

Post-hike rehydration TBD

Trail Map:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/burke-lake-via-south-run-district-park?

If you have any questions, please message me on Meetup or text me at 202-528-0456. If you text me, please include your name.
22 attendees
5 seats left
Yoga Hike (Rating: D)
Tue, Sep 29 · 9:00 AM EDT
Burke Lake Park, Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA, US
You 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.

Namaste! Join us for our first Yoga Hike at Burke Lake. No experience necessary. We'll do 15-20 minute of pre-hike stretches (with boots and poles), enjoy a mindful 5 mile walk around Burke Lake, then return to do 15-20 minutes of post-hike stretches (a towel or mat will be needed). NVHC hiker Cindy H. will be leading the yoga portion of this event. Cindy is a yoga instructor at the YMCA in Estes Park, CO. Pace will be between 2.5-3mph.

DIRECTIONS: We will meet at the parking lot near the Marina. Enter the park at the Burke Lake Park Entrance on Ox Road (Route 123). If using a GPS to find the park, just key in "Burke Lake Park." More directions are below. After entering the park, go straight through the entrance and follow the road as it curves to the right. You will pass a tiny parking area on your right. Keep going until you see a large parking lot adjacent to the Marina. We'll meet in the upper lot. Please plan to arrive by 8:45am so we can get everyone checked in and start at 9am.

RESTROOMS: There are restrooms at the Marina.

DOG POLICY: No dogs on this hike.

PARK FEE: None

HIKE LEADER: Kris N. 618-623-2484

More Directions:

From I-95 Take exit #160 (Route 123 North). The sign will say Woodbridge, Occoquan, and Lake Ridge. Follow 123 North (Ox Road) for 7.5 miles to the park entrance on the right. (If you see the golf course, then you have gone too far. The golf course entrance is the next right off Route 123; this is beyond the park entrance. Good place to turn around, if need be.)

From the Beltway (495) Take the Braddock Road West exit (Exit 54, VA-620) and travel approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto Burke Lake Road (at Kings Park Shopping Center). Follow Burke Lake Road for 5 miles. Turn left onto Route 123 South (Ox Road). The golf course entrance is the first left off Route 123. The park entrance is the second left off Route 123.

From Route 66 Take the Fairfax County Parkway, Exit 55A (Route 286 South towards Springfield). Continue on the Fairfax County Parkway for approximately 5 miles. Take a right onto Burke Lake Road. At the next light, turn left onto Ox Road (Route 123). The golf course entrance is the first left off Ox Road. The park entrance is the second left off Ox Road.
20 attendees
Algonkian Park Nature Sanctuary (Rating: D)
Wed, Sep 30 · 9:00 AM EDT
Volcano Island Waterpark, 20015 Volcano Island Dr, Sterling, VA, US
You 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=iypgzx
33 attendees