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
Great Falls Park - Virginia (Rating: D)
Great Falls Park, 9200 Old Dominion Dr, McLean, 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 5 mile hike with 550' elevation gain on various trails in Great Falls Park Virginia. Maneuvering on some rocks is required. We hike at a pace of 2.5-3.0 mph when moving.
Leader: Ed Brimberg 703-944-9920 (C)
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Meet: At the Great Falls Park parking lot. Arrive at 8:45am, hike starts at 9:00am.
38.998198, -77.255878
https://maps.app.goo.gl/m5LGdmjqFtLfEUAfAPark Entry Fee: $20.00 or free with a park pass.
AllTrails Map for hike: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/great-falls-park-5-miles-c0e9053?u=i&sh=7cs7ov
20 attendees
Seneca Regional Park Potomac Heritage Trail (Rating: C)
Seneca Regional Park, 101 Seneca Rd, 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.
This is an enjoyable hike with shaded trails and a sandy beach to take our break on. The hike is ~7,3 miles with ~800 feet of elevation gain in Seneca Regional Park. We'll start by hiking through a beautiful full growth hardwood forest and will then connect to the Potomac Heritage Trail. We'll take our break on a sandy beach.
Thanks to Bob G for the photo.We hike at a pace of 2.3 to 2.5 mph while moving. You must have experience with hikes of this length and elevation gain.
Dogs are permitted 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.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=15.0/-77.3190/39.0474&pubLink=obOQ48o079O4P48KYoJBIMa9&trackId=b81b5829-efdf-4bad-bb66-9e9de4a74efd
21 attendees
AT – Compton Peak & Fort Wyndham Rocks (Rating: B)
Jenkins Gap, Virginia, 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 7+ mile hike on the AT and nearby trails. The hike starts at Jenkins Gap and heads north crossing Skyline Drive to the Dickey Ridge Trail to the Springhill Trail and then back on the AT where we head south back to Jenkins Gap.
- Going north, we will look at the East Compton Overlook where there are columnar basalts (see picture above). If you've never seen these, the hike is worth it just to view this geological phenomena.
- On the Dickey Ridge trail, we will take a very short side trip to the Fort Wyndham Rocks.
- On Compton Peak on the way back south, we'll have lunch at the West Compton Overlook.
At each of the above 3 stops we'll be hiking on the 570 million year old Catoctin Formation which is a metamorphosed basalt or greenstone. For more on this unique rock that makes hiking in Shenandoah so "rocky", visit the National Park Website at: https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/greenstone.htm
Hike Grade: B - moderately difficult
At 7+ mi + 1200+ft/400ft/mi = 10+ equiv. miles which makes this a B-hike https://nvhc.com/hikeinfo/ratings/.Hike Maps:
Shenandoah National Park pdf map:
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0RN4nPpBP4js6ME7YpsHL5Cjw#Jenkins_Gap_to_Fort_Wyndham_Rocks
GaiaGPS interactive map:
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.6/-78.1748/38.8197&pubLink=fDozx6TyCv6nsX0PCQhDZaGq&trackId=d23ad047c4f263f5514829f082929514Driving Directions:
From the north entrance at Front Royal, drive south on Skyline drive to Jenkins Gap, between MP 12 and 13. The Parking lot is on the right (west side of Skyline Dr) somewhat hidden from the road. (GPS 38.8072, -78.1810) Don't confuse the parking lot with the Jenkins Gap Overlook which is more visible and on the east side of the road.Park Entrance Fee: $30/car
Carpools: Feel free to arrange carpools in the comment section below.
Dogs: Permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
24 attendees
Elkwallow Loop (Rating: A)
Centreville Park & Ride, 14700 Lee Hwy, 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.
The hike is about 10 miles with 1700 feet elevation gain in Shenandoah National Park.
The hike starts from the Elkwallow Wayside, and will incorporate seven different trails to form a circuit around Elkwallow, including the AT, Piney Branch Trail, and the Keyser Road. We can aim to have lunch at the Matthews Arm Amphitheater, which we will reach relatively late in the hike (about 8 miles in). We can stop for a snack before then.
We hike at an average pace of 2.75 mph while moving; slower on uphill and faster on flat or downhill. The group will wait at all intersections.
You must be experienced in hikes of this distance, elevation gain and pace.
Leader: Randy Wood, (703) 475-8334
For those wishing to carpool, the suggested carpool location is at the Centreville Park & Ride. The driving time from there to the trailhead is about 1 hour 30 minutes. Please arrive at the Park & Ride in time to form carpools so that all cars can leave by 7:30AM. Suggested carpool fee is $8.
PLEASE NOTE: 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.
Trailhead: Elkwallow Wayside at 9am. Hike begins at 9:15am.
GPS Coordinates: 38.738755084294304, -78.308623251989 https://goo.gl/maps/d57nz22J6abFWQ2i7Park Entry Fee: $30 for 7-day pass or free with SNP or National Park annual pass
Rating: A
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Hiking Map:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/legacy-map/map-october-1-2025-72a5628
Note: Map shows us briefly on Skyline Drive; we will stay on the AT that runs parallel to the Drive.25 attendees
Past events
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