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
13
Mason Neck State Park (Rating: C)
Mason Neck State Park, 7301 High Point 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.
8 miles with 250 foot elevation gain.
A scenic hike at Mason Neck State Park which is situated on a peninsula formed by Pohick Bay on the north, Belmont Bay on the south and the Potomac River on the east. The peninsula is the site of an active heron rookery. The park also attracts several other migrating and non-migrating species of birds, including whistling swans and assorted species of duck. Bald eagles and Osprey also inhabit the area.
Description:
We'll combine several trails in the park to complete an 8 mile loop, a couple of the trails are out and back to bird viewing stands. There will be a great view of the bay area as well as a lake and marshes.Hiking Pace:
Pace will be about 2.5 mph.There are restrooms at the main picnic area as well as at the Visitor Center which is near where we begin our hike.
The hike is being limited to 25 participants to accommodate the park policy.
Bring:
Adequate water/hydration (at least 2 liters), also snacks/lunch, The route is mostly level and there are no stream crossings. Some sections may get muddy after heavy rains. I recommend sturdy hiking shoes there are areas of the trail with many tree roots covered by fallen leaves.Park Entrance Fee:
$10.00 park entrance fee (no fee for state park pass holders) or use your REI purchase receipt parking coupon.
Provide your REI receipt parking coupon from a participating Virginia REI, to the contact station ranger or insert it in a self-pay envelope at the contact station.
Use the self-pay envelope to pay the entrance fee if the contact station is not open and hang the tear-off tab on your rear view mirror.Dogs:
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicyMason Neck Hiking Upward:
https://www.hikingupward.com/OVH/MasonNeck/Mason Neck State Park:
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/mason-neckMeet at the trailhead parking lot 15 minutes early to allow everyone to be signed in and get ready to hike at 9:00am. The gate at the contact station opens at 7:00am.
Meeting Place Instructions: Mason Neck State Park, 7301 High Point Road, Lorton, VA. Access to the park is via U.S. 1, then five miles east on Route 242 (Gunston Road) to the park entrance. Continue into the park on High Point Rd, and take a right onto Outlet Rd. toward the Visitor Center. The main picnic area veers off to the left just before the Visitor Center. We will meet at the main picnic area parking lot. GPS 38.642150, -77.197876
Any questions, please message me here or text/call @202-528-0456. If you text me, please include your name.
25 attendees
Trout Pond, WV Hike and Swim (Rating: B)
Centreville Park and Ride, 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.
An 8 mile hike, with a 1500' elevation gain starting and ending in the beautiful Trout Pond Recreation Area, West Virginia. We will hike on the Trout Pond and Long Mountain trails, pass Chimney Rock, then walk around Rockcliff Lake with a side visit to Trout Pond.
After the hike we will take a swim in Rockcliff Lake so bring a change of clothes and towel. We hike at a pace of 2.5-3.0 mph when moving.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/gwj/recreation/trout-pond-recreation-areaLeader: Ed Brimberg 703-944-9920 (C)
No dogs permitted on this hike.
Carpools: Meet at the Centreville Park and Ride at at 7:30am we will depart promptly at 7:45am. Suggested carpool fee is $12 (includes entry fee). The leader will be at the carpool location.
GPS Coordinates: 38.836038, -77.455371, https://goo.gl/maps/hc3LRG7Hsy2wMJs18Driving Time to trailhead from Centreville: 1 hour 40 minutes
Trailhead: Arrive at Trout Pond Recreation Area at 9:30am hike will start at 9:45am.
GPS coordinates for Trout Pond Rockcliff Lake Parking by bathroom: GPS Cooridnates 38.956684, -78.737268, https://goo.gl/maps/oC2VKobkEmGTuH4E7Park Entry Fee: $8 per car, $4 with National Parks Senior Pass. Money to be put in envelope at entrance station.
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.
AllTrails Map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/trout-pond-hike-and-swim?u=i&sh=7cs7ov
You must be experienced in hikes of this distance and elevation gain.
33 attendees
Lake Front Royal to Denton Shelter via Appalachian Trail (Rating: A)
Park and Ride Access Road, Park and Ride Acc Rd, 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 is about a 10-mile out-and-back hike along the Appalachian Trail with about 1,600 feet of elevation gain. We'll start near Lake Front Royal and head north on the AT. After about 5 miles we'll stop for lunch at the Denton Shelter and then head back the way we came.
Please note the earlier start time of 0800. We need to beat the heat.
Start time: 8:00 a.m. (meet at the trailhead parking area 15-30 minutes early for sign in)
Pace: 2.0 to 2.5 miles/hour when moving
Hike map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/lake-front-royal-to-snp-boundary-via-appalachian-trail-49265d2Trailhead parking is limited so carpooling is encouraged
Trailhead: Intersection of Rte 522 and the Appalachian trail near Lake Front Royal (GPS coordinates 38.878, -78.15056)CARPOOLING: Meet at University Blvd - Gainesville Park and Ride and plan to leave at 7:00 to arrive at the trailhead in time to get signed in and start hiking at 8 am. The hike leader will not be at the carpool location. Park & Ride GPS 38.80063, -77.58771
Neither the Club nor the hike leader is 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. Suggested carpool fee: $6.00 per rider. Driving time from Gainesville Park & Ride to the trailhead is about 50 minutes.
Leader: Dick Pregent 703-587-2359
Dogs: Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. Please contact the hike leader in advance if you intend to bring a dog.
https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy11 attendees
Prince William Forest Park (Rating: A)
University Blvd Park and Ride, 7201 New Stable Way, 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.
Hike Overview: This will be an 11-mile hike in Prince William Forest Park with 900 feet of elevation gain. I plan to hike at a moderate pace of about 2.0 – 2.5 but will modify the pace if the weather is hot and humid.
Route: We’ll go down the Laurel Trail Loop Trail from the parking lot, right onto the South Valley / North Valley Trail, right onto the Quantico Cascades Trail to the waterfalls and then on to the Mary Bird Branch Trail to pick up the High Meadows Trail. We continue down the High Meadows Trail and turn left onto the South Valley Trail to continue back to the Laurel Trail Loop where we take a right turn back to the starting point (parking lot).
Park Entrance Fee: This is a National Park, and the Park entrance fee varies: it's free with a National Park pass. Please see https://www.nps.gov/prwi/planyourvisit/fees.htm#pass__7
for fee schedule.Carpool Meetup location: The carpool location is in the commuter parking lot at GPS coordinates 38.801230, -77.591288 which is across from the new Sheetz convenience store / gas station located at 7201 New Stable Way, Gainesville, VA 20155.
Those wishing to carpool should be at the meetup location no later than 7:45 AM. Note: Hike leader will leave the lot at 8:00 AM.
It is about a 30-mile, 50 minute trip from the carpool location to the Prince William Forest Park trailhead depending on traffic. The hike leader will be at the carpool location in a gray Subaru Outback (Virginia license plate VTS-2219).
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.
Carpool Fee: The suggested carpool fee is $3.50.
Trailhead: The trailhead / hike starting location is at the Prince William Forest Park Pine Grove parking lot at GPS Coordinates: 38.560788, -77.349690
Meetup Time: For those meeting at the Pine Grove parking lot please be there no later that 9:00 AM.
Pets: Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with NVHC's dog policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy.
Leader: Jim Hollis (703-927-7189… please use text)
28 attendees
Past events
4901
