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
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Greenbrier State Park to Annapolis Rocks (Rating: A)
Dulles Town Center Park & Ride Lot, 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 trip.
This is a 9.5 mile hike with 1700 feet elevation gain. We will start at the Maryland Greenbrier State Park parking lot by the lake/Visitor Center, walk around the lake then take the Bartmans Hill trail up to the Appalachian (AT). We will follow the AT north to Annapolis Rocks for the view and lunch and then return to the cars.
We hike at a pace of 2.5-3.0 mph when moving.
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Leader: Ed Brimberg 703-944-9920 (C)
Carpools: Meet at the Dulles Town Center Park and Ride at 7:15am carpools leave at 7:30am, GPS Coordinates: 39.034079, -77.430102, https://goo.gl/maps/Drvzn7wmu76vnmgR6 . Suggested carpool fee is $7. **The leader will be at the carpool location.**
Driving time to the trailhead from the carpool location 1 hour 10 minutes.
If you are going to the trailhead, meet at the parking lot by the lake near the Visitor Center at arrive at 8:45 am hike starts at 9:00am, Parking GPS Coordinates: 39.536071, -77.618210
https://goo.gl/maps/dPQGy1zsaCVbrYuw5Park Entry Fee: The fee booth will be closed. You will need to pay with credit card.
Maryland residents $3/car
Out-of-state residents $5/car**Free with a Maryland State Park pass but you will have to go into the camp store near the fee booth to get a card from them that allows you to tap to get in for free unless you already have a state park card that allows you to tap to get in.**
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/greenbrier-state-park-annapolis-rocks-8123b78?u=i
You must be experienced in hikes of this distance, pace and elevation gain..
26 attendees
Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park - Herndon (Rating: C)
Runnymede Park, 195 Herndon Pkwy, Herndon, 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 level 7-mile level hike starting at Runnymeade Park along the mostly paved paths and some dirt trails in Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park in Herndon. Parts of the trail could be muddy.
There are ~10 small stream crossings on pylons.
We hike at a 2.5-3.0 mph pace when moving.
Map for hike: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DLTwVSDUjFs7D10DPV4FESrSaCXOVS-G
AllTrails Map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/runnymeade--2?u=i
This is Runnymeade Park in Herndon. GPS Coordinates: 38.972193, -77.369569 https://goo.gl/maps/norbMTUSAbDFMPju7 Depending on the direction you come from you may have to make a U-turn to get to the park entrance. Parking is limited in the lot, if it is full you will need to proceed a couple of blocks away and park on Leona Lane in a nearby subdivision.
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Joanne Arnold, Leader
571-213-0216 (cell)30 attendees
Treefrog Fever Photo Hike (Rating: D)
Neabsco Regional Park, 15125 Blackburn Rd, Woodbridge, 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.
Visit the AMAZON in our own backyard! (Kind of.) Trek roughly two flat miles along the award-winning boardwalk at Neabsco Regional Park to photograph gobs of teensy green treefrogs with sticky feet (like their famous Amazonian cousins); handsome meadow katydids with Paul Newman eyes; bold butterflies and bees feasting on purple New York ironweed and yellow wildflowers; bodacious birds (eagles to egrets), North America's most toxic native plant, and much more. More than 200 relatively close-up treefrogs were visible on 8/22/25 -- but who knows if we'll hit the jackpot this year or find a dearth of these dear creatures. Cell phones to fancy-schmancy cameras with long lenses are welcome.
We’ll stop as much as we’ll move but we plan to complete the out-and-back along the roughly 3/4-mile boardwalk in about 3 hours. (You can sign out early on the NVHC sheet if you can’t stay that long.)
Hike leader is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, an award-winning nature photographer, and a green treefrog ADDICT.
TREEFROGS: What the heck is a green treefrog and how do you find them? Adults can reach 2.5 inches long but we will also see smaller ones and babies. Some look "skinny" but most look chunky. They have gold eyelids and some sport white and/or gold "racing stripes." They change color so they range from forest green to lime green to chartreuse, and even shades of brown in the autumn. PRIZES! Prize to anyone who finds an aberrantly BLUE treefrog! (A few were found there a couple years back, which helped spark a worldwide study by iNaturalist!) Prize also to anyone who counts the treefrogs for us. These treefrogs are experts at camouflage so part of the fun challenge is actually spotting them. Since these cutie-patooties hunt at night, most of them will be sleeping -- but sometimes they move around to get out of the sun.
https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/green-treefrog/index.php
MEET: 9 a.m. by the playground at the end of the parking lot.
NEABSCO REGIONAL PARK: 15125 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge, VA 22191
Copy these GPS coordinates into Google Maps: 38.615513, -77.274805
https://www.pwcva.gov/department/neabsco-regional-parkIMPORTANT NOTES: Adults only and no pets. No tripods because they block the public boardwalk and block your fellow photographers. Please don’t attend if you’re sick. Porta-potty at start but none along boardwalk.
BRING/WEAR: Sense of humor, sense of awe, water, camera, extra battery, and memory cards. OPTIONAL: binoculars, bug spray, and sunblock.
ABERRANTLY BLUE FROGS (started because of the discovery at Neabsco!): https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/aberrantly-blue-frogs
HERE'S MY STORY ON THE BLUE FROGS AND THE WASHINGTON POST'S AND NPR'S STORIES.
WASHINGTON POST
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/08/24/rare-blue-tree-frog-is-drawing-loads-spectators-virginia-park/ARMN (VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALISTS):
https://armn.org/2026/08/23/wheres-waldo-find-kitten-cute-treefrogs-for-fun-and-science/iNat ABERRANTLY BLUE FROGS PROJECT:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/aberrantly-blue-frogs23 attendees
Route 50 to Whisky Hollow Shelter via AT (Rating: A)
Centreville Park & Ride, 14700 Lee Hwy, Centreville, VA 20120, USA, Centreville, VA, USThis is a 9 mile out and back hike along the Appalachian Trial with about 1,700 in elevation gain. We'll head south for about 4.5 miles to Whisky Hollow Shelter and have lunch. Then we'll head back the way we came.
We'll be hiking at a 2-2.5 MPH.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 permit
ted on the hike.GPS Coordinates for trailhead: 39.01843, -77.96848
Leader: Dick Pregent, 703-587-2359
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
For those wishing to carpool, the suggested carpool location is at the Centerville P&R. The driving time from there to the trailhead is about 45 minutes. Please arrive at the Park and Ride by 7:45 AM to form carpool so all cars can leave at 8:00. AM. Suggested carpool fee is $5.
Hike leader will not be at the carpool location.Please arrive at the trailhead 15 minutes before 9:00 AM so we can get everyone signed in. We will start hiking promptly at 9:00 AM. There are port-a-pottys at the trailhead.
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.20 attendees
Past events
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