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
20
Sky Meadows State Park Loop (Rating: B)
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.
7 miles with 1,400 feet elevation gain.
Sky Meadows State Park is rich in history, the park has rolling pastures and woodlands, scenic vistas and is also a working farm. The park also has access to the Appalachian Trail, which will be part of our hike.
Starting from Sky Meadows State Park visitors center parking area, we will combine several trails including the South Ridge and North Ridge Trails, the Old Trail, a portion of the Appalachian Trail and the Ambassador Whitehouse Trail. There are some nice scenic overlooks including the Paris, VA overlook where we will take a break before returning back down to the visitor center.
Most of the elevation gain is at the beginning when we ascend South Ridge and a portion of North Ridge to the AT.
The pace will be about 2.0 to 2.5 mph.
Bring water/hydration, snacks, and sturdy hiking shoes since there are some rocky areas and tree roots. There are no stream crossings.
Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy
Leader: Gail Markulin (703) 402-5902 (C)
Carpools: Meet at the Centreville Park and Ride at 8:00 am. Suggested carpool fee is $5. The leader will be at the carpool location. GPS Coordinates: 38.836038, -77.455371, https://goo.gl/maps/hc3LRG7Hsy2wMJs18
Driving time from carpool location is ~ 45 minutes.
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.
Trail Head Meeting Instructions: We are meeting at the parking lot closest to the Visitor Center. GPS coordinates 38.9917, -77.9661
Meet at the trailhead parking lot 15 minutes early to allow everyone to be signed in and get ready to hike at 9am. Park opens at 8am. Restrooms are available adjacent to the visitors center.
Fee: $10.00 park entrance fee (no fee for Virginia State Park Pass holders) or use your REI purchase receipt parking coupon.
Provide your REI receipt 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 no one is at the contact station is not open and hang the tear-off tab on your rear view mirror.
AllTrails Map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/virginia/sky-meadows-loop--2?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map
You must be experienced in hikes of this distance and elevation gain.
23 attendees
Restorative Hike Woodmarsh Trail (Rating D)
to Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge, High Point Road, Lorton, VA., 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.
This walk is intended for slower hikers, especially those who might be recovering from joint issues or recent surgery. We will be doing a slow walk (3 miles, 67 feet of elevation gain, pace approximately 2 MPH). The trail has minor elevation in places and some tree roots. The group will stay together and no one will be dropped. Please be sure you understand and are accepting of the slower pace.
The Refuge limits the size of the group to 10. Please only sign up if you are interested in a slower pace and might be recovering or starting back up with hiking.
We will be doing all the trails in this section of the park. There are several places with nice views of the Marsh and lots of ferns, sawtooth blackberry and flatweed flowers.
Bio on Elizabeth Hartwell and the Refuge:
https://www.fxva.com/blog/post/herstory-masonneck/Hike: 3 miles, 67 ft elevation gain. Gentle terrain with minor uphill and occasional roots.
Pace: 2 mph while moving. Please make sure you are comfortable with this slow pace.
Leader: Teresa B
Restrooms: There are restrooms at the parking lot and one mile into the hike.
Park Fee: No Fee
Dogs; No dogs on this hike please.
Meet: Please plan on arriving by 9:45 so we can get started promptly at 10 AM.
Meeting Place Instructions from Interstate 95 South:
- From I95 S, exit 163 to Lorton.
- Left onto Lorton Rd at the end of exit ramp.
- Go under second overpass and turn right onto Lorton Market St. (You will see Amazon Fresh and Panera)
- Go about 1.1 mile to traffic light at RT. 1.
- Go straight through light (road name changes to Gunston Rd) and go about 4 miles to Mason Neck park entrance on the right.
- Drive about 0.6 miles to the parking lot on the left for Woodmarsh Trail.
- If you hit the entrance to Mason Neck Park you've gone too far.
12 attendees
Gambrill State Park (Rating: A)
High Knob Area Gambrill State Park, 8281 Gambrill Park Road, Middletown, MD, 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.
Let's enjoy a warm spring day hiking within Gambrill State Park in Maryland! We'll begin the hike by visiting the Middletown Overlook for a wonderful view to the west, and around noon we'll have our lunch break at the North Frederick Viewpoint which has great views to the east. Here are details for the hike:
- Start time: 9:00 a.m.
- Trailhead parking: Gambrill State Park High Knob Area Parking Lot (GPS 39.462917, -77.495356)
- Park entry Fee: $3 per car for Maryland vehicles, $5 for out-of-state
- Distance: 9.3 miles
- Elevation gain: 1,650 feet
- Pace: ~2.5 miles/hour when moving
- Duration: 4.5 hours
- Hike map: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/gambrill-yellow-black-red-4588e67
- Leaders: Chris Bosch 703-216-7801
Carpools
The hike leader(s) will meet hikers at the trailhead. Neither the Club nor the hike leader(s) are responsible for coordinating transportation to/from the trailhead. Carpooling is organized by the participants and they participate at their own risk.
What to bring
Bring a backpack, water, lunch/snacks, sunscreen, hiking poles if you like. Wear comfortable shoes or boots that are suitable for hiking. Dress in layers for the weather including hat, gloves, rain gear as needed.
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/nvhcdogpolicy
Park entrance / parking fees
Gambrill State Park charges a day-use admission fee of Maryland residents $3/vehicle; out-of-state residents $5/vehicle. Information on Maryland State Park passes is available at the link below.
https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/parkpass.aspx
Weather
Here's a National Weather Service URL you can use to check the 7-day weather forecast at the trailhead from which we start the hike.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=39.462917&lon=-77.495356
In case of poor or severe weather, this hike will be postponed.
26 attendees
Tenleytown-Palisades Urban Hike (Rating: C)
Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC, USWAIVER REQUIRED: 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.
HIKE: An 8-mile urban hike will take us through the neighborhood streets of Tenleytown, American University's campus, and the Palisades, and a patchwork of trails including Glover Archbold, Battery Kemble and the Palisades Trolley Trail. Along the way we’ll visit a "glass forest" and pass an old schoolhouse built in 1874.
The hike has a few minor stream crossings, and a few stairs and hills. We'll be on sidewalks half the time and on trails half the time. We'll have a snack/restroom break halfway.
WHERE TO MEET: We will begin and end outside the Tenley-Friendship Library (4450 Connecticut Ave., NW), across the street from the Tenleytown metro. Parking is available on the side streets.
DISTANCE: 8 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 600 feet
PACE: Our average moving pace will be between 2.5 and 3.0 miles per hour.
DOGS: Dogs on a leash are welcome in accordance with NVHC pet policy (https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy).
11 attendees
Past events
4809
