Northern Virginia Hiking Club (NVHC)

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 9.5 mile out and back hike with about 1,800 elevation gain. We'll hike to the Whiskey Hollow Shelter just off the Appalachian Trail. We'll have lunch there and return the way we came. We hike at 2-2.5 MPH.

Fee: The park fee is $10 unless you have a Virginia State Park Pass or use your REI purchase receipt parking coupon from a participating Virginia REI. Provide your REI receipt to the contact station ranger or insert it in the self-pay envelope. If main entrance contact station is not staffed you use the self-pay envelope provided at the gate and hang the stub on your rearview mirror.

Hike Leader: Dick Pregent 703-587-2359

Dogs are welcome. NVHC Dog policy: https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy

CARPOOLING: For those who are looking to carpool, meet at Centreville Park and Ride at 8:00am. The hike leader will NOT be at the carpool location, and will meet the group at the trailhead. 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: $4.00 per rider. Driving time from Centreville Park & Ride to Sky Meadows is about 40 minutes. Centreville Park & Ride is located at 14700 Lee Highway, Centreville, VA. GPS 38.83605, -77.45536

Sky Meadows trail map link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/virginia/sky-meadows-to-whisky-hollow-shelter

NOTE: The hike starts at 9am at the parking lot at Sky Meadows State Park. If you are carpooling from Centreville Park & Ride, plan on leaving there by 8am.

Meeting Place Instructions: We are meeting at the parking lot closest to the Visitor Center GPS coordinates 38.991732, -77.966120
This parking lot is in front of the Mount Bleak House.

MUST DO: 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.

TRAIL: This 5-mile trail follows Long Branch Stream and is mostly paved or hard pack gravel but can be muddy in spots after rain. There is one stream bridge and several road crossings with minimal elevation. Bring water and be prepared for variable January weather.

MEETING: We will meet at Canterbury Woods Park & Ride on Wakefield Chapel Rd just north of Braddock Rd. Please arrive by 8:45AM. We will leave promptly at 9:00AM. We will hike at 2.5-3.0 mph and should end by 11:00.

RESTROOM: NONE AVAILABLE

NO DOGS

DATE: Thursday, January 8, 2026
9:00 am – 11:30 am

PARKING AND TRAIL HEAD:
Canterbury Woods Park - Park & Ride
5018 Wakefield Chapel Rd, Annandale, VA 22003

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 an 7.5-mile hike with 600 feet of elevation gain through the woodlands of Reston and Oakton. On the hike we'll pass horse paddocks and may even see a group of curious goats. This is one of my favorite sections of the Cross County Trail and probably the least traveled. Thanks to Tom Underwood for the photo.

We'll start at the Walker Nature Center and pick up the Cross County Trail (CCT) for an out and back of the northern half of CCT Section . Our turn will be at Gabrielson Garden Park,
Park on Glade Road so the Nature Center parking lot can be kept open for the Center's pre-school activities and drop-offs.

We hike at a pace of approximately 2.5 mph while moving. You must be experienced with hikes of this length and elevation gain.

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/gabrielson-garden-goats-horse-steve-frith-4cc5400?u=i&sh=iypgzx

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 Overview: This deceivingly short 6-mile out-and-back hike will descend the Big Devils Stairs trail with a bushwhack up the Big Devils Stairs stream bed. The elevation gain is about 1600-1700 feet with lots of climbing, occasionally involving all four limbs. You should be experienced with bushwhacking and climbing rocks to go on this hike.

We start at a small Gravel Springs Gap parking lot on Skyline Drive. We'll travel a short distance on the AT, diverge off to see the Gravel Springs Hut, walk another short distance on the Harris Hollow Trail to the Bluff Trail. We'll hike the Bluff Trail 1.3 mi to the Big Devils Stairs trail and descend that trail to the bottom where we will bushwhack up the stream bed to the Bluff trail then return to the Parking Lot at Skyline Drive.

The picture above is the waterfall on the Big Devils Stairs stream. We'll see this waterfall from above on the Big Devils Stairs trail, the overlook is the normal turn around point of a Big Devils Stairs hike. We'll also lunch at the base of the waterfall on the climb back up.

Leader: Harvey Haines

Rating: A Normally this would be rated a B-hike at (6 mi + 1700ft/400mi/ft = 10.25 eq mi), but the bushwhack makes this hike more difficult, so I've upped the grade one level to an A-hike.

Pace: For most of the hike we will go between 2 & 3 mph. However, it will be slow hiking up the Big Devils Stairs where we'll climb at 1 mph or less.

Trailhead: Meet at the Gravel Springs Gap parking lot between MP 17 & 18 on Skyline Drive (GPS: 38.7678, -78.2336), alternatively if the lot is full, park at Range View Overlook closer to MP 17 and walk the ½ mile down Skyline to Gravel Springs Gap.

Park Entry Fee: $30.

Pets: Because of the terrain no dogs are permitted on this hike.

Map for hike:
Annotated PATC Map 9 cutout:
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0c6GnyiclUvNh-d3OL4iev06A#Big_Devils_Stairs
GaiaGPS map of hike:
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.7/-78.2234/38.7593&pubLink=dyWxMHumLFYniNagkWV1iQ2G&routeId=f50b00b4-9483-4b6c-9f2e-e9bbe32e7b37

Carpools: Feel free to coordinate carpools in the comments section as parking at Gravel Springs is limited. It's a 1hr 25min drive from the Centreville Park & Ride Lot. 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.

Description from the PATC Appalachian Trail Guide to Shenandoah National Park:
The Big Devils Stairs canyon is one of the most impressive features of Shenandoah National Park. Originally the trail followed through the canyon. Due to flooding which obliterated the trail on a regular basis, a relocation was performed which situated the trail on [the] east rim of the canyon. With caution, one can climb along the stream all the way through. The old route up the canyon is not recommended for young children due to the rough going. The present trail should be traveled with caution with children due to the sheer cliffs along the east rim which follow[s] the trail for most of its length.