Monthly Archives: December 2016

Fort DeRussy Loop (Rock Creek Park, DC)

– Civil War Series – Occupying prime position atop a high hill in northern Washington, DC, Fort DeRussy was mostly quiet during the Civil War. But for two days in July 1864—when Confederate General Jubal Early’s Second Corps attacked the … Continue reading

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Edge of the Woods Trail (Rock Creek Park, DC)

The Edge of the Woods Trail is a short, wheelchair-accessible path in Rock Creek Park, starting and ending at the Nature Center. Along the way are interpretive signs on the area’s flora and fauna, but there’s not much to see … Continue reading

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South Ridge-Ambassador Whitehouse Trail Loop (Sky Meadows State Park, VA)

More than a dozen hiking trails crisscross northern Virginia’s Sky Meadows State Park, situated on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains—and there is perhaps no better hike in the park than the moderately strenuous circuit described here. Scenic … Continue reading

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Pine-Holly Trail Loop (Rock Creek Park, DC)

Situated in Rock Creek Park’s wild northern section, the Pine-Holly Loop traces a 1.5-mile circuit in the woody pocket between the creek and 16th Street in Washington, DC. Although the scenery is modest, this short hike is easily accessed by … Continue reading

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Northern Peaks Trail & White Rocks (Sugarloaf Mountain, MD)

Maryland’s Sugarloaf Mountain, the area’s best known example of a monadnock, features a network of zigzagging trails, just an hour’s drive from Washington, DC. While climbing Sugarloaf itself is the park’s key attraction, the Blue Trail (a.k.a. Northern Peaks Trail) … Continue reading

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Appalachian Trail to Raven Rocks (North Blue Ridge area, VA/WV)

The area between Virginia’s Sky Meadows State Park and West Virginia’s Harper’s Ferry boasts a section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) billed as the “Roller Coaster,” one of the AT’s toughest, up-and-down grinds. This 5-mile out-and-back to Raven Rocks covers … Continue reading

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Rosemont Loop (Rock Creek Park, DC)

The Rosemont Loop in Washington, DC’s Rock Creek Park comes from the annals of hiking obscura: the hike rarely appears on maps or even on the Internet. Leaving no stone unturned, however, those in search of complete mastery of Rock … Continue reading

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