Search Results for: greywacke

Mount Diablo via Macedo Ranch (Mount Diablo State Park, CA)

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Andrew Wojtanik

Rising more than 3,000 feet above the valley floor, Mount Diablo (3,849’) is perhaps the most iconic peak in the East Bay, a behemoth for which the broader Diablo Range—which extends around 200 miles south into central California—is named. Most … Continue reading →

Posted in California, East Bay, Strenuous Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Steep Ravine – Matt Davis Trail Loop (Mount Tamalpais State Park, CA)

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Andrew Wojtanik

The Steep Ravine – Matt Davis Trail Loop in California’s Mount Tamalpais State Park is a longer and more popular variant of the Steep Ravine – Dipsea Trail Loop (described in an April 2015 post). Though not as expansive as … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Marin, Moderate Hikes, Mount Tamalpais State Park, North Bay | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mine Run Trail (Great Falls Park, VA)

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Andrew Wojtanik

The Mine Run Trail is an oft-forgotten path nestled in the northwest section of Great Falls Park, away from the namesake waterfall, Mather Gorge, and Potomac River. Mine Run, nonetheless, is a lovely tributary of the Potomac and is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Easy Hikes, Great Falls Park, Virginia | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Gulf Branch Trail (Arlington, VA)

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Andrew Wojtanik

Terminating at a multi-tiered waterfall, the Gulf Branch Trail follows one of northern Virginia’s several lush stream valleys from Glebe Road Park in Arlington to the Potomac River. The Gulf Branch Nature Center, situated roughly halfway through the hike, offers … Continue reading →

Posted in Arlington County Parks, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Moderate Hikes, Virginia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Potomac Heritage Trail – Turkey Run to Scott’s Run (George Washington Memorial Parkway, VA)

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Andrew Wojtanik

This 4.6-mile ramble from Turkey Run Park to Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, Virginia constitutes the third section of the Potomac Heritage Trail heading westward from Rosslyn in Arlington. (Note: Descriptions of the two preceding sections—Roosevelt Island to Fort … Continue reading →

Posted in George Washington Memorial Parkway, Moderate Hikes, Scott's Run Nature Preserve | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dead Run Loop (Turkey Run Park, VA)

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Dead Run. It’s an ominous name for what is actually quite a lovely stream, though at times this 3.6-mile loop hike can feel rugged and perplexing. The first half is relatively straightforward: nearly two miles of hiking through some of … Continue reading →

Posted in George Washington Memorial Parkway, Moderate Hikes, Virginia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Billy Goat Trail – Section A (Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, MD)

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Many Washington, DC residents will know the Billy Goat Trail of Great Falls, Maryland; despite having three parts—Sections A, B, and C—the first is by far the most popular and iconic. While teeming with visitors on a nice summer day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland, Moderate Hikes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Great Falls Loop, including Difficult Run Trail (Great Falls Park, VA)

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Most outdoor types in the Washington, DC area will know the famously rugged Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side of Great Falls. Across the river, however, is an equally—if not more—scintillating loop hike around Virginia’s Great Falls Park, featuring … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Falls Park, Moderate Hikes, Virginia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Potomac Heritage Trail – Fort Marcy to Turkey Run Park (George Washington Memorial Parkway, VA)

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

Envisioned to one day extend from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac Heritage Trail (PHT) for now only exists in fragments. It is perhaps the good fortune of Washington, DC residents, however, that one of the PHT’s finest … Continue reading →

Posted in George Washington Memorial Parkway, Moderate Hikes, Virginia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Potomac Heritage Trail – Theodore Roosevelt Island to Fort Marcy (George Washington Memorial Parkway, VA)

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

It is a roughly six-minute drive from Theodore Roosevelt Island to Fort Marcy along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a route predominantly used by commuters in the Washington, DC metro area. Most, however, are completely unaware of the charming underworld … Continue reading →

Posted in George Washington Memorial Parkway, Moderate Hikes, Virginia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments