It must have come as a surprise to early pioneers in the area northwest of present-day Washington, DC—where the Potomac River is mostly calm, wide, and still—to find a sudden, powerful plunge impassable by boat. Owing to a geomorphologic break extending 900 miles along the Eastern Seaboard, Great Falls tumbles 76 feet in less than …
Continue reading Great Falls Overlooks (Great Falls Park, VA)
Compared to other hikes in northern Virginia, the following 2.5-mile circuit hike through Bull Neck Run Stream Valley in McLean is a bit of a roller coaster: while mostly paved, the trail rarely stays level. The result is a minor workout and decent scenery as the trail follows a pleasant stream through one of Washington, …
Dropping more than 200 feet over the course of a mile, the Zachary Taylor Trail follows Donaldson Run from its source to the Military Road in Arlington, Virginia. The wooden path is partly paved, and a southern spur route offers a loop option through an Arlington neighborhood. Highlights include lush greenery and a handful of …
Continue reading Zachary Taylor Trail (Zachary Taylor Park, VA)
- Civil War Series - Frying Pan Farm Park in western Fairfax County, Virginia serves mostly as a destination for equestrians, school trips, and tractor rides, a family-friendly outing at a semi-rural farmstead. There is also a decent nature trail, however, featuring a handful of obscure historic landmarks and a pretty stream and waterfall. The …
Continue reading Frying Pan Farm Park Loop (Fairfax County Parks, VA)
Horsepen Run (a.k.a. Horsepen Creek) is a modest stream winding through northern Virginia’s Loudoun and Fairfax Counties. Situated in the unincorporated community of Oak Hill—between the Dulles Toll Road and Interstate-66—the paved Horsepen Run Trail runs alongside the creek for 1.5 miles. To be honest, there’s not much to it—the stream, while pretty and calming …
Continue reading Horsepen Run Trail (Horsepen Run Stream Valley Park, VA)
There’s not much to the Custis Trail, which spends the majority of its time following Interstate 66 through suburban Arlington County, Virginia. But it’s popular with runners and bikers as a connector route—the 4.4-mile route serves as a shortcut between the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail and Mount Vernon Trail. While relatively easy for …
- Civil War Series - Three years after John Brown’s ill-fated raid at Harper’s Ferry, violence again struck this strategically-located town, situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in present-day West Virginia. The year was 1862, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee had directed famed General T.J. “Stonewall” Jackson to seize Harper’s …
Continue reading Murphy-Chambers Farm Loop (Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park, WV)
For a suburban destination, Glencarlyn Park in Arlington, Virginia is a nice one. The 96-acre park can be approached from multiple directions and boasts a dense network of hiking trails of varying difficulty. The focal point is a pleasant stream valley where the Long Branch stream meets Four Mile Run, the latter a relatively high-volume …
Continue reading Glencarlyn Park (Arlington County Parks, VA)
Marie Butler Leven Preserve comprises 20 acres in central McLean, Virginia, an arboretum created to serve as a sanctuary for native plants. Situated on the side of a 90-foot hill, the preserve is easily accessed from Kirby Road in McLean and includes a network of crisscrossing hiking trails. The highlight is a pretty meadow a …
Continue reading Marie Butler Leven Preserve Loop (Marie Butler Leven Preserve, VA)
The Pimmit Run Trail system follows its namesake creek along much of its eight-mile meander from the heart of suburban Fairfax County to the Potomac River. Unfortunately, the trail is segmented into three separate parts, interrupted by plots of private property in upscale McLean, Virginia. The easternmost (and arguably most interesting) section runs roughly from …
Continue reading Pimmit Run Trail – Bryan Branch Rd. to Olney Park (Fairfax County Parks, VA)
Live and Let Hike 