Far from Arlington’s finest, the Lubber Run Trail nonetheless offers a pleasant, paved stroll through a pretty stream valley south of Ballston, Virginia. The namesake creek is flanked by thousands of gray stones, and a series of minor dips make for some trickling cascades. Picnic tables abound, and a gargantuan outdoor amphitheater marks roughly the …
Category: Easy Hikes
Potomac Overlook Loop (Potomac Overlook Regional Park, VA)
While its namesake viewpoint is no more, Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington, Virginia still offers a couple miles of unpaved hiking trails through a diverse deciduous forest. A combination of five different trails forms an easy-to-moderate circuit around the park that clocks in at around 1.6 miles. Access is from the restrooms and parking …
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Bluemont Junction Trail – Custis Trail Loop (Arlington County Parks, VA)
Cutting southwest through the Bluemont section of Arlington, Virginia, the paved and accessible Bluemont Junction Trail traces an old railroad line constructed in 1912. Together with segments of the Custis and Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trails, the Bluemont Junction path forms a 3.2-mile loop starting and ending near the Ballston Metro Station. Have no …
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South Side – Rails to River Trail Loop (Lake Fairfax Park, VA)
Compared to the stellar hikes of nearby Potomac Gorge or Shenandoah National Park, the South Side-Rails to River Loop in Reston, Virginia’s Lake Fairfax Park is, well, a dud. For hikers, the barrage of mountain bikers whizzing by at high speeds can tarnish the experience. But the hike is at least among woods and within …
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Maroon Lake Trail (White River National Forest, CO)
There is perhaps no landscape more iconic in Colorado than the classic view—used in nature calendars everywhere—of Maroon Lake, set before the beautiful backdrop of aspen trees and the snow-streaked Maroon Bells. Situated less than 11 miles from Aspen, Maroon Lake is a popular destination for photographers and hikers, and the short Maroon Lake Trail—wide …
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Haul Road Trail (Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, VA)
Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, like the much better-known Theodore Roosevelt Island ten miles to the north, is a living reminder of what the Washington, DC area looked like before it became the metropolis of today. In the days of the Founding Fathers, the Potomac River weaved through a swampy floodplain, a natural wetland habitat for …
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Sandstone Falls Overlook Trail (New River Gorge National River, WV)
Sandstone Falls Overlook is an underwhelming hike in an otherwise overwhelming park. High above West Virginia’s gorgeous New River Gorge, the overlook offers only a sliver of a view, just enough to see 25-foot Sandstone Falls at a great distance. It’s probably better to venture down to river level and try the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk …
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Endless Wall Trail (New River Gorge National River, WV)
Epic cliffs, stunning views, and bushy rhododendrons define the setting of the Endless Wall Trail, one of the finest short hikes at West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River. Take a moment along this 2.9-mile loop hike to soak in the vista from Diamond Point, where the deep gorge drops nearly 900 feet to the …
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Mesa Arch Trail (Canyonlands National Park, UT)
Pictures of iconic Mesa Arch, often photographed in the early morning glow, frequently grace the pages of calendars and coffee table books. There is something about the arch, maybe the most popular destination in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, which catches the eye. Perhaps it is the setting—the rare instance in which a natural arch is …
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White Rim Overlook Trail (Canyonlands National Park, UT)
Though just up the road from Grand View Point in Canyonlands National Park’s Island in the Sky District, the White Rim Overlook Trail receives far fewer visitors. The hike, an easy and quick jaunt out to the southeast tip of the “Island” plateau, offers unobstructed vistas to the north, south, and east—some of the best …
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Live and Let Hike 