- Revolutionary War Series - The Veach Gap Trail is a quality hike leading up the eastern flank of Virginia’s Massanutten Mountain, nearby Shenandoah’s quieter and oft-forgotten brother. While covering 1,100 feet in elevation gain, the 3.5-mile ascent is gradual and ends at the fantastic “The Point” Overlook, one of Massanutten’s finest vistas. Better yet, …
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Situated in the heart of Shenandoah Valley, northern Virginia’s Shenandoah River State Park is an oft-forgotten destination in a heavily-trafficked area. While lacking the heights of nearby Shenandoah National Park or Massanutten Mountain, a tangle of hiking and biking routes crisscross the state park, exploring fields and bluffs adjacent to the Shenandoah River, the waterway …
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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, Section A has a tremendous upside for hikers seeking a challenge within a half hour’s …
Continue reading Billy Goat Trail – Section A (Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, MD)
Maroon Creek Recreation Area near Aspen, Colorado is generally swarming—for good reason—with visitors in the non-winter months. The scenic Maroon Creek Trail, however, is a pleasant change of pace. That the trail is sparsely crowded is not due to a lack of splendor: the rushing rapids and sweeping meadows make for a blissful hike through …
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Aside from the short, easy trail around Maroon Lake, the moderately difficult Crater Lake Trail is probably the most popular hike in Colorado’s magnificent Maroon Bells Recreation Area. The 1.5-mile hike (plus 1/3 mile on the Maroon Lake Trail) takes visitors to over 10,000 feet, ending at a fantastic basin near the confluence of Minnehaha …
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Situated just off Colorado’s Highway 82 west of Independence Pass, the short but spectacular Grottos Trail is a must-see in the Aspen-Leadville area. In the course of 1/2 mile, the stem-and-loop visits both a splendid set of tumbling cascades on the Roaring Fork River and an undulating slot canyon, the latter a rare sight in …
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While not nearly as stunning as its southern neighbor Great Falls Park, northern Virginia’s Riverbend Park covers similar terrain with fewer crowds. A 3.7-mile circuit around the park—covering the Bootlegger Trail and a section of the Potomac Heritage Trail—covers the best that Riverbend has to offer, including a pleasant stroll along the Potomac River and …
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 uninterrupted stretches—a 12-mile trek from Theodore Roosevelt Island to northern Virginia’s Scott’s Run Natural Preserve—is …
At 4,050 feet, Hawksbill Mountain is the highest peak in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. The summit offers panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as mighty Massanutten Mountain to the west. It’s a short, albeit steep, climb to the top, making Hawksbill a popular day hike destination; more ambitious hikers, however, can head …
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 that lies just below—a sliver of lush greenery between the parkway and the Potomac, a …
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