- Civil War Series - The importance of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia in influencing the course of American history is hard to overstate. This picturesque town, situated at the confluence of two rivers in a majestic valley, played host to a 19th century federal armory, Civil War battles, several distinguished civil rights advocates, and abolitionist …
- 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)
- 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, …
Continue reading Veach Gap Trail (George Washington National Forest, 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 …
Continue reading Bluemont Junction Trail – Custis Trail Loop (Arlington County Parks, VA)
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 …
Shenandoah National Park’s nearly 11-mile Piney Ridge-Thornton River Trail circuit covers nearly 1,700 feet in elevation gain/loss—perhaps one of several reasons this loop hike is lightly traveled. On a hot Saturday in July, I encountered only one pair of hikers—on the Piney Ridge Trail—before descending through a remote pocket of Shenandoah so sparsely visited that …
Continue reading Piney Ridge – Thornton River Trail Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA)
The mostly level and shady Capitol Gorge Trail continues up the narrow canyon where the scenic Capitol Gorge Road ends. A geological cousin of nearby Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge also played a central role in the area’s human history. For nearly 80 years, despite its extreme narrows, the canyon was the only reliable transit point …
Continue reading Capitol Gorge Trail, including the Tanks (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Throughout much of the 20th century, cattle rancher Lesley Morrell owned some of the finest real estate in the West. Though a modest and solitary—comprising just one small room—the cabin was nestled next to stream in the heart of Cathedral Valley, a delightfully remote nirvana of fluted cliffs and striking monoliths now protected as part …
Continue reading Morrell Cabin Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Capitol Reef National Park’s Fremont River Trail, named for the perennial stream it follows, ends atop a windswept hill providing sweeping views of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the Earth’s crust accented by a panoply of colors. The first third of the hike traverses a trail that is wide, flat, and accessible …
Continue reading Fremont River Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
In a move partially influenced by a thirst for additional fodder for this blog, I just started a temporary gig as a seasonal interpretive volunteer at Capitol Reef National Park in central Utah. Often overshadowed by nearby national park behemoths like Grand Canyon or Zion, Capitol Reef is nonetheless a fantastic place (to work in or …
Continue reading Petroglyphs Trail (Capitol Reef National Park, UT)
Live and Let Hike 