- 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)
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)
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 stunning vistas of the namesake falls and Mather Gorge, as well as a lovely meander …
Continue reading Great Falls Loop, including Difficult Run Trail (Great Falls Park, VA)
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 Fairfax County, Virginia’s most peaceful terrain. A 1/10-mile section of Dead Run—the highlight of the …
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 …
Continue reading Potomac Overlook Loop (Potomac Overlook Regional Park, VA)
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 …
Continue reading Shenandoah River Loop (Shenandoah River State Park, 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)
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 …
Continue reading South Side – Rails to River Trail Loop (Lake Fairfax Park, VA)
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 …
Continue reading Grottos Trail (White River National Forest, CO)
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 …
Live and Let Hike 