Bearing westward from Rosslyn in Arlington, Virginia, Donaldson Run is the third notable tributary feeding into the Potomac River. Like its neighbors—Spout Run, Windy Run, and Pimmit Run—Donaldson Run cuts through rocky bluffs, with the last half-mile punctuated by minor but pretty cascades. The Donaldson Run Trail links the lengthy Potomac Heritage Trail, on the …
Continue reading Donaldson Run Trail and Loop (Arlington, VA)
Arlington, Virginia’s Windy Run Trail offers a brief, scenic jaunt with four creek crossings, culminating at the base of one of the Washington, DC area’s best waterfalls. Starting at N. Kenmore Street, the nearly half-mile trail drops more than 120 feet; most of it comes at the end, when the stony path descends a sandstone …
- 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 …
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 …
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)
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 …
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 …
Continue reading Haul Road Trail (Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, VA)
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 …
Live and Let Hike 