Northern Virginia Hiking Club (NVHC)

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This hike is 6.2 miles with 344 feet of elevation gain. We will be hiking the Blue, Orange and Yellow trails. We will be walking through a mix of coniferous and deciduous tree cover. If it has rained recently there will be several swampy low-lying areas and you may want hiking poles. The trail has some downed trees across the trail that are easy to go over. There is also a rock-step stream crossing. There will be a brief stop at the rocky outcrop to look for wildflowers or eat a snack.
There should be a selection of wildflowers and even some bluebells.
We will meet and start our hike from the parking lot just off Rt 29. Please be courteous of all hikers and arrive by 8:45 am so we can get everyone signed in and begin promptly.
We'll hike at 2.5 mph pace when moving, so please make sure you're comfortable with this pace and distance before signing up.

RATING: D

DOGS: Dogs are not permitted on this hike.

Parking and Trail Head Coordinates:
Parking Lot Rt 29 Conway Robinson State Forest
38°48'11.5"N 77°35'13.0"W
Leaders:
Joanne Arnold 571-213-0216 (c)
Sharon Morris 571-215-6517 (c)

How to find us:
At the traffic light for the intersection of Lee Highway (US 29) and University Blvd (which goes south off the highway) turn north into the gravel entrance drive to Conway Robinson Forest, then look for the group near the picnic shelter 8:45 am in parking lot near the picnic tables, just off Rt 29.

Fees: This is a Virginia State Forest - No Fee

Trail Map
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/morning-backpack-trip-at-conway-robinson-blue-trail-cefab44

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This is a 11.2 mile loop hike with about 300' of elevation gain. We will depart at 9 am (please be there by 8:45) from the East end of Gateway Park in Rosslyn, near the BIG Gateway Park sign along Lynn St. (38.89798, -77.06770, 2 blocks North of the Rosslyn Metro Station). From there we will take the Custis/Mount Vernon trail down the zig-zag bridge across the George Washington Parkway to the Potomac Heritage Trail where the real fun begins.

For those that are driving, the parking lot for Roosevelt Island (off the right side of the westbound G.W. Parkway (38.89730,-77.06748) is big, but crowded when the weather is nice, but there is generally turnover around 8:30. Park there, and take the zig-zag bridge up to Gateway Park to meet up with the group.

Once we are all assembled, we will take the Potomac Heritage Trail westbound where we will catch 90% of our 300ft of inclines, and there are a lot of rock scrambles (and is therefore unsuitable for dogs). We will continue westbound until we reach Chain Bridge where we cross the Potomac and take a combination of the C&O Canal Towpath and the Capital Crescent Trail back eastward. These easy flat trails bring us back to the Key Bridge, which we will cross back to Rosslyn (around the 9 mile point) the metro riders may choose to bail out, but I plan to complete the hike with a 1.5 mile loop around the most politically incorrect and least visited monument in DC, with a trip around Roosevelt Island, including its boardwalk.

After Roslyn, there are not proper facilities until we reach Fletcher's Boathouse (halfway down the C&O Canal). I am not sure if the facilities on Roosevelt Island are open, but they are not really close enough to the parking area for pre-hike use.

I generally maintain a 2.5 mph pace on the flats, but do get waylaid by good photo ops (there will be plenty). There is a mix of sun and shade on the DC/MD side, and mostly shade on the VA side, but sunscreen may be in order, and water definitely will be needed, so bring plenty. We will stop for a lunch break at Fletcher' Cove (cold drinks and possibly ice cream can be purchased there), and we will also make a brief stop at the TR Island Manliness Monolith.

Dogs are NOT permitted due to rock scrambles.

Leader: Dale Johnson (540-454-5592 (off during business hours))

Meet: Gateway Park in Rosslyn, near the BIG Gateway Park sign along Lynn St. (38.89798, -77.06770), 2 blocks North of the Rosslyn Metro Station.

Rating: B – See NOTE below

Please NOTE, this is a DIFFICULTY RATING, not a “Fun” rating or a “Scenery” Rating. These are not YELP Stars. The System assigns a point per mile and a point for every 400 feet of altitude gained. 0-7 pts = “D”; 7-10 pts = “C”; 10-13 pts = “B”; 13-19 pts = “A”; over 19 pts = “A+”. This hike is 11.2 miles & 300 ft for a about 12 pts. If you cannot walk 12 miles around your neighborhood with only brief breaks, don’t sign up for this “B” hike because “it got good reviews," and while mostly level the rock scrambling is legit, with some hand-over-hand climbing involving railings to assist in bouldering is required.

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This is a 10.3 mile "lollypop" loop hike with side excursions to Duncan Knob and Strickler Knob, 2 of the best viewpoints in the George Washington National Forest. There will be about 2,300' of elevation gain, so this hike has a DIFFICULTY RATING of A (10 pts distance + 5 pts elevation = 15). The Scothorn Gap Trailhead (38.69143, -78.58004) is along Crisman Hollow Road/Rt #274, and is very small, so carpooling is encouraged. There is no bathroom at the trailhead, so a stop in Luray or Front Royal (depending how you come) may be advised. For those driving direct to the trailhead, please arrive by 9:15 am so we can get everyone parked and formed up to hike by 9:30am.

NOTE: There was a recent fire so there will be some burned out areas along the trail.

We start out on the Scothorn Gap Trail (Yellow) going clockwise around the loop until we get to the Gap Creek Trail (Blue) and our first side trail up to Duncan Knob. This side trail is an extensive rock scramble (not suitable for dogs). We will continue over the ridge until we meet the Massanutten Trail (Orange), which will take us along the valley until we climb up to the unofficial Strickler Knob Trail (Pink). We will have lunch there and then return to Massanutten Trail (Orange), which will take us back to the Scothorn Gap Trail, and our vehicles.

This is a little further away, but drive-time-wise not much different than many hikes along Skyline Drive. Both viewpoints offer spectacular near-360-degree views.

I hike at an average of 2.5 MPH pace and stop at all trail crossings and photo points. I don't recall any difficult stream crossings, although it has been muddy in the past.

CARPOOLING: For those who are looking to carpool, we will meet at the Centerville Park and Ride and plan to leave at 7:30AM to arrive at the trailhead by 9:15, in time to get signed in and start hiking by 9:30 AM. As hike leader, I will be at the carpool location.

Neither the Club nor the hike leader is responsible for coordinating transportation to/from the trailhead. Hikers are not guaranteed to get a ride to the trailhead from the carpool location. Carpooling is organized by the participants and they participate at their own risk. Suggested carpool fee: $8.00 per rider. Driving time from the Centerville, VA Park & Ride to the trailhead is about 1hr 35 minutes.

NOTE: Times listed are to and from the Centerville Park & Ride.

The hike will start at 9:30am from the Scothorn Gap Trailhead (38.69143, -78.58004) along Crisman Hollow Road/Rt #274.

Dogs are permitted on this hike in accordance with the NVHC Dog Policy, but they will keep you from getting to the 2 viewpoints due to rock scrambles. https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy

Leader: Caroline Steinberg (703.489.1315)

Rating: A (Please NOTE, this is a DIFFICULTY RATING, be sure you are able to handle a hike of this difficulty including high comfort level with rock scrambles.)

Map for hike: Alltrails link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/ad8nfternoon-hike-2668a71

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

This is a relatively flat five-mile circular hike, elevation gain is minimal. Hiking pace while moving is about 2.7 miles an hour. Part of the trail is paved. Sneakers or hiking boots; often some mud on the trail. Bring water. Great hike for a beginning hiker. Please note the 9:30 a.m. start time and arrive early to sign in. We may finish before the end time.

Anita DeAngelis 507-990-6055
Dotty Smith 703-439-8670

No dogs permitted on this hike.

DETAILS/DIRECTIONS: Drive off of Braddock Road into Wakefield Park, after a service road on the left, take the next left into a parking lot. We will start near the first ballfield. Restrooms are slightly further into this parking lot. There also are restrooms 1/4 mile further down the park road at the Audrey Moore Recreation Center. We will walk to and around Lake Accotink with a stop about halfway at the marina where there are restrooms. Good place for a snack, if you want to bring one.

GPS Coordinates: 38.814247, -77.224871