15 Hikes within Two Hours' Drive of Washington DC Metro Area

by Brian Schwarz, hike leader and geophile

The Washington Metro Area - known by locals as the DC metro or the DMV to include Virginia and Maryland - is home to some exceptional hiking. From rambles through urban watersheds to suburban-ring mountain hikes and wilderness treks, this area provides diverse outdoor appreciation opportunities during all four seasons.

Fun strenuous hiking along the Western Ridge Trail in DC's Rock Creek Park

An hour beyond DC's urban core, you'll find The Bull Run Mountains in Virginia and Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland. Within a two-hours' drive, the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains rise above the Piedmont foothills, and they carry with them the Appalachian Trail. These prominent mountains of the Appalachian Range span two national parks on either side of the Potomac: Shenandoah National Park and Catoctin Mountain. 

It's a pretty incredible thing, if you stop to think about it, and I've been thinking about it fairly often as I'm currently in the planning stage for group hikes I'll be leading in this section of Mid-Atlantic America over the course of the next year. 

Hiking diversity throughout the Mid-Atlantic DC Metro Area and beyond!

Below is just a primer list of hikes great DC Metro hikes. I've personally hiked all but one of these sometime in the past three or four months. If you're interested in coming along with an experienced hike leader on any of these, keep an eye on my Facebook page, Hiking Megalopolis.

1. Rock Creek Wilds Hike (DC) - the northern woods of Rock Creek Park, from Military Road up to the mouth of the valley, above the piedmont-to-plain fall zone
2. Rock Creek Bluffs Hike (DC) - the southern scrambles of Rock Creek Park, in the fall zone; excellent conditioning hike to prepare for more challenging hikes, like the Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls Maryland
3. Ridge and Valley Hike (DC) - circuit thru-hike of Rock Creek Park, above and below the fall zone
4. Northwest Tributaries Hike (DC) - Rock Creek and Potomac tributaries, local neighborhood trails
5. Southeast Hills and Gardens Hike (DC) - national botanical garden sits atop hills rising above the Anacostia River
6. Sugarloaf Mountain Northern Peaks Hike (MD) - a well-worn piedmont monadnock with a summit and several sub-summits
7. Catoctin Mountains Hike (MD) - several prominent overlooks with piedmont, valley and mountain views
8. Cunningham Falls Hike (MD) - a prominent rock outcrop and the base of cascading falls
9. Maryland Heights Hike (MD) - prominent rock outcrop a Appalachian gap along a ridge overlooking historic town and confluence of Potomac and Shenandoah rivers
10. Great Falls Maryland Hike (MD) - popular rock scramble and side trails on the east side of Great Falls along the fall zone
11. Bull Run Mountains Hike (VA) - rock outcrops at the high point of a piedmont Appalachian Blue Ridge mountain outlier that rings in Northern Virginia suburbs
12. Sky Meadows Hike (VA) - hike from a historiv farm up through a wooded hollow to the AT on a unique meadowed ridgeline then descend with breathtakimg valley views 
13. Old Rag Mountain Summit Hike (VA) - the number one hike in the area - and not just according to me; strenuous, at the 10 mile range, wilderness, difficult rock scramble, summit, stay for sunset, night hike past abandoned graveyard and site of a long-gone town in a mountain hollow, perfectly darkened for superior star gazing
14. Great Falls Virginia Hike (VA) - varied opportunities in C&O Canal National Historic Park, including a strenuous rock scramble along dramatic Potomac River bluffs
15. Rollercoaster to Ravens Rock Hike (VA) - apparently a strenuous up-and-down, out-and-back along mountain ridges to striking rock outcrop known alternately as Ravens Rock and Crescent Rock; this is the only of the 15 hikes within two hours of the DC Metro Area that I haven't done as of the time publishing this article

Best hike in the DC Metro?: Shenandoah National Park's Old Rage Mountain

While there isn't a ton of description this list, I will blog about several of these hikes over the next month or so, and as the weather allows, I'll be doing more scouting of local hikes throughout the winter as I gear up and strengthen up so I can begin taking on the Dirty Dozen Wilderness Hike Challenge, sponsored by The Wilderness Society and Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine, which I have from now to September 2015 to complete (hiking 10+ miles in 12 separate designated wilderness areas in the southeast United States, that is).

Meanwhile, if I'm leading hikes with the Sierra Club Potomac Regional Outings and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, you can find them posted on those clubs' respective MeetUp pages. But last minute hikes and tips on accessing local trails on your own are found only through my blogs, updates for which are always posted on Hiking Megalopolis on Facebook.

10 Things You Should Know about Philadelphia's Wissahickon Gorge

If you are an outdoor recreation enthusiast living in Philadelphia or are planing to visit this world-class travel destination, here are 10 things you should know about the city's premier urban wilderness and home to some 50 miles of trails used for hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and cycling - the Wissahickon Gorge.

The Orange Trail clings to the northeastern wall of the Wissahickon Gorge

1. Wissahickon Valley Park, known by locals as The Wissahickon, or sometimes simply The Wiss, is part of the Fairmount Park system, one of the largest urban park systems in the world. The park has been managed by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation since 2010. Before that, Philadelphia's park system was managed by the Fairmount Park Commission.
2. The principle feature of the park is Wissahickon Creek, which runs some 23 miles from its origin in Montgomery County through Northwest Philadelphia, carving a deep valley, or gorge, as it flows.
3. The wooded Wissahickon Gorge, as it is commonly called, creates the illusion that you are in a wilderness area rather than in a sliver of protected land located between bustling city neighborhoods, which is actually the case.
4. The Wissahickon Gorge is home to a vast network of trails in the park - some 50 miles of trails, in fact -  including four primary through-trails that run the entire length of the park. The Orange Trail, White Trail, and Yellow Trail cling to the walls of the Wissahickon Gorge and are primarily used for hiking, trail running, horseback riding and mountain biking. Forbidden Drive - a former carriage road - sticks close to the banks of the creek and is mostly used by families, touring cyclists and joggers.
5. Wissahickon Valley Park borders six Philadelphia neighborhoods - Roxborough, Manayunk, East Falls, Germantown, Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill. Its northwestern border is made up of unincorporated communities of southern Montgomery County.
6. Wissahickon Gorge hikers are provided unique views of the underside of several high bridges, each with historical significance, which serve automobiles to seamlessly link the surrounding communities. Five historic stone-arch bridges also are found in the park, crossing Wissahickon Creek, and are now only accessible to pedestrians. There is also a covered bridge to be found here.
7. The park is home to several statues and monuments erected to commemorate events that occurred here from the colonial period, through the Revolutionary War and even into the period of early industrialization of the late 1800's, when the area was officially designated as a park and conservation efforts began. Also, many historic buildings can be found in the park, including the remnants of one of the area's first mill towns, called Rittenhousetown, as well as the Valley Green Inn, which is still in operation as a restaurant.
8. The geology of the Wissahickon Gorge is fascinating, and you can read more about it in this report. The predominent bedrock throughout the park is Wissahickon Schist, which is sparkly because of the presence of quartzite. 
9. The organization Friends of the Wissahickon sells an excellent map to the trails and sites of the Wissahickon Gorge, which you can find online here. 
10. The Wissahickon Gorge is accessible to ANYONE thanks to Philadelphia's amazing system of public transportation, provided by SEPTA (a.k.a. the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). Find your way to the Wissahickon at SEPTA.org.

Trail marker along one of the Wissahickon Valley Park trails

So there you have it! Are you an outdoor recreation enthusiast? Do you live in Philadelphia or are planing to visit this world-class travel destination? Then, you're welcome! Now please, click one of the social media buttons on this page to like and share these 10 things EVERYONE should know about this city's premier urban wilderness - the Wissahickon Gorge.

For updates on this and other hikes, be sure to "like" Hiking Megalopolis on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/hikingmegalopolis.