East Coast noob here

[JDWalters]

Greetings from Maryland! Over the past few months I have been planning out a trip to northern Arizona/southern Utah and have been enjoying the different posts and photos on this website. What a great resource! While I do enjoy hiking around my home area, I mostly look forward to my vacations, when I can visit the much more exciting (and less crowded) areas of this great country. I have been to Alaska over a dozen times as well as several trips out west (including the Canadian Rockies). Hopefully I can post a worthy trip report or two after our vacation. If anyone is in the MD/VA/DC area and is looking for hiking ideas, feel free to send me a message. There are some good hikes around here, but the vistas are generally fewer, thanks to our abundance of trees (and cities).

 

[Artemus]

Greetings from Maryland! Over the past few months I have been planning out a trip to northern Arizona/southern Utah and have been enjoying the different posts and photos on this website. What a great resource! While I do enjoy hiking around my home area, I mostly look forward to my vacations, when I can visit the much more exciting (and less crowded) areas of this great country. I have been to Alaska over a dozen times as well as several trips out west (including the Canadian Rockies). Hopefully I can post a worthy trip report or two after our vacation. If anyone is in the MD/VA/DC area and is looking for hiking ideas, feel free to send me a message. There are some good hikes around here, but the vistas are generally fewer, thanks to our abundance of trees (and cities).

Welcome!

 

[pstm13]

I was just in the area. Beautiful country. Welcome.

 

[wsp_scott]

Welcome from another east coast guy (KY). Have you made it to the Dolly Sods in WV? There are some sweet views there.

 

[JDWalters]

Welcome from another east coast guy (KY). Have you made it to the Dolly Sods in WV? There are some sweet views there.

Yes! Dolly Sods is great! About four hours away, but close enough for the occasional weekend trip. I'm hoping to hike the North Fork Mountain Trail at some point (also in that area).

 

[wsp_scott]

Yes! Dolly Sods is great! About four hours away, but close enough for the occasional weekend trip. I'm hoping to hike the North Fork Mountain Trail at some point (also in that area).

It is about 6 hours for me. My next trip in the area is going to be the Roaring Plains.

 

[KevinD]

Welcome!

Definitely looking forward to your trip reports! Should write up some of your Alaska adventures!

I may take up your offer on hikes on the east coast! The significant other's family resides around Rockville, MD and I've been looking for some nice scenic hikes in the area. Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[JDWalters]

Welcome!

Definitely looking forward to your trip reports! Should write up some of your Alaska adventures!

I may take up your offer on hikes on the east coast! The significant other's family resides around Rockville, MD and I've been looking for some nice scenic hikes in the area. Suggestions?

Thanks!

Sure!

Great Falls is not too far from Rockville. There are hikes on both the MD and VA sides of the river. Both sides are nice, but my favorite hike is the Billy Goat Trail (Section A), which is accessed through the C & O Canal (on the Maryland side). You can't actually see the falls from that trail, but there is a lot of rock scrambling, and you can get right down to the Potomac River. There is a paved trail to an overlook of the falls nearby.

Harpers Ferry is about an hour from Rockville. The confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers is below the town. I really love the trail up Maryland Heights, a mountain across the river. You can get an excellent view of the confluence and the town from the overlook there. The trail is not difficult -- it's basically a fire road for most of it. To the overlook and back is 3 miles and 1000 ft elevation gain, from the trailhead. I don't know if you like night hikes, but I have hiked up to the overlook dozens of times at night, and highly recommend it.

There are also several great trails at Catoctin Mountain Park, and Cunningham Falls State Park -- both about an hour north of Rockville. I especially like Chimney Rock and Wolf Rock (where there are lots of crevices to climb around in).

Sugarloaf Mountain also has a number of a wooded trails around it, and a 10 minute trail with steps if you just want to get to the top quickly.