About our Hiking Program

The Hiking Program offers a variety of hikes suited for the casual as well as the more hardy and adventerous hikers. The program also offers multiple day excursions to local, state and national parks, and to more remote national and international locations.  

Casual Hikes
The Casual hikes are approximately five miles in length through Washington Metropolitan area parks, woods, and forests. The casual hikes are perfect for those who can't devote a full day to hiking or who are just beginning to hike and feel comfortable walking at a brisk pace for at least two hours.  For safety purposes, dogs are not allowed on hikes.  

Adventure Hikes
If you are in good physical condition and can comfortably hike an eight mile trail with an 800 feet elevation gain and want a challenge, try an Adventure Hike.

We hike the nearby mountains of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and follow forested, hilly and often rocky terrain with elevation changes ranging anywhere from 800 to more than 3,000 feet. The four hike difficulty ratings range from easy to advanced. Select Adventure Hikes for the hike schedule. Chose a hike using the objective rating system to assist you in selecting a hike right for you.

Attention Hikers!
SCWDC has teamed up with The Capital Hiking Club (CHC) to offer SCWDC members a full range of hiking and outdoor opportunities!

The Capital Hiking Club (CHC) offers hiking options for all interests and skill levels 52 weeks per year. The schedule includes a variety of different hikes around Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and D.C. within a two hour drive from the metro area. CHC’s hiking program offers over 200 different hikes each with a leader and a sweep; utilization of a bus transportation system offering greater variety of hikes with different starting and ending points; and at the end of the hike, for a nominal fee, beverages are offered along with complimentary snacks.

Most hikes have both a short (5-9 miles) and a long (9-12 miles) option, as well as a medium alternative on occasion. In addition, their annual schedule includes special activities and/or stops, such as swimming holes, wineries, battlefields, farmers markets, river tubing and Atlantic beaches. They also offer moonlight hikes on the towpath to Great Falls once a month (except in winter) and urban hikes on Wednesday evenings in the summer.

In addition to the sheer variety of hikes, what distinguishes CHC is transportation: CHC charters buses to transport participants to hiking sites. The CHC web site lists the weekly hiking schedule and bus 'pick up' points (including VA: Rosslyn, Vienna Metro, Centreville; MD: Friendship Heights and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro stations; and DC: 16th and I Streets, NW).

Special treatment of SCWDC Members: Members of SCWDC will receive the member rate for activities offered by the CHC, which is currently $25.00 for each hiking excursion. (This information is dated - written in 2007, not sure this is still true.  CHC charges for the bus ride, and collects on the bus.  See the CHC Frequently Answered Questions area for complete, current information.)

CHC has said to SCWDC members: "Come hike with us to meet interesting people and make new friends! Catch the bus at one of the convenient locations and spend a day in the beautiful outdoors! Every trip can be an adventure!"