An hour’s drive north of Washington, DC takes you to the swimmer’s paradise of Cunningham Falls, along the base of the Catoctin range and within spitting distance of Camp David. […]
Take a dip at Cunningham Falls State Park
Category: DC
Meander through the Oatlands Plantation and Gardens
A 40 minute drive from DC will take you to a Revolutionary War era plantation in Virginia’s Hunt Country. Established in 1798 by a grandson of Robert “King” Carter, a major land baron of the Colonial Virginia lowlands, Oatlands Plantation originally consumed over 5 square miles of fertile Virginia farmland. Oatlands’ operation depended on more […]
Hike the Gathland State Park trails
In 1884, the war correspondent George Alfred Townsend, known by his pen name “Gath” visited Crampton’s Gap for the first time. Weeks later, he purchased the land that straddles the pass and began building his baronial summer retreat. Gath wrote for the both The Philadelphia Inquirer and The New York Herald before becoming washington correspondent […]
Is Kent Island the best beach destination that you’ve never heard of?
Directly across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, less than an hour’s drive from Washington, DC, is a hidden gem of a beach. We visited recently on a lark after finding that a closer park was fenced off due to the pandemic. Not so with Terrapin Nature Park on Maryland’s Kent Island, in the middle of the […]
Hike Sky Meadows State Park
Virginia has 63 State Parks, and Sky Meadows is the jewel in the crown. Gifted to the state in 1975 by philanthropist Paul Mellon, the thousand acre park earned its name from a former owner who likened his farm to Scotland’s Isle of Skye. It’s also a fitting name for a park dominated by mountain […]
Beach Barbecue at Freestone Point, Leesylvania State Park
Never heard of Freestone Point? Welcome to the club. I’d never heard of it either, but it’s now my favorite place in the DMV for a cookout barbeque. The picnic area stretches along nearly 1000′ of shoreline, with open access barbeque pits and trees that are perfectly positioned for hammocks. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the […]
Lake Accotink Park Vacation!
Lake Accotink Park is a mini-vacation, complete with pedal boats, kayak rentals, a 9-green double holed miniature golf course, antique carousel, and a snack bar. Like Burke Lake, Lake Accotink Park allows cyclists to ride the entire shoreside trail. The short trail also connects with extreme mountain biking trails on the north side of the […]
3 hours at Raven Rocks Trailhead on the Virginia State Line
Raven Rocks is well worth the hour drive and 3 hour round trip hike. The trail is not long (as the raven flies), but it traverses three ridges and two valleys, which can make for slow progress. The closest parking lot (just off Route 7 near Bluemont) is small and fills up by 10a on […]
DC gardens, nature centers, and easy walks
National Zoo | Meadowlark | Brookside | Kenilworth | Oatlands | Hillwood | Green Spring The many DC gardens and nature centers in and around the city provide an easy escape from the daily grind. Here are a few of our favorites: The National Zoo Directions: The best time to see the National Zoo is […]
Kid-friendly hikes near Washington, DC
Potomac Heritage Trail | Great Falls | Burke Lake | Mawavi | Meadowood | Rock Creek Park You may not think of wilderness hikes when you think of DC, but there are 35 National Parks in the capitol region and a number of state and local parks to enjoy. Potomac Heritage Trail Full Review: Potomac […]