Keymar, Maryland

From the visitors center, start on the Fire Road trail. From there, it's a choose-your-own adventure (choose-your-own ecosystem, actually). Pick the Laurel and Valley Trails to stay in the quiet (and maybe enchanted? It felt enchanted) forest. Goose Pond trail is a short jut to a--yup--pond, wher...

This is an out-and-back trail that starts and ends on different roads, but you will have better luck parking on Albemarle Street NW (where I have indicated the trailhead is on the map). This is a long street with plenty of street parking, just pay attention to the signs to see how long you can le...

This is a moderately rated hike that features a river and quite a few hilly sections. The trail is known to be rather muddy, so be sure to wear appropriate waterproof footwear. Note that some sections of the trail are not well marked. You may want to review a map before embarking. There is park...

The Cool Spring Path South is an old golf course that has been and still is in the process of being returned to its natural state by Shenandoah University. The paved paths from the golf course make this an easy hike for anyone. For those who may be in a wheelchair, this loop should be fully acces...

Bears Den is a collection of rocks and boulders that overlooks the Shenandoah Valley in northern Virginia, just off the Appalachian Trail. You have two options to access this overlook: park at the bottom of the mountain and hike up to the overlook via the trail, or drive to the top and access the...

Starting at a small parking lot right off of Route 7 (wuick right onto Pine Grove Road) this hike takes you North on the Appalachian Trail in a very hilly/rocky part of the trail. Expect to gain and lose 300 feet+ multiple times! It's about 2.5 miles each way so budget at least a few hours to go ...

This hike is steep at points but the climb up the mountain has lots of switchbacks so it isn't just straight up. The hike is beautiful and during the summer there are lots of blackberry and raspberry bushes along the trail that we stopped to snack on. The Overlook is just before you crest the top...

Marshy Point Nature Center is 25 minutes northeast of Baltimore in Middle River, Maryland. Convenient from I-95 with lots of parking and miles of interconnected trails, it's a perfect spot for a quick hike or an all-day excursion.  The trails are mostly within the 1-2 mile range, but you can comb...

It seems only fitting that the president who gave us our national parks would have one all to his own.  Located on the edge of Washington D.C., Theodore Roosevelt Island offers a glimpse of what the city may have looked like before the politicians, before the marble buildings, before the traffic-...