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I still have a week left of break and am looking to get out for a hike in the DC area. I have been to Great Falls on the VA and MD side but was thinking of heading up to Catoctin Mountain National Park. Has anyone been there? I am wondering if it is worth the drive or if I should just head to to Great Falls for the Billy Goat trail again. Are there any other hiking destinations within 1-2 hours of DC? Ahhhhhhhh!

Definitely go to shenandoah. Much better than great falls.

Catoctin is OK, nothing to write home about, though. Wolf Rock and Chimney Rock (in Catoctin N.P.) are interesting and there are a few trails there, but I'd rather go to Shenandoah N.P. or some of the other local areas. I don't know what you've done locally or how much of a day you want to make of it, but there are lots of good hikes in S.N.P. (Old Rag, Whiteoak Canyon, Little Devil's Stairs, and others) also Signal Knob, Buzzard's Rocks, and Duncan Knob in the Massanuttens and Big Schloss over on the W.VA. border.

There is a good chance Skyline Drive, the road that gets you into SNP, is closed (I could be wrong) so plan for that.

Another rec. is Signal Knob, or anywhere on Massanutten Mountain, really.

AT climb up the Weverton Cliffs from the Potomac onto South Mountain is pretty scenic.

Cool! Thanks for the advice everyone. Do you think I will be needing snowshoes in Shenedoah? Almost all the snow is gone here in DC.

As mentioned Old Rag, Whiteoak, and LDS are great choices that don't require skyline drive access. Yaktrax are a better choice than snowshoes. Watch out for ice-glazed rock.

taxinvestor wrote:As mentioned Old Rag, Whiteoak, and LDS are great choices that don't require skyline drive access. Yaktrax are a better choice than snowshoes. Watch out for ice-glazed rock.

Maybe I will pick some up today because all I have are 12 point crampons and snowshoes which both seem like overkill.

AndyJB444 wrote:There is a good chance Skyline Drive, the road that gets you into SNP, is closed (I could be wrong) so plan for that.

I just drove by it yesterday in southern VA, and it was closed. I'm not sure about the SNP section. I'm sure you can find out by calling a visitor center.

One good hike in SNP, which is easy to get to if Skyline Drive is closed, is to go up Buck Hollow Trail and then on up to Mary's Rock. Buck Hollow Trail is accessed from a parking area alongside U.S. 211 just west of Sperryville (left side of the road). When Buck Hollow Trail gets to Skyline Drive, cross it go to the left a hundred yards or so and you will see the concrete post for the trail there (Meadow Spring Trail, I think); go up it to the AT and turn north (right) on the AT to get to Mary's Rock. You can come back down the way you went up or you can take the Buck Ridge Trail. I've also done it by coming down the Pass Mountain Trail, but that requires a short shuttle or a very dangerous road walk.

SNP's website says that the north and south sections are closed due to snow, but that the central section is open. They also suggest "call the park’s recorded information line: (540) 999-3500, 1, 1 for the most current Skyline Drive status."

I've gone hiking Catoctin NP in winter with my brother several times when in Arlington for Christmas. While I'll agree that there's more interesting stuff in Shendandoah, I'd say Catoctin is definitely worth the drive. Another place that has some nice winter day hiking not too far from DC is Harper's Ferry.

I went hiking up on the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday and I'm guessing the conditions are similar. You won't need crampons or snowshoes, the snow is pretty hard. The main problem is with the trail getting compacted and icy. Some hiking poles and yaktrax would be your best bet if the trail has been used.

Gafoto wrote:I went hiking up on the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday and I'm guessing the conditions are similar. You won't need crampons or snowshoes, the snow is pretty hard. The main problem is with the trail getting compacted and icy. Some hiking poles and yaktrax would be your best bet if the trail has been used.

In SNP, if you can get to the trail, it has been used. Bet on it.