What are the Best Free Hikes in the Area?

No I'm not paying to walk in the woods.

ok? Who the fuck would you be paying?

I have a beautiful forest between my thighs, and you will indeed pay dearly to camp there.

Bull Run Conservancy - http://www.brmconservancy.org/trails.html

EMXtV Wrote:
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> ok? Who the fuck would you be paying?

All the parks around here want $7 to $30 entrance fees.

Nothing is free in America

My two favorite are Leesylvania and Prince William Forest.

Hiking is dangerous; all sorts of forest creatures and rapists and kidnappers are just waiting to violate you.

Blessed are the murderous.

NAtional Parks Wrote:
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> EMXtV Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ok? Who the fuck would you be paying?
>
> All the parks around here want $7 to $30 entrance
> fees.


Which parks are you referring to? I'm an avid backpacker and have never had to pay. I understand Skyline Drive charges admission but that's for upkeep. Not sure what you're talking about either.

HikingUpward.com has everything you're looking for - I've done at least 20, and again, have never had to pay.

I think the OP is referring to entrance fees into federally owned parks like Great Falls. Riverbend, Gambrill (MD), Sugarloaf(MD), Bull Run, Fountainhead, Great Falls Maryland side* (*at old angler's in parking area) are all free entrance free parking and offer hiking from easy to difficult.

You do have to pay entrance at Skyline.

I dont mind paying because I like to support the parks but you can even get into Great Falls VA via the Difficult Run parking lot for free if you want to avoid paying at the main entrance (likewise if you enter Great Falls VA via River Bend State Park).

Riverbend is a Fairfax County Park. All Virginia State Parks have parking fees of $3-$5.

I've had to pay to access Skyline - park employee in a booth in the median of the road at the entrance. Seems like there's a lot of inconsistencies as to when and where you have to pay for these parks.

But still, look at the website I provided above. Granted, these are typically backpacking routes in pretty remote locations, not 1-2 mile walks in a heavily populated park.

Prince William Forest Park off I 95 near the Rt 234 exit miles of trails Free. Gunston also has miles of trails. Theres a entrance fee at the State park at the end but no fee on the other area before you get there. Theres also a area off Rt 1 down in Colchester by the river near the PW line, a bird refuge Fed govt. Free I saw several eagles there in May.

In Maryland theres Purse State park down across from Quantico Marine base in Va. You have to go down by way of WW Wilson Bridge. that whole area of Charles Co Maryland is very remote.. Loads of eagles. But remote. Free

In Westmoreland Co Va theres Westmoreland State Park lots of trails near the river.Lots of Eagles but a small fee. In King George Co Va theres Caldon Sate park Remote but Va is much safer then Maryland and a small fee.

Locally - Billy Goat Trail in Maryland or even Sugarloaf Mountain...

Regionally - Big Sloosh in WVA or Catoctin/Cunningham Falls North or Frederick MD

Experience Hiker Wrote:
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> Locally - Billy Goat Trail in Maryland or even
> Sugarloaf Mountain...
>
> Regionally - Big Sloosh in WVA or
> Catoctin/Cunningham Falls North or Frederick MD


The BGT is incredible. As for Fairfax and it's free, Burke Lake is hard to beat. It's nothing strenuous, but a decent 4 miles.

eesh Wrote:
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> Hiking is dangerous; all sorts of forest creatures
> and rapists and kidnappers are just waiting to
> violate you.

Not to mention a large number of illegal spics who call the woods their home.

It's not a super long walk, but the path around Lake Royal in Burke is pretty. Good for walking or jogging. Unless they've smoothed/paved it in the past few years, not so great with a stroller/scooter/bike.