Hiking Parks

Douthat State Park features the 50 acre picturesque Douthat Lake. There are a multitude of water and land activities including fishing, canoeing, hiking and mountain biking. The park also offers rustic cabins for rent and tent & camper sites.

Explore Park is a beautiful 1100 acre parcel of land located near Roanoke, Virginia at Milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It has about 9 miles of trails that wind their way through the woods and along the Roanoke River.  While at Explore Park, take the time to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, which has a gift shop and museum.  The museum tells the story of the Parkway's construction and of the history of the region.

Formerly a privately held piece of land owned by William DuPont, Jr., Fair Hill was purchased by Maryland and made available for public use in 1975. There are now more than 80 miles of multi-use trails on this 5600 acre property, which consists of gently rolling terrain, with both wooded areas and open fields. The single track trails and wide farm roads on the property are popular with equestrians, hikers, and mountain bikers from both Delaware (Newark is 10 minutes to the west and Wilmington is a 25 minute drive), and also from the Baltimore area (1 hour to the south).

Over 40 miles in length, the Cross County Trail (CCT) spans almost the entire length of Fairfax County. 

Fountainhead Regional park is a 2000 acre jewl of a park, offering hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, camping and much more.  The mountain biking and trail running destination in the DC area and is the trailhead for the popular Bull Run-Occoquan hiking/equestrian trail.

Be prepared for some technical riding when visiting the Quarry trails. The terrain here is steep in sections, so you will have an opportunity to get a great cardio and quad workout. This network of intermediate to advanced trails has plenty of logs and rooty sections to keep the advanced rider happy and to challenge the intermediate level rider. As you ride the trails here, be sure to take in the views of the Rappahannock River, which borders the property to the north.

Nestled in the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia, lies a hidden gem that seamlessly intertwines the thrill of mountain biking with the rich tapestry of American history – Freedom Park. Spread across 689 acres of pristine woodlands, this park offers an exhilarating outdoor experience unlike any other, where cyclists can traverse rugged trails while immersing themselves in the stories of those who shaped our nation's past.

Located on Catoctin Mountain, Gambrill State Park features excellent views of the surrounding area from several overlooks located near the park entrance. Picnic tables, play areas for the kids, and a campground at the base of the mountain can be enjoyed in the park as well.  Gambrill State Park borders the Frederick City Watershed to the north, a 7,000 acre forest which contains many more miles of trails that can be accessed via the blue blazed Catoctin Trail and the Yellow Poplar Trail.  

Elizabeth Furnace is located about an hour west of Washington DC, making it an easily accessible weekend destination. The trails have numerous panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley from Signal Knob, but all of this beauty comes with the price of extremely steep and rocky single track.

Sherando Lake is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia, just south of Shenandoah National Park. A 25-acre spring-fed lake is at the center of the Sherando Lake Recreation Area, which offers camping, water activities, hiking and mountain biking.