Another one of our winter favorites. Not to long, and when there is snow on the ground, as there was Saturday, you don‘t have to spend very much effort kicking a trail through it. Also, with the clear skies in this colder weather, we had views all the way to the Shenandoah National Park.

In a review posted by Quanta, they mentioned that they saw quite a few other hikers on the Big Schloss Hike Saturday the 10th. We didn’t see a single person on the Tibbet Knob Trail the same day, and it looked like we were the first people up the trail since it had snowed earlier in the week. If you like Big Schloss you’ll love Tibbet Knob as well.

With vistas all the way up the ridge, as well as the panoramic view from the summit, this is one hike that is on our list as a must do at least once a year. Get out and do this little out/back before everyone finds out about it. You may still have the chance to have this one to yourself for the day.

This short out and back hike is about as good as it get's so close to the D.C. Metro area. Winding over two ridges before arriving at the Raven Rocks wall, you gain over 1,500 feet of altitude in total. As you can see from the elevation profile, this one can be a good workout.

With Saturday in the upper 50's, we managed to make this hike in t-shirts, instead of the fleeces we usually wear this time of year. And with spring not to far away, days like these make you want to head further west to hike in the larger mountains of West Virginia and western Virginia.

The view from Raven Rocks is one of the best in the area. This is also a popular area with rock climbers, as it can be accessed by a road 0.4 miles from the east.  With some of the rockiest trails in the area, make sure to wear sturdy footwear.

Scott's Run Nature Preserve, Difficult Run, and Riverbend Park all stretch along the banks of the Potomac River, just outside of the beltway. Riverbend Park is least well-known of the three.

We were originally planning to hike Scott's Run, but the parking area was jammed (which meant lots of people were getting out to enjoy the weather). So, we opted for Riverbend Park, just west of Great Falls Park.

The Riverbend Park trails intersect at a variety of points, creating many options for hike circuits. The Fairfax County Park Authority has placed benches along the Heritage Trail, which parallels the edge of the Potomac River. The benches are a great addition, especially for those hikers who may be a little older or would just enjoy a break with a beautiful view.

The trails are also in excellent shape with very few blow downs. So, if your not able to make it out to the mountains and still want to get outdoors, or if you're looking for something that would suit the whole family, consider this beautiful hike just outside of the city!

Check out the Riverbend Hike here

After the destructive November 22 ice storm in the central district of the Shenandoah National Park, the Potomac and Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) mobilized its trail maintenance crews, along with volunteers from hiking clubs across the mid-Atlantic, to help clear the trails of debris and blow-downs.

On December 9, our trail crew, led by Jim Tomlin, PATC overseer for the Great North Mountain area, cleared 3.1 miles of the Appalachian Trail, as well as the length of the popular Passamaquoddy Trail, which runs on the west side of Stony Man Mountain.

Volunteer trail maintenance is the cornerstone of the upkeep of our National Parks and Forests.