Local Adventures

Inspired at various times by Al Humphreys, Beau Miles, Ed Pratt, Brendan Leonard, the Storror lads, and my brother’s 52 micro-adventures project, I’m interested in wringing out as much adventure as I can from my own backyard.

Here I’ve compiled a list of local adventures (Harpers Ferry, WV area), which I plan to attempt over the next few years. Some notes:

  • All these adventures start and/or finish from home. My preference is for adventures that both start and finish from home, so the entire expedition is self-powered.
  • Running is not included since my knees don’t appear to be strong enough these days. Hence the ultra-distance events are now multi-day adventures, which just means I get to enjoy the adventure for longer 😉
  • All these adventures can be enjoyed in summer or winter conditions, and I hope to complete them all under both types of conditions. Additionally, doing any of these activities at night adds another level of adventure. Thus, activities are classified accordingly:
    • ✅ indicates that this adventure has been done in summer conditions.
    • ❄️ means done under winter conditions.
    • 🌒 means done at night.
  • There are a multitude of shorter trails in and around Harpers Ferry that I’ve not included in this list.
  • Links to trip reports added where complete.
  • This list is a work-in-progress that I’ll likely add to as I discover more adventures in the area! Some are also aspirational and will probably change when I research the routes in more detail! 🙂

Single-day hiking adventures

  • Loudon Heights (7 miles) ✅ ❄️ 🌒 [LINK 1, LINK 2]
  • Stone Fort Loop (8 miles) ✅ ❄️ 🌒 [LINK]
  • Weverton Cliffs (12 miles) ✅ 🌒 [LINK]
  • 2 peak: Loudon + Stone Fort loop (15 miles) ✅ [LINK] 🌒 [LINK]
  • 2 peak: Stone Fort loop + Weverton Cliffs (18 miles)
  • Double Loudoun Heights in a day
  • Triple Loudoun Heights in a day
  • Quadruple Loudoun Heights in a day
  • 3 peak: Loudon + Stone Fort + Weverton Cliffs (25 miles) ✅ [SOLO, WITH PETE]
  • 4 peak (include Bolivar Heights)
  • To Keys Gap return (12 miles) ✅ [LINK 1, LINK 2]
  • To David Lesser shelter return (19 miles) ✅ ❄️ [LINK]
  • To Raven Rocks trailhead one-way (21 miles) ✅ [SOLO]
  • To Edward B. Garvey Memorial Shelter return (17 miles) ✅ [LINK]
  • To Gathland State Park return (24 miles) ✅ [LINK]
  • To White Rocks Trail Overlook return (31 miles) ✅
  • To Rocky Run Shelter return (~33 miles)
  • To Raven Rocks return (~34 miles)
  • To Major General Jesse Reno Monument return (~36 miles)
  • 4-state challenge (PA, MD, WV, VA) (~44 miles)
  • Every trail in Harpers Ferry walk

Single-day bike adventures

  • Return trip to Shepherdstown (30 miles) ✅ [LINK]
  • Sugarloaf mountain from home and return (50+ miles) ✅
  • Return trip to DC (140 miles) ✅ [LINK]
  • Double century ride
  • Skyline Drive in a day

Single-day paddling adventures

There are lots of accessible rivers here, both flat and whitewater, that naturally link features. My preferred water craft is a SUP.

  • SUP tours on the Potomac river ✅ [link]
  • SUP tours on the Shenandoah river ✅
  • Kayak the needles rapids on the Potomac, past Harpers Ferry ✅
  • Packraft the needles rapids on the Potomac, past Harpers Ferry
  • Packraft the staircase rapids on the Shenandoah, past Harpers Ferry

Single-day multi-sport adventures

The goal in is to combine disciplines into multi-sport adventures. Mostly these will be multi-day adventures, but there are a few that work as long day outings:

  • Bike to Shepherdstown, SUP return to home (20 miles bike + 20 miles river)
  • Three Peaks using a packraft to cross rivers instead of the bridges
  • Three Peaks, including a named rock climbing route up the train wall to ascend Maryland Heights

Multi-day adventures close to home

Style: Go as light as possible and be as self-sufficient as possible. Take either a lightweight tent or hammock.

  • Biking C&O and GAP trails (2+ days) ✅ [TRIP 1, TRIP 2]
  • Combination of hiking or biking & packrafting or SUPing on the C&O and Potomac river (2 – 10? days) ✅ [LINK]
  • Hike & packraft: hike south on A.T. to Route 7, packraft home on Shenandoah (2+ days)
  • Bike & SUP or packraft: Home to Opequon Creek to Potomac River back home (2 – 3 days)
  • AT North + Catoctin Trail + Monocacy packraft + C&O hike home (1 week)
  • Hike Ashby Gap to home (40 miles, 3 days) ✅ [LINK]
  • Hike home to Front Royal (70 miles, 5 days) ✅ [LINK]
  • Hike home to S end of Shenandoah (150 miles, 10 days) (possible packraft home)
  • Massannutten Trail (71 miles, 4 – 5 days)
  • Hike or Bike & packraft the Greenbrier River Trail (150 miles, 1 week)
  • Appalachian packraft Loop (AT + Tuscarora trail + C&O trail + packraft Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, 600 miles)
  • Hike (or Bike) & packraft (or SUP) the C&O and GAP trails (~330 miles, yo-yo 700 miles)
  • Hike (or bike) into DC to catch an adventure at the National Geographic HQ, then hike AT north, then Long Trail into NYC for an event at The Explorers Club (~350 miles one way, 3 – 4 weeks)
  • Tuscamassalachian Loop (combination of Tuscarora + Massanutten + AT trails, 500 miles, 1+ months)
  • Loudoun Heights Year of Summits project (how many times can I summit in a year?)

Truly, there’s enough adventure in my local area to occupy a lifetime!