Updated for 2024!

I’ve lived in Northern Virginia for over 10 years. I’ve had a chance to explore the iconic hikes near Washington D.C many times. And when I say near D.C., I mean around 2 hours or less.  The DMV is a majorly sprawled metropolitan area; so aside from one hike on this list, I recommend taking a drive to get to some really beautiful hikes.  I’ve tried to keep this list short and sweet, with some photos from the hikes as well as links to more information about each of the hikes.  

These are my personal rankings for the best hikes near Washington D.C. from a local:

8. Sugarloaf Mountain, MD – 1 hour away

 Starting off the list is Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland.  Sugarloaf has some great views, but the crowds are what put this hiking area at the bottom of the list. It only requires about a .25 mile steep climb for anyone to reach the top of the mountain from the closest parking lot.  Luckily, there’s several trails to get away from crowds and make a custom loop, depending on how much length is desired.  I recommend making a loop out of the blue, green, and red trails to see both the top of sugarloaf, as well as an alternate lookout point at White Rocks that is much less crowded will equally great views.

7 . Catoctin Mountain, MD – 1.25 hours away

 Catoctin is up near the Pennsylvania border and a very similar hiking experience to Sugarloaf. However, it’s less crowded and has more views/features, including several lookouts and a beautiful cascading waterfall. Catoctin is on NPS land however no longer requires an entrance fee!  I’d recommend hiking the full 8.5 mile loop CCW (yellow-pink-red) to see all the major sites in the park.

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6. The Shenandoah Shorties (Stony Man, Dark Hollow Falls, Hawksbill Mountain), VA – 2 hours away

 So the Shenandoah Shorties aren’t an actual term, I just made it up haha. But these three hikes are some of the best short and sweet hikes in Shenandoah NP! They’re all about 1.5 miles in length and easy to moderate in difficulty.  Hawksbill Mountain and the Stony Man circuit both provide beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley. Dark Hollow Falls is a very popular hike to a pretty cascading waterfall. The only reason these hikes are lower on my list is because they are all so short.  However, since they’re all near each other, I’d recommend trying to knock them all out in one session! Keep in mind, that parking is limited on Skyline Drive. These hikes all have an entrance fee unless you are an NPS annual pass holder (I recommend the $80 annual pass for the best bang for buck,  plus supports our parks!)

5. Harpers Ferry, VA MD WV – 1.25 hours away

 Harpers Ferry is where Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia all meet and you can see the confluence (where 2 rivers combine) of the Shenandoah River and Potomac River.  There’s two great hikes here and I can’t really decide which is better since they are both moderate in difficulty and view the same area from two different perspectives.  Loudon Heights Trail to Split Rock is a 6 mile there and back on the VA side, and Maryland Heights is a 5 mile loop on the Maryland side. Can’t go wrong with either!

4. Raven Rocks, VA WV – 1 hour away

The Raven Rocks trailhead is in VA, with the viewpoint in WV. It’s a 5.3 mile strenuous out and back with a roller coaster of ups and downs and a net elevation gain of 1600 feet. There are some pretty nice views at the end, and you could run into some Thru Hikers on the AT or some rock climbers at the viewpoint.

3. White Oak Canyon – Shenandoah NP, VA – 2 hours away

White Oak Canyon is a 9.5 mile there and back with 6 waterfalls along the way. From the lower parking lot up to Skyline Drive is about 2800 feet of elevation gain, but unless you have 2 cars, it’s not worth doing the entire hike after you’ve seen all the waterfalls.  The trail can be customized depending how many waterfalls you want to see as well as how strenuous of a hike is desired.  I’d say the lower falls are the best of the bunch, and only 2 miles in from the lower parking area. The lower falls also have an excellent swimming hole area for the summer months. This hike has an entrance fee unless you are an NPS annual pass holder.

2. Billy Goat Trails – Great Falls,  MD – 20 minutes away

The Billy Goat trails in Great Falls are the closest hiking spot to D.C. and also one of the best in the area! There are three billy goat trails that hike along the Maryland side of the (occasionally raging) Potomac River.  Section A is the hardest (and most fun), followed closely by section B, and then section C is fairly moderate. The reason they’re called the billy goat trails is because there’s lots of rock scrambling but no rock climbing experience or equipment necessary on the trails (with section A having the most scrambling and occasional need for using hands, followed by B, then C). For more information on where to park and how to get to the Billy Goat Trails check out the NPS website, these trails can frequently be closed due to rainfall.  This hike has an entrance fee unless you are an NPS annual pass holder.  Just a reminder, these trails are on the Maryland side, you can’t get to the Billy Goat Trails from the VA side!

1. Old Rag – Shenandoah NP, VA – 2 hours away

Old Rag is hands down the best hike in Shenandoah National Park.  This hike is in my top 10 hikes of all time. Not only are there great views at the top but there is also moderate boulder scrambling for the last mile, which makes this hike really fun and unique.  You don’t need any special gear for the scrambling, just shoes with a good grip. (I wouldn’t recommend this hike for anyone who has poor balance or doesn’t want to occasionally use their hands to climb up rocks.) To make this trail a loop I recommend going up the Ridge Trail (which has the boulder scrambling and is much easier to do climbing up then down) and then hiking back down to the parking lot via the Weakley Hollow Fire Road. This turns Old Rag into a nice 9.5-mile circuit hike. More information on Old Rag can be found on the NPS website. This hike has an entrance fee unless you are an NPS annual pass holder.