Description
Hikes in the Washington Region: Part A - N. Md. Counties (7th edition, 2021)
The seventh edition of PATC’s classic guide to trails in Maryland, Hikes in the Washington Region Part A: Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties, is now available from our online store and from some of the outdoor outfitters who carry our products. This volume is one of three highlighting hiking opportunities close to the Washington metropolitan area, most of which are routes that can be easily done in just part of a day.
The new edition has 25 carefully selected entries, including four new hikes and many old favorites that have been carefully updated. Three of the newly added hikes are in northern Frederick County along the Catoctin Trail system. The hikes comprising the volume are a mixture designed to appeal to hikers of any level. The hikes fall into five geographic clusters: Potomac River Valley; Northwest Branch and Rock Creek Valley; Monocacy Basin; Cabin John, Seneca Creek, and Patuxent River Valleys; and Catoctin and South Mountains, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam.
Before beginning the description of the first hike in each cluster, the co-editors provide an informative and highly readable description of the geology and history of the area and the flora and fauna that are characteristic of it. The descriptions of the hikes include the length, the amount of elevation gain, and the WGS84 coordinates for the trailhead parking. The descriptions also include information about the type of tread (e.g., natural, paved, crushed rock), stream crossings, and any especially rocky sections or steep climbs. This is followed by a turn by turn description of the route.
The seventh edition of this guide is 152 pages and includes 25 maps and 32 photographs
