blades, I have been hiking more and more over the last couple of years and can not get enough of it. I love the peacefulness, nature, hiking to the destination and smoking a bowl with beautiful views & the self reliance/disconnect of being in the woods. I have one problem though, I am not that experienced. I have been wanting to join some hiking groups in the area through meet up or something similar but non seem to share my interests so I decided to see if anyone would be interested in a meet up for a day hike or even a weekend trip here on GC. I am along the Frederick/Montgomery county border in MD and would be interested in anywhere around that area, including into the states listed in the thread title. My favorite thing is to hike/hunt for waterfalls but I love it all. There is something about rivers and creeks that is incredible. I have been wanting to do an 18 mile loop in Ricketts Glenn state forest in PA that has 23 waterfalls but don't want to do it alone. Anyways I was just throwing the idea out there, let me know if anyone is interested in doing any hiking. Also if you aren't interested what are some of your favorite places in this area to hike? If you want to include pictures, please do, I will be adding some as well. I have done most of the parks in frederick along the catoctin mountains, a bunch of hiking in TN/NC while i was on a trip in gatlinburg recently, some hiking by deep creek lake and green ridge state forest in western MD, almost all the trails in Montgomery County, all of sugarloaf mt area, some in WV (especially around harpers ferry), some in Florida outside Orlando(not my kind of setting) and a few places near my parents place in PA.
This is the exact reason why I'm moving out of FL soon. I spend at least one long weekend a month in N. Georgia/Tennessee hiking around the Ocoee, Blairsville and Blue Ridge areas. That 18-mile loop sounds incredible. Have you hiked in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests? I've wanted to see those for quite some time.
Yea, no offense as I was born there and have family there, but FL sucks for hiking. And the woods are more jungle like than woods, LoL. The Wekiva State Park was nice though and I would take my uncles paddle board (stand up on surf board with paddle) down the river. It was awesome because I could see the gators within feet of me as I boarded by. The natural springs near there are awesome though. Here is the Wiki page on the 18 mile loop in PA: Waterfalls in Ricketts Glen State Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia N GA and TN are beautiful and I wish I could make it there that much. I have hiked a couple trails around Blacksburg in the Jefferson while driving through. I haven't been in GW, though I did hike to a waterfall in Monongahela National Forest in WV which borders GW forest in VA.
I'm trying to get into hiking. I go to Appalachian State, so I'm thinking about starting with the Appalachian trail. Seems like there's so many good places to hike here in the mountains.
Lucky, I would definitely find locals etc. and be all over it. You are in an epic area and short drives to some of the best parts of the appalachians.
No offense taken. I was raised in MN and FL. I've tried to hike around here, and have even had some lucky few that were very enjoyable. Withlacoochee State Park has some variation, and Little Manattee River isn't too bad. But like I said, I'm on my way out. I cannot stand the climate or the landscape here. Check out my thread from one time I went to TN to hike. http://forum.grasscity.com/great-outdoors/1062165-hiking-tn-north-ga-mountains-*hq-pics*.html
Nice pics. Was that a random table in the park. I love the quote written on it and have to fight that urge daily... "The mountains are calling and I must go"
It was written on a plot for a bed in an Appalachian Trail shelter. If you scroll through the post it has a picture of the shelter.
Egghead, I just moved out to MD and have been thinking about getting out and checking some hiking spots. If you plan something, let me know. I'm down.