For easy hiking that you can cater to any length, the National Arboretum has some easy to middle hiking that is beautiful. Bonus, it's very close (e.g. inside DC).

For more challenging, the Catoctin Mountain State Park is one hour north of DC just north of Frederick. The trails are near Camp David. Pretty fun and good scenery and views. The east side trails are medium to challenging and the west side trails are challenging. http://www.nps.gov/cato/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

For very challenging (including a rock scramble and an elevation gain of about 2500 ft), here is a hike in Shenandoah which has some beautiful vista views of Skyline Drive across the way. http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/OldRag/

Sugarloaf and Harper's Ferry are great. Sky Meadows State Park is a great spot, but my favorite in the area is Signal Knob in George Washington National Forest. Some of the Appalachian Trail hikes within two hours also are lovely. This website is great:

http://www.hikingupward.com/maps/

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. Any suggestions in Shenandoah or Harpers Ferry?

If you go to Shenandoah, there are paperback hiking guides in the giftshops that cost about two dollars each called "Hikes to Waterfalls" and "Hikes to Peaks" or something similar. I've found these guides to be very helpful in finding great hikes that are 2-5 miles long and challenging but not crazy. We often pick two that are somewhat close together on skyline drive and do them same day.

The trail to Camp Rapidan at Shenandoah, or to Rose River Falls.

Anonymous wrote:Old Rag and Cedar Run/White Oak are the more popular and more challenging ones in Shenandoah. Hiking Upward and Localhikes.com are two great sites for researching hikes in this area.

White oak canyon is very nice. As is Old Rag, but it gets very crowded. Maybe not next weekend.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. Any suggestions in Shenandoah or Harpers Ferry?

Maryland Heights trail in Harpers Ferry. Or hike up to Jefferson Rock and you will pass a historic church. Keep going uphill and there is a cool historic cemetery at the top.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Roman_Catholic_Church_%28Harpers_Ferry,_West_Virginia%29

http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=102

Old Rag and Cedar Run/White Oak are the more popular and more challenging ones in Shenandoah. Hiking Upward and Localhikes.com are two great sites for researching hikes in this area.

Thanks. Any suggestions in Shenandoah or Harpers Ferry?

The Catoctin Mountains are great. It's a nice easy hike to Wolf Rock or the Falls.

Billy Goat Trail is good, but usually too crowded to enjoy.

Sugarloaf Mountain is easy, too. You can stop at a winery for a tasting on the way home.

billy goat trail

Hi. DH and I would like to go hiking next weekend without about 2 hours of DC. Any suggestions? Somewhere beautiful and somewhat challenging but not dangerous. Thanks!