Best of Loudoun Hiking!

Visit Loudoun returns as a "Trailblazer" sponsor of the Loudoun Appalachian Trail Festival. In this guest blog, Visit Loudoun shares favorite county hiking spots. For suggestions on places to stop after these hikes, see their recommendations here.

The Best Hikes and Trails in Loudoun

​From the woodland paths and riverfront views of Algonkian Regional Park and Ball’s Bluff Battlefield to the ups and downs of The Rollercoaster section of the world-famous Appalachian Trail, accessible at Bears Den Overlook, Loudoun is a playground for the active and energetic. Add in the paved Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park, the narrowest park in Virginia, that perfectly bisects the county east to west, and you have a slate of hikes and trails to suit both the serious and leisure enthusiast. It’s time to hit the trail.

Waterfront
POTOMAC HERITAGE TRAIL. This trail serves as a central point for 15 miles of riverfront parks in Loudoun. Located in Sterling, the trail encompasses portions of Algonkian Regional Park, Bles Park and Bazil Newman Riverfront Park. Hike, bike or paddle your way to different trail sites in Loudoun! Learn more about the trails and what activities are available to you here.

ALGONKIAN REGIONAL PARK. Algonkian Regional Park features 838 acres of outdoor adventure with paved and natural surface hiking trails. The trails run through wooded areas and open fields and expand into cliffs with beautiful views of the Potomac River. There are 12 rustic winterized rental cabins within the park if you want to hang around for blazing sunsets or bright sunrises. Dogs on leashes are most welcome. 

BALL’S BLUFF BATTLEFIELD REGIONAL PARK. Located on high banks above the Potomac River north of Leesburg, this regional park contains one of the smallest National Cemeteries in the nation, burial place of soldiers who died in the infamous Battle of Ball’s Bluff on October 21st, 1861. The park offers a one-mile hiking trail with interpretive signs, which take you through open ground, past the cemetery through woodland to high bluffs overlooking the river and spectacular views all around.

BAZIL NEWMAN RIVERFRONT PARK. With more than 100 acres of open parkland nestled on the banks of the Potomac River, Bazil Newman Riverfront Park is where land meets water. Walk along the woodland trails to gain access to the Potomac and Goose Creek. The park also has a flowing river for canoeing and kayaking activities. It’s the one stop shop for outdoor adventure.

RESERVOIR PARK TRAIL. Part of the NOVA Parks system, this park and reservoir sprawls across 600 acres with a winding six-mile circular trail along its shore and through dense woodland. You’re in the suburbs but a world away. Accessible year-round, the trail is primarily used for walking and nature trips; dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash. There is also kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and fishing, the lake stocked with several species of bass and trout. Cast from the banks or hop into a non-gas boat to get the big ones out in the middle. A Virginia fishing license is required.

Land
THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL. Make your way to Bears Den off Route 7 in the Blue Ridge Mountains above Bluemont and hike the short but strenuous Loudoun stretch of the Appalachian Trail – known as Virginia’s Rollercoaster. Bear’s Den has spectacular views from high rocks of the Shenandoah Valley to the west, pine trees all around. On the other side of Route 7, above Round Hill, the trail leads you down the mountain along a set of stones that form a natural staircase leading to the Blackburn Trail Center log cabins. A rustic 1910-built lodge, it’s a refreshment station for hikers and available for rent outside of peak season. Nearby, Dirt Farm Brewing has dedicated 3.5 miles of wooded trail at a 400-foot elevation overlooking the breweries farmland.

HAL AND BERNI HANSON REGIONAL PARK. Tucked away in southeast Loudoun near Brambleton is the massive Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park. You can hike, walk or bike paved and natural trails at this 257-acre regional park. Beyond hiking, the park has no shortage of multipurpose athletic fields including four pickleball/tennis courts, two turf fields and four baseball/softball fields. 

BANSHEE REEKS NATURE PRESERVE. This little-known, 725-acre nature preserve south of Leesburg features more than 20 miles of marked trails through dense woodland in the rolling valleys along Goose Creek. Hikers can see diverse forest wildlife and plant life. To assist in preservation in 2016, goats from Willowsford Farm were guided through the preserve to manage unwanted vegetation.

WASHINGTON & OLD DOMINION RAILROAD REGIONAL PARK. Probably the best-known trail in the county, this 45-mile park – the narrowest in Virginia – runs from Sterling in the east to Purcellville out west on the bed of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. While you can horseback ride it in sections, it’s best for cycling or hiking, particularly the flat stretch between Hamilton and Purcellville, beautiful farm fields all around.

—Visit Loudoun
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