OK, well I've finally gotten around to making a second post. I was bogged down with technical computer matters for a few days, which distracted me a bit.
I have a few more introductory things to take care of first:
Maps: Few if any of the trails that I write about here traverse true wilderness areas, and the consequences of getting lost are not as severe as they would be on the Appalachian Trail or in the remote sections of Shenandoah National Park. Nonetheless, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) publishes two maps which local hikers will find useful for planning, as well as trail-finding purposes. Map N "Rock Creek Park Area, DC", covers all of the trails in Northwest D.C. Map D "Trails in the Potomac Gorge Area" covers trails along the Potomac River upstream of the Capital Beltway.
The maps can be purchased at backpacking stores in the Washington area, or they may be ordered directly from PATC. Go to their on-line store and click on "By State," then "District of Columbia and Vicinity."
The National Park Service distributes free maps of areas under its jurisdiction; however, they are less comprehensive than the PATC maps, and do not show as much detail.
Public Transportation: Most other hiking resources only mention transit lines in passing or ignore them completely. One advantage of hiking locally is that it doesn't always require a car. I explored most of these trails when I was a teenager and didn’t even have a driver’s license. By using transit, hikers can take long, linear hikes and return to their cars without retracing their steps or arranging for a car shuttle. I will mention transit lines where they intersect trails and provide a link to the appropriate timetable, generally in PDF form.
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