Wanderbirds Hiking Club
An 80-Year Tradition of Hiking the Washington, DC Area
News and Updates
Hikes, Orienteering & Spies, OH MY!
At just over a month away, our 2016 Fall Hiking Jamboree is shaping up to be full of perfect early fall activity and adventure! From Friday, Sept. 23 at 4pm to Sunday, Sept. 25 at noon, join us for two days of hiking, biking, campfires, story-telling, good food, music and dancing.
- "Spies in the Park," Saturday, 10am. A ranger-led tour of Prince William NP's role in WWII.
- Orienteering, Saturday afternoon. With park maps and compasses, test your skills on 15 courses developed by the Swedish Military Orienteering Team & the US Marine Corps!
- Fish. Help rid VA of the dreaded snakehead! Get your VA license here to angle at the lake or along the Quantico or South Fork Quantico Creeks.
- Hiking and Biking. In addition to 37 miles of hiking trails, Prince William has 12 miles of paved and 9 miles of gravel roads for on- and off-road bikers.
- Bocce Ball, Cornhole.
Indoor activities will include board games aplenty and/or a visit to the nearby Marine Corps Museum! Don't have a cabin-mate? No problem! Just tell us what size you prefer. (We guarantee non-snoring roommates!) The Jamboree aims to be a regional celebration of our great outdoors. $25 per night includes dinner and breakfast the next morning. Sign up here now for yourself, your friends and family!
Sign up here now for yourself, your friends and family!
Founded in 1934, the Wanderbirds Hiking Club is a non-profit, all-volunteer club that organizes day hikes every Sunday, year-round, for energetic folks in the Washington, DC area. With only a couple of exceptions during the year, you do not have to be a member of the Club to hike with us!
Our hikers range in age from 7 to over 80, and we welcome fast, experienced hikers as well as slower or beginning hikers. There's room for all on the trail! Beginning hikers please click here for more information.
Just about every Sunday hike goes by chartered bus; occasionally we go by car pool. Just relax, while our experienced coach driver transports you to the trailhead, and enjoy snacks, beverages, and maybe a snooze on your way home. It sure beats driving yourself!
The bus fare for this all-day outing is $20 for Wanderbirds club members. Fare for non-members is $25. Both fares are reduced from our earlier prices. What else do you know that has gone down in price recently?! When we use carpools, hikers pay a $5.00 administrative fee to the club, and $10.00 to their driver to defray expenses.
Shenandoah National Park charges an additional fee of $8.00 for hikes beginning inside the park from March through November, and $5.00 from December through February. Holders of annual, senior, Golden Eagle, or Golden Age passes do not pay these fees and are allowed 3 guests. This rule often allows the bus to enter the park for free. Some state parks may also charge an admission fee. Frequent hikers are urged to invest in a National Park Pass.
We offer at least two hikes each Sunday:
- A moderate, comfortably paced hike of 7 - 10 miles which may have up to 2000 feet of ascent, but generally less. Easier hikes can usually be arranged.
- A longer, faster paced hike of 10 - 13 miles with more climbing, but usually less than 3000 feet. Extensions can be arranged for very fit, fast, experienced hikers.
Our hikes will take you to:
- Virginia, including Shenandoah National Park and Massanutten Mountains
- West Virginia, including Harpers Ferry and George Washington National Forest
- Maryland, including Catoctin National Park, Cunningham Falls State Park and the Appalachian Trail
- Pennsylvania (various state parks, the Appalachian and Tuscarora Trails
- Local hikes in Rock Creek Park, along the C&O Canal, and elsewhere.
For every hike, we provide experienced hike leaders, red arrow trail markers and trail maps. Refreshments are available on the bus after the hike and during the ride home.
If you sign up for a hike, don't be a no-show! For our no-show policy, click here.
You may reach our club officers by e-mail from our contact page.