While it’s a little tricky to find, this out and back hike is absolutely worth the effort. This is one of those rare trails where you can go a couple of hours without running into any other hikers. This is a very peaceful hike that will lead you through a good-looking stretch of woods. With the trail being so well shaded, it made for an excellent summer hike. If shorter hikes are more your thing, this one could be your new fave. There is a lovely waterfall about 1 mile down the trail. It’s very accessible, so this would be an excellent trip to make with little ones. Just don’t miss the side trail to the waterfall! If you’re like me, and need a good, long hike to make the drive worthwhile, just keep on trucking after you get your fill of the waterfall. This trail is a part of the AT, so you can follow it for as long as your little heart desires. The Buzzard Hill summit point is described by Hiking Upward as being 3.8 miles from the trailhead. This summit is definitely easy to miss. We noticed that the view was pretty nice through the trees, but didn’t realize that it was the summit until we’d gone another couple of miles(fairly consistently downhill…) Oops. The trail is clearly marked with white blazes, so it’s very easy to stay on path, just keep an eye out for that overlook. Here are some of the points to keep in mind– 1. To get here, you’ll be on an unpaved gravel road for a bit. Don’t worry, you didn’t make a wrong turn.(Or so I hope!) 2. Parking is limited. There are about 2 car sized grooves on the opposite side of the road from the trailhead. The trail extends from both sides of the road — cross the street from the car grooves to start on the correct side(it’s the side that’s going up, if that helps.) 3. This is not a busy, well-trafficked trail. There will be no port-a-johns at the trailhead or along the hike. Bring tp. 4. The waterfall is slightly off trail. We actually missed it on the way up and kept wondering if we had gone the wrong way, or if this was the most over-hyped waterfall hike known to man. Luckily, a super friendly family tipped us off. As you’re hiking, you will come across a creek crossing with a cute little waterfall. After you cross this creek, hang a right. There is a very clear and short trail that will lead you to the actual waterfall you came to see. Return by this same side trail to get back to the AT. good hiking + only 1.5 hrs drive from DC + waterfall = great way to spend a day
