Aleah + Seth 𖤥 DC-Based Outdoorsy Travelers

swimming hole/waterfall hikes that are worth the drive from Washington, DC 🌿💦

📌 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 because it’s HOTT 🥵🌿⚠️& always 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 by staying on established trails, giving wildlife plenty of space, packing out your trash (including organics), using natural sunscreen when swimming, and considering picking up litter that others left behind. It’s our responsibility to protect the places that we love 🫶🌱

📍Cedar Run Falls Trail (SNP)
🥾 5.8 miles ⛰️ 2.2Kft of elevation

📍 South River Falls Trail (SNP)
🥾 4.3 miles ⛰️ 1.2Kft of elevation

📍 Overall Run Falls Via Thompson Hollow (SNP)
🥾 2.1 miles ⛰️ 400ft of elevation

📍 Potomac State Forest’s Lostland Run Trail
🥾 We hiked 8ish miles down to the North Branch Potomac. There’s so much more to do nearby around Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake too.

📍PA’s Ohiopyle State Park in PA’s Laurel Highlands is a perfect spot year round, and now is still a great time to chase waterfalls, send it down the park’s natural sandstone waterslides and raft down the Youghiogheny River.

📍 Roaring Run Falls is one of the most accessible waterfall trails (1.5 mile loop) in VA’s Blue Ridge and has several spots to take a dip along the trail including a natural waterslide.

The last two made the list b/c they have swimming holes tucked away nearby—

📍 Monongahela Nat’l Forest’s Seneca Rocks, WV
🥾 3 miles 🏔 850ft of elevation

📍 GW Nat’l Forest’s Buzzard Rocks, VA
🥾 3.8 miles ⛰️ 675ft of elevation

⚠️ Always check water conditions/depth/for debris before jumping and know your limits. Natural rock slides are inherently sketchy & wet rocks are slippery, so exercise caution and look these spots up (scour AllTrails reviews) before heading out, so you know what to expect in terms of parking/cell service/current conditions.

Happy Exploring!!!
XO, Aleah + Seth