Stay Tuned for Details About Our Next Group Walk on Saturday, May 4th, 2024, at Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford County, VA.
- Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve is a large wilderness area located in Stafford County, VA, between Potomac Creek and Accokeek Creek. The preserve is named after a black sailing ship called The Crow that once docked in the Potomac Creek during the 1800’s. Crow’s Nest was also occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. It is home to nesting bald eagles and was a temporary home to Pocahontas. The Crow’s Nest Point Trail (9K round trip) takes you along a beautiful, wooded path ending at Potomac and Accokeek Creeks. You will see a historic cemetery along the trail with information on early settlers. The Chinquapin Oak Trail veers off the Crow’s Nest Point Trail and adds another 1K round trip distance. Both offer beautiful views of the water.
- This is a FWC Seasonal Walk so AVA/IVV credit is available.
- FOR MORE INFO: https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=125872
- https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/crowsnest
Below is a list of upcoming walks through June. Please note walks are subject to change because of unforeseen weather conditions.
Below is a letter from FWC president, Sharon Vines, announcing the fee changes for AVA sanctioned walks.
If you’d like to be on our mailing list or have questions about FWC membership, contact our Membership Coordinator, Abby Sisco at: fredericksburgwalkingclub@gmail.com.
The Fredericksburg Walking Club (FWC) is part of the Virginia Volkssport Association (VVA). Learn more about other Virginia walking events and clubs at: https://www.walkvirginia.org
*The FWC and the VVA are members of the American Volkssport Association (AVA). Volksmarching is a form of non-competitive fitness walking that developed in Europe. Participants typically walk 5k (3.1 miles) or 10k (6.2 miles) on an outdoor trail. Volksmarch clubs offer incentives for AVA members for their AVA sanctioned walks. Volkssport participants enjoy recording distances and events in international record books. Incentive awards, like pins and patches, are given for collecting a certain number of events. If you would like to become an FWC or AVA member, contact us by the email, or come to one of our walks and ask us about it. You do not have to be an AVA member to walk with us, although we encourage it. The FWC schedules non-AVA walks along with AVA walks. For more information about the AVA: https://ava.org
Previous 2024 Walks:
From Our March 16th, 2024, Walk in Loriella Park, Fredericksburg, VA
Our wonderful group had an enjoyable walk in Loriella Park on a great weather day. Thirty-plus walkers gathered for a 5K that went around the pool and some athletic fields, through the woods and past a lovely pond on the Massaponax Trail, and past two cemeteries (the Gordon Family and another for enslaved African Americans from the 1800s). Spotsylvania Parks and Rec had a Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt for kids and we enjoyed spotting them as well. After our walk twenty of us had a great lunch at Harry’s Ale House at Harrison Crossing. Good times!
From Our February 24th, 2024, Walk in Historic Downtown Manassas, VA
Although a little windy and chilly, about 30 walkers traveled to downtown Manassas and enjoyed either a 5k or 10k walk through historic streets and residential neighborhoods. This walk, called “Find the Love in Historic Manassas,” is a Year-Round-Event sponsored by the Wood and Dale Wanderers club. Starting at the old Train Depot (1914), which is now the Visitor Center, we paused at the Love & Hope sign for a group photo, then continued on past the Manassas Cemetery down city streets and through subdivisions with beautiful old homes, interesting architecture, historic churches and buildings. Afterwards, a large group of us ate good food at a restaurant called Manza, which did a great job considering 20 people arrived at once with only a hour notice!
From Our February 10th, 2024, Walk in Historic Culpeper, VA
The weather was on our side this morning for the FWC to have a great, no rain walk in Culpeper, VA – one of our club’s Year-Round-Events, sanctioned by the AVA. Around 50 walkers enjoyed either a 5K or 10K walk through Culpeper’s historic streets into Yowell Meadow Park, where we passed numerous monuments and plaques telling of the town’s long history dating back to the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. Afterwards, many of us had a wonderful lunch at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.
From Our January 27th, 2024, Walk on the First Day at Chancellorsville Battlefield
This morning, an awesome group of 51 walkers (and 3 dogs) enjoyed walking on the First Day of Chancellorsville Battlefield in Fredericksburg, VA. This is one of FWC’s Year-Round-Event walks (YRE), with the option of 5k, 8k, or 10k distances – and some folks chose to walk longer distances. It’s a great walk, with 12 historic plaques along the natural surface trail that explain how the battle unfolded. Afterwards, a group of about 20 had a nice lunch at Basilico New York Deli.
From Our January 13th, 2024, Walk in Lorton, VA
On the morning of January 13th, 43 enthusiastic walkers gathered at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA, for a 5K walk that is one of the Northern VA Volksmarchers Club’s year-round-events (YRE). FWC members were very happy to meet some of their club members and walk with them. It was a beautiful morning, despite being chilly and breezy, walking through the Workhouse property (which has such an interesting history), then down the road and into Occoquan Regional Park on nicely paved trails through the forest and along the Occoquan River. Winding our way back to the Workhouse, we paused at the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial and the historic Beehive Brick Kiln. Afterwards some walkers visited the Workhouse Museum and art studios and/or had lunch at the Brickmakers Cafe. All-in-all, a really nice experience for all of us!
From Our First Day of 2024 Walk from Downtown Fredericksburg to Chatham
An amazing group of 74 people joined us the morning of January 1st for our First Day of 2024 walk in Fredericksburg. Starting at the Visitor Center, we walked a few blocks through town, crossing the Chatham Bridge – where we had beautiful views of the Rappahannock – onto the Pratt Park trail. From there we segued onto the grounds of Chatham, pausing to take in its incredible history and view the wonderful Fredericksburg skyline across the river. We then circled back the way we came to the starting point for a total of about 4.5 miles. Thank you to everyone who walked with us, and to all the new folks who came – so glad to meet you. It was a great way to start the new year having fun with wonderful people.
To see FWC walks from 2023 and 2022, click the buttons below:
WALK ANYTIME!
We sponsor the following Seasonal and Year-Round Events (YREs) below that can be done any time the Start Point is open OR by registering via the Online Start Box (OSB). For those walkers not familiar with the OSB, here’s a link to walk you through the steps:
SEASONAL WALK! Stafford, VA – Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve – AVA Online Start Box only. You will need to create an account and register for the walk. Follow the steps in the PDF above. Walk Thursday – Sunday only, March 15th – October 31st. Opens at 8:00 a.m. Closes at 8:00 p.m. (or dusk). Raven Road Access: 81 Raven Rd., Stafford, VA 22554. Click here for more information.
YEAR-ROUND-EVENT – Fredericksburg, VA – First Day at Chancellorsville Battlefield – AVA Online Start Box only. You will need to create an account and register for the walk. Follow the steps in the PDF above. Click here for more information. Walk starts at the Spotsylvania County Museum, 6159 Plank Rd., Fredericksburg, VA 22407.
YEAR-ROUND-EVENT – Ashland, VA – Center of the Universe. Click here for more information. Visitor Center open daily, 9am to 5pm. Online Start Box available.
YEAR-ROUND-EVENT – Culpeper, VA – Historic Streetscapes. Click here for more information. Visitor Center is open daily, 10am to 5pm except on major holidays and for short lunch breaks. Online Start Box available.
YEAR-ROUND-EVENT – Fredericksburg, VA – Historic. Click here for more information. Visitor Center open daily, 9am to 4pm, except on major holidays. Online Start Box available.
YEAR-ROUND-EVENT – Fredericksburg, VA – River Ramblers. Click here for more information. Visitor Center open daily, 9am to 4pm, except on major holidays. Online Start Box available.
YEAR-ROUND-EVENT – Warrenton, VA – Brick Sidewalks. Click here for more information. Visitor Center open Monday – Friday, 8:30am- 4:30pm. Online Start Box available, and should be used on weekends.
Fredericksburg Walking Club 