35 miles on flat roads and bike trail. For advanced beginners (who can ride the distance) and above. Suitable for all types of bikes.

One of our most popular rides! Kent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay and was the location of the first European settlement in Maryland. From its earliest inhabitants (Matapeake Indians) to its present-day status as the gateway to the Eastern Shore, Kent Island has played a vital role in the history of Maryland.

Join WWO for a stunning ride on Kent Island. We will travel on the paved bike path that traverses the island, detouring to see neighborhoods, many beautiful water views, a community fishing pier, and a lighthouse. There are multiple stops to admire the views.  Moderate social pace, with a leader and a sweep, and no one will be left behind.

After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details and start location.

There is limited space, so please register early. Although this ride is FREE for Members, you do need to register. 

19 miles mostly on closed roads and paved trails with a few short, steep climbs on residential streets. Suitable for advanced beginners and above on road or hybrid bikes. Note this ride will only occur if the government re-opens as the zoo is currently closed.

What a fun ride! (This is a weekday ride but we will also offer this ride on a weekend in early December.) Leaving from Bethesda, we will travel on residential roads, bicycle trails and the now permanently closed-to-traffic roads of Rock Creek Park to arrive at the National Zoo. Once there, we will receive a special tour by our ride leader who also volunteers at the zoo and will provide us with the inside scoop on zoo residents and conservation efforts. We’ll have lunch at the zoo and warm up before heading back to Bethesda along the Capital Crescent Trail. As with all our rides, we will have a leader and sweep, and no one will be left behind.

After completing registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details and start location.

There is limited space, so please register early. Although this ride is FREE for  Members, you do need to register. 

We’ll pass by beautiful farms, creeks and forests, and fantastic old stone walls as we roll through northern Fauquier County, starting in The Plains. We’ll skirt Middleburg but not actually pass through to keep on the quiet gravel roads. 

This is a no- drop ride, with a leader and a sweep and no one will be left behind.

After completing your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details and start location. If you don't see it, check your junk mail folder.

There is limited space, so please register early. Although this ride is FREE for Members, you do need to register. 

8 miles, 2,100 ft of elevation gain for a rating of 8. Suitable for intermediate to advance hikers. A scenic moderately strenuous hike featuring rivers, waterfalls, forested trails, an historic cabin, and panoramic mountain views.

We begin hiking along the beautiful Rapidan River fast-flowing, clear and dynamic as we make our way upward through dense hardwood forests of oaks and maples. The air carries the crisp scent of fallen leaves and pine needles crushed underfoot. About a half mile in we meet the swift and energetic Staunton River. With each twist and turn, the path reveals glimpses of the surrounding Blue Ridge foothills, their rolling peaks vanishing into a hazy blue in the distance. The terrain grows steeper and rockier as we approach Bear Church Rock, a striking natural formation that juts defiantly from the hillside. Sitting atop, you feel a mix of exhilaration and calm-a tangible connection to the wilderness and a reward earned through every challenging step. After a leisurely rest we make our way back down the way we came.

There's an option side trip to see Jones Mountain Cabin, a historic chestnut cabin beautifully maintained by the PATC.

As with all WWO hikes, there will be a leader and a sweep, and no one will be left behind.

After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details and start location.

There is limited space, so please register early. Although this hike is FREE for Premium Members, you do need to register. 

34 miles, elevation 1,600 feet. For intermediate and advanced riders. Quiet country roads with a few good climbs.

This ride explores the beautiful, rolling countryside of the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve with the extra bonus of enjoying the Comus Inn Beer Garden afterwards. After riding past crops, pastures and farm animals, we’ll arrive back at the beer garden for food and drinks. We'll enjoy a fantastic view of Sugarloaf Mountain as we socialize with new and old friends.

This is a no- drop ride, with a leader and a sweep and no one will be left behind.

After completing your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details and start location. If you don't see it, check your junk mail folder.

There is limited space, so please register early. Although this ride is FREE for Members, you do need to register. 

6 miles, Level 8 hike suitable for intermediate to advanced hikers.

Sugarloaf Mountain is a beautiful natural area located about 10 miles south of Frederick, Md. and is known for its scenic views, hiking trails, and unique rock formations.

The area is privately owned by Stronghold, Inc., a non-profit corporation, organization by the late Gordon Strong. It owns and operates the mountain property for the public's "enjoyment and education in an appreciation of natural beauty."

Because of its geological and natural history interest, it was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1969. The mountain also has historical significance, having been used as an observation point during the American Civil War.

Please join me for a walk through the woods among the mountain laurel to the top of ridges that provide picturesque views of the surrounding piedmont area below. We’ll experience an elevation gain of 1,355 feet. Note, the trail is mostly rocky and can be slippery when leaf covered. I recommend sturdy shoes/boots and trekking poles.

Gordon Strong believed that "...those who appreciate natural beauty will be better people, people who treat each other better."

 As with all WWO hikes, there will be a leader and a sweep, and no one will be left behind.

After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional event details and start location.

There is limited space, so please register early. Although this hike is FREE for Premium Members, you do need to register. 

Join the WWO Virtual Book Club & Social!  Offered virtually so all can join, we gather quarterly to socialize and discuss a book around the theme of women in the outdoors. 

“More than a decade ago, Sara Wheeler traveled to Antarctica to understand a continent nearly lost to myth and lore. In the widely acclaimed, bestselling Terra Incognita, she chronicled her quest to find a hidden history buried in Antarctica's extreme surroundings. Now, Wheeler journeys to the opposite pole to create a definitive picture of life on the fringes. In The Magnetic North, she takes full measure of the Arctic: at once the most pristine place on earth and the locus of global warming.

Inspired by the spiraling shape of a reindeer-horn bangle, she travels counterclockwise around the North Pole through the territories belonging to Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, marking the transformations of what once seemed an unchangeable landscape. As she witnesses the mounting pollution concentrated at the pole, Wheeler reckons with the illness of the whole organism of the earth.

Smashing through the Arctic Ocean with the crew of a Russian icebreaker, shadowing the endless Trans-Alaska Pipeline with a tough Idaho-born outdoorswoman, herding reindeer with the Lapps, and visiting the haunting, deceptively peaceful lands of the Gulag, Wheeler brings the Arctic's many contradictions to life. The Magnetic North is an urgent, beautiful book, rich in dramatic description and vivid reporting. It is a singular, deeply personal portrait of a region growing daily in global importance.”

Come join a community of women who share the outdoors in all ways possible!   The Zoom logon information will be provided to you in an email the day before the meeting.  

Although this event is FREE for Members, please register!