The "Hike with PATC 2023" Challenge
Welcome to the "Hike with PATC 2023" Challenge page! The purpose of this challenge is to encourage our members to volunteer for the Club as well as to get out and explore the parks and trails that are in our geographical areas. This is also a terrific opportunity to cross some of those New Year’s resolutions off your list!
How to Complete the Challenge:
To satisfy the challenge requirements, you must complete 25 hikes from the below lists and volunteer 25 hours in any capacity for the Club. The "Hike with PATC 2023" Challenge runs from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023; only miles hiked and hours volunteered during this time period will count toward the challenge.
Hike and/or Volunteer Days:
1. First Day Hike – January 1, 2023
2. Earth Day – April 22, 2023
3. National Trails Day – June 3, 2023
4. National Public Lands Day – September 23, 2023
5. National Take a Hike Day – November 17, 2023
6. #OptOutside – November 24, 2023
Washington, D.C. and Maryland Parks & Trails:
7. Cunningham Falls State Park
8. Gambrill State Park
9. Gathland State Park
10. Greenbriar State Park
11. South Mountain State Park
12. Washington Monument State Park
13. Cabin John Regional Park
14. Catoctin Mountain Park
15. Great Falls National Park (Maryland side)
16. Monocacy National Battlefield Park
Multi-State Trails:
17. C&O Canal
18. Appalachian Trail (hike the AT anywhere in PATC’s footprint!)
19. Tuscarora Trail
Pennsylvania Parks & Trails:
20. Buchanan State Forest
21. Caledonia State Park
22. Cowans Gap State Park
23. Michaux State Forest
Virginia Parks & Trails:
24. Bull Run Occoquan Trail
25. George Washington National Forest
26. Great Falls National Park (Virginia side)
27. Manassas National Battlefield
28. North River District (Shenandoah Mountain)
29. Prince William Forest Park
30. Shenandoah National Park
West Virginia Parks & Trails:
31. Harper's Ferry National Historical Park
32. Trout Pond
Other Hikes:
33. Join a PATC/PATC Chapter Group Hike
34. Hike of your choice – choose when and where you want to hike
35. Waterfall or Swimming Hole Hike
36. Summit Hike
37. Stewardship Hike
38. Urban Hike
39. Family or Friends Hike – get out with your family, furry ones included, or some friends!
40. National Park, Monument, Preserve, Recreational area or Historic Trail (Choose one that is not already listed)
41. National or State Forest (Choose one that is not already listed)
42. State Park (Choose one that is not already listed)
43. Local Park (Choose one that is not already listed)
44. Hike from your bucket list
45. Hike in the snow
46. Sunset Hike
47. Sunrise Hike
48. Hike around a body of water
49. Full Moon Hike
50. Forest Therapy Walk
51. Hike in the rain
52. Wildflower Hike
Rules/Regulations & Other Important Information:
Participation is free and open to all PATC members who sign up for the challenge.
The Hike with PATC 2023 challenge runs from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. Only miles hiked and/or hours maintained during this time period will count toward the challenge. The first 200 members who complete the challenge will receive a free PATC 2023 Hike/volunteer Challenge Patch!
Hikes Aspect:
There are a total of 52 hikes listed in the challenge. We have listed 25 parks or trails that are in our geographical areas, as well as six specific days to hike and seven “other hikes”. You must choose 25 of the 52 hikes listed to complete the challenge. Although we have not listed specific trails in the park, we will be spotlighting a park each week on our social media, with a couple of hikes to consider if you are unfamiliar with that particular park.
Volunteer Aspect:
You must volunteer 25 hours with the Club in any capacity, whether it be as a trail/cabin/shelter maintainer; helping control invasive species; serving as a Trail Talker at an outreach event; or volunteering at our Headquarters in Vienna, Virginia. Whichever you choose, we have a volunteer opportunity for you! You can view some of our current volunteer needs on our Meetup . If you need assistance, please contact us at volunteerism@patc.net so that we can help connect you with the right opportunity!
Share your challenge with your friends and family – and motivate others in their challenge! – by using the hashtag #HikePATC2023 on Facebook and Twitter.
For a chance to be featured on our social media, don’t forget to tag us: @ClubPATCPage
Once you have completed the challenge, we encourage you to fill out the Finisher's Form in order to be entered into our Grand Prize drawing at the end of the contest.
There will be one (1) Grand Prize Winner, randomly selected to receive a $50 gift card from REI Co-op and one of our popular PATC long-sleeve T-shirts!
Although all are welcome to participate, however PATC Council Members and Staff are not eligible for the monthly or Grand Prize drawings.
How to Sign Up for the Challenge:
• Sign up for the challenge here.
• Record your mileage and/or hours. You can use a GPS watch, fitness app, or log the mileage/hours manually on your PATC log sheet.
• When you are finished, please complete the above Finisher’s Form. The form can be filled out after you complete the challenge, but no later than January 31, 2024.
Questions? Please contact Kristine Villatoro, Supervisor of Outreach, at contests@patc.net