Hi Bellevillain88 and welcome to Conversations, If you're willing to commit to driving a bit further, there are many many trails in the George Washington/Jefferson National forest with exactly what you're looking for. The nice part of the national forest, is that you don't need a permit in most cases and there are no fees. There are plenty of one day and two day hikes that you can enjoy. In-and-back, a circuit, or a weekend thru-hike is easy to find and quite often less crowded than the AT. You might like Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area, North River Gorge, or Shenandoah Mountain area. These would be about 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours from MD. I would recommend purchasing the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map to look for some trails: https://www.rei.com/product/782250/trails-illustrated-staunton-shenandoah-mtn-topographic-map These maps are a fantastic resource and some of them cover areas closer to MD. I operate a day-hiking nature education service in the areas that I listed above. If you're interested in more info about the area, send me a message. There are a lot of variables: What is your fitness level? What is your "confidence" level"? What is your dog's fitness level? What is your experience level? Would you prefer to have a nearby town that you could retreat to or where you could celebrate the end of the trip? A cheap room and a hot meal can be a wonderful thing when things don't turn out as expected. What are you hoping to get in return for your efforts (e.g. vistas, waterfalls, solitude, wildlife interactions, etc...)? In the three areas that I mentioned, you can find everything from a leisurely hikes with areas to set up a base camp by a stream up to scrambles that will make you wonder why the he!! you wanted to do this... 😀
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