Earth Keepers Summer Program at Oneness-Family School (OFS)

Week 1: Patapsco Valley State Park 
Patapsco Valley State Park spans 32 miles along the Patapsco River Valley. Earth Keepers visit the Orange Grove area to hike, eat lunch, and do some gentle rock scrambling by the stunning Cascade Falls, a 20-foot cascading waterfall tucked away in the woods. We then cross the Swinging Bridge over the Patapsco River, then hike down to the bank of the river itself, where we can put our feet in the water and cool down. 

Week 2: Sugarloaf Mountain

One of the most popular hiking destinations in the DMV Area, Sugarloaf Mountain boasts beautiful wooded trails, some gentle boulder-climbing for the adventurous, and amazing views that give campers the opportunity to see and learn about the region’s geography.

Week 3: Mason Neck State Park
One of Earthkeepers’ favorite Virginia hikes, Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, might be the top wildlife sighting destination of the summer! Whether we’re finding eastern box turtles while hiking through the woods, spotting beavers and their dams and lodges while walking along the boardwalk in the wetlands area, or watching bald eagles and osprey flying overhead as we explore the beach on Belmont Bay, the wildlife at Mason Neck is sure to show up and show out! 

Week 4: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens 
Hiding just across the Anacostia River from the National Arboretum (another Earth Keepers destination), the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are a true hidden gem of DC. We plan our visits here to coincide with the annual peak bloom of the famous lotus flower gardens! As we walk through the fun, maze-like pathways of these gardens, we often stop to make water dance on the lotus’ hydrophobic leaves and stop to draw pictures of the flowers themselves. This park also includes an amazing boardwalk through a wetlands area, where we often see white egrets and great blue herons. 

Week 5: Camp Seneca Park 
A stream called Little Seneca Creek quietly meanders through the woods at Camp Seneca Park in Boyds, Maryland. The water in this stream is clear, cool, and so refreshing in the summer heat! Campers can be found lounging in the hammocks we hang between trees, searching for frogs and turtles along the stream banks, building dams with the creek rocks, or creating sculptures out of clay dug from the creek itself!

Week 6: Harpers Ferry National Park

Harpers Ferry National Park in West Virginia is one of Earth Keepers most popular destinations, and for good reason! There aren’t many other places in the DC area where we can hike alongside centuries-old canals and ruins, spot huge snapping turtles and catfish, eat lunch on the rocks by the Shenandoah River, and visit a historic national landmark (that happens to be tucked at the bottom of several beautiful mountains), all in the same day!