At Unity of Fairfax we support vigorous outdoor activity and fellowship among members and friends. We invite everyone to join us for one of our scheduled outings.
Unity of Fairfax Hiking Club is a group of nature enthusiasts, people who find a deep connection with the Source (Divine) in nature and love to share it with likewise minds.
A hike could be a mountain, a river or a beach shore, a boardwalk, grass, soil or paved trail. Could be steep or flat.
There are hikes for every difficulty level to accommodate seasoned hikers and people with assistive devices like a cane or walker.
When any given person is asked where they feel a spiritual connection, many will say, “Nature.”
Nature is the closest thing to religion in my life – Sean Arbabi
There is no closer place to God than to be in nature – Ralph Waldon Emerson
I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for in going out I found was really going in – John Muir
Check the church Calendar for the date of the next hike. The church weekly newsletter also announces upcoming hikes - Subscribe Now.
Please contact Julie hike@unityoffairfax.org for more information and to be placed on the mailing list.
Biking
- Check the church Calendar for the date of the next bike ride.
- The church weekly newsletter also announces upcoming bike rides - Subscribe Now.
- Please contact Becky, Steve & Midd bike@unityoffairfax.org for more information.
To be signed up for the mailing list and before you show up for an event with the Biking Club, please SIGN UP
Upcoming Biking Events
ATTENTION: NEW DATE
June 14, Capital Crescent Trail
The bike club will bike the C&O Canal Towpath and Capital Crescent Trails on Saturday June 14, 2025.
- We will gather at 10:00 am at Carderock Area Recreation Parking Lot "B" on the C&O Canal Towpath
- And then bike approximately 7 miles to Fletcher's Boathouse where we will pick up the Capital Crescent Trail
- And take that trail another 7 miles into Bethesda
- The ride will be 14 miles to Bethesda and 14 miles back
- We plan to find a restaurant in Bethesda for lunch together before heading back to our starting point.
If you would like to join this ride, please:
- Go to the bike club web page and REGISTER , so we will know who is planning to join this ride..
Directions:
Driving north from Virginia on I-495, take Exit 41 and bear left to take Clara Barton Pkwy toward Carderock. In approximately 1 mile, turn left at the stop sign onto Forrestal Rd., crossing the bridge to Carderock Recreation Area. Turn right at the stop sign and enter Parking Lot B on the left.
July 11 - 12, Rail-to-Trail to York, PA
The Unity of Fairfax bike club is planning an overnight bike trip for Friday July 11 through July 12, 2025.
- We will meet at 8:30 am Friday morning at Unity of Fairfax,
- Carpool with our bikes to Cockeysville, MD,
- And start pedaling on the historic rail-to-trail leading to York, PA.
- The trail is 40 miles long, and we will stop for lunch about half-way.
- We'll have a nice dinner together Friday evening and stay overnight at the historic Yorktowne Hotel in York, PA.
- After gathering for breakfast Saturday morning, we will return to our starting point in MD
- And caravan back to the church, arriving late afternoon.
This rail-to-trail is the actual route taken by Abraham Lincoln's funeral train in 1865. In PA, the trail name is Heritage Rail Trail. The terrain is level, mostly crushed stone.
The ride will offer opportunity for exercise, adventure, historic immersion, and social bonding.
Please notify Midd Hunt (bike@unityoffairfax.org that you are going. Or call him 703-623-9850) for questions.
August 25 - 29, Monday through Friday - GAP Trail Ride
- Again this year we are repeating last year's GAP Trail outing, EXCEPT that we will go the other way: from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Although it is a 150 mile trip in total, each day's ride is doable.
- CAUTION: The first day from Cumberland up to the Continental Divide is all uphill. You will need to be in good shape for this leg ... or use an e-bike extra assistance.
- The lodgings along the way fill up quickly. If you are interested, download the itinerary below and reserve your rooms:
Notify Becky Bruner bike@unityoffairfax.org that you are going.
Friends, time is of the essence!
Let's Go Biking!
The Unity of Fairfax Biking Club is a group of people who enjoy cycling together, whether on relatively short local outings (such as riding sections of the W&O trail or the C&O Canal towpath) or overnight adventures on multi-state, scenic trails (such as the Great Allegheny Passage).
We plan a variety of rides of short and longer distances, and our goal is to “enjoy the ride,” not set records for speed or distance. And don’t be surprised if we pull over at an occasional ice cream shop or cafe. So, whether you have been riding your whole life, or “it’s been a while,” we would love to have you join us!
Biking in nature, as on the GAP trail, I enjoyed being immersed in nature continually changing, and the energy of the trees, the closeness of the tunnels, the grandeur of the vistas, the mesmerizing nature of pedaling through the rain and mud and not intent of arriving, being surprised by outcroppings of nature.
Friends who ride, come rain or shine,
abide in knowing "thou art mine."