Washington DC???

[Buckeye Hike]

I plan on taking the train from Harrpers Ferry to DC...figure I would stay a day maybe a day and half site seeing...What are some cheap places to stay (Under $50) I heard of the Youth Hostel for $10 a night. Anybody else have some ideas?

[mdgamewarden]

What are you going to DC to see? I worked down there for the METRO for 5 years I can give you some idea. As far as a place to stay I think there was a hostel next to the Tokoma park metro. Not sure if it is still open the area was changing and the rich people did not like having the house around.

[Cookerhiker]

I did a quick search on kayak.com for you picking a few random dates in June (don't know when you're going) and didn't find any motels near Metro stops under $75. Last November when I cycled the C&O Canal, we stayed for 3 nights at the end of the trip in the TravelLodge in Alexandria for $72 per night.

Since those options exceed your budget, here's a not-totally-facetious suggestion: consider stealth-camping in Rock Creek Park. I checked their website which doesn't prohibit camping in so many words - it merely says the Park has no camping facilities. That's an answer geared to car-campers, not backpackers.

The Park is huge - much larger than NYC's Central Park, for example. There are trails maintained by the PATC. You could probably find some place to pitch your tent or hammock.

[DCHiker]

Cheapest place I know is the hostel in Takoma park. As of 2 years ago it was still open. Right off the red line.

[Spot In The Sky]

If you come out to Fairfax Ill let you stay at my hotel for $49 plus breakfast buffett! 15 minutes from end of the orange line with a free shuttle to pick you up!

[Powder River]

If you are going to stealth in Rock Creek I would recommend going north of Pierce Mill, where there are lots of trails that open up. See http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&sa...ed=0CAcQnwIwAA

South of that is the zoo, which would not be an ideal area, and south of the zoo is Calvert Street. Below Calvert Street the park is very narrow and basically consists of a busy road, a paved bike path and a stream at the bottom of a ravine. At this point you are a pretty good walk from downtown, and I think the easiest would be to have a taxi drop you off on say, Military Road. That could run you $10-12 each way. The terrain above Military Road would be very favorable.

So in other words, it could be done. Exciting? Yes. Legal? Not sure. But you won't really be saving yourself any time or headache or money over the hostel. And there's always the possibility that the best sites are already taken. (By the homeless)

[Powder River]

Another thing is that by the time you get to Harper's Ferry the trail will be abuzz with talk about DC. You might even run into hikers who just came back from there, and if there is some new secret hostel in town you will hear about it. Don't forget there is also a great outfitter, the ATC and hostels in HF that can keep you informed. In other words, this isn't something you'll need to worry about planning.

[Cookerhiker]

Another thing is that by the time you get to Harper's Ferry the trail will be abuzz with talk about DC. You might even run into hikers who just came back from there, and if there is some new secret hostel in town you will hear about it. Don't forget there is also a great outfitter, the ATC and hostels in HF that can keep you informed. In other words, this isn't something you'll need to worry about planning.

And by the same token, perhaps you'll find a few hikers who will go in with you on a hotel/motel room.

[Lion King]

You can always stealth on the C&O, I did. No one killed me, although the late night collleg drunks leaving bars at 3 am were a bit annoying.

and sirens.

[Lion King]

college....damn it, I can no longer edit.

[Cookerhiker]

You can always stealth on the C&O, I did. No one killed me, although the late night collleg drunks leaving bars at 3 am were a bit annoying.

and sirens.

Sounds like you were too close to Georgetown. Just hike on up a ways further.

Re. Rock Creek Park, you can take one of the "S" buses up 16th St. and get off around Walter Reed where the Park actually comes out to the street. Head into the Park there or take one of the short side streets. This part of the Park is the wider part per Powder River's comments.

[naturejunkie]

DC Hostel $25-$45 a night I think: http://www.hiwashingtondc.org/

I don't think I'd recommend camping in Rock Creek Park. But, I suppose you could.

[JJJ]

Greenbelt Park has camping and the Metro (green line) is close

[naturejunkie]

Right on! Greenbelt Park is an excellent option, don't know why that slipped my mind.

[Cookerhiker]

Too bad you can't camp on Theodore Roosevelt Island.

[the goat]

Too bad you can't camp on Theodore Roosevelt Island.

i love TR island. the only thing that perplexes me a/b it is the gigantic marble courtyard & statue of roosevelt. aside from being way out of place, i doubt teddy would have approved of such a thing being erected in this "nature preserve".

[ki0eh]

Probably he would approve, after all the only thing more encompassing than the wilderness was his ego.