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dopkick t1_j91wyx7 wrote

I'll just throw this out there - prepare to be a bit disappointed. The hikes here are largely "endless ambiguous seas of green" without the prominent features and epic landscapes of the west. The best hikes around here are going to be so-so compared to most of the stuff you're accustomed to.

The exception is when leaves start to change colors. Especially if you can head up to the New England area. That's pretty awesome and is going to be at least on par with if not beat out snowcapped peaks with yellow aspens.

I'm not trying to discourage you from seeking out hiking and camping trips. But you need to temper your expectations from what you are used to. Both in terms of the hike itself as well as the number of people engaged in the activities.

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chumbawumba_bruh t1_j92talj wrote

I mean, it’s not the mountain west but the mid Atlantic still offers plenty of hiking and outdoorsy opportunities compared to the south and the Midwest. I’m from the west originally, am an avid camper and hiker, and I find plenty of places to go hiking and camping. Sure, you’ll encounter a lot of green tunnels and whatnot but Shenandoah, the blue ridge, Washington and Jefferson national forests, Seneca rocks/spruce knob, the dolly sods, and plenty of other very scenic spots are all weekendable.

The biggest difference and downside, to be honest, are the fucking ticks. I basically don’t go hiking in the spring because of them. They are both incredibly pervasive and extremely dangerous in the mid Atlantic, so the amount of precautions are way more than I’m accustomed to for going on east fathomed.

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dopkick t1_j92tom6 wrote

Ticks gonna be FEASTING this spring after this warm "winter."

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terpischore761 t1_j932km1 wrote

That’s not true at all. There are several hiking groups with anywhere from several hundred to several thousand members.

They hike both local to baltimore all the way to PA, WV, VA for day hikes.

If you want to put 15-25 miles in, it’s a 1.5-3 hour trip to get out to the mountains.

I personally day hike in Shenandoah on a regular basis and I live in the city.

OP check out Hiking Upward.

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dopkick t1_j934hzi wrote

There are obviously people who do outdoor stuff around here. However, the outdoor culture out west is SIGNIFICANTLY more active. That's my point.

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louielouayyyyy t1_j93veu0 wrote

People are hating, but you are correct. Sure, you can hike Weverton Cliffs and Old Rag, but ex-Coloradans need to lower their expectations. The Whites in NH are the closest you’ll get to western mountains on the east coast and that still cannot compare.

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dopkick t1_j94pxci wrote

Yep, there’s stuff to do in the immediate area but most of the good stuff is quite a bit further away. And doesn’t really match up the offerings of the west coast. Although we hit the White Mountains last year during peak foliage and that was fantastic.

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yeaughourdt t1_j93a0h3 wrote

I always gripe about how it's 2+ hours to mountains and 2+ hours to the ocean from Baltimore, but even Denver is an hour from the mountains, and our cost of living is infinitely lower and they don't have an ocean. I still wouldn't say that Baltimore has very good access to the outdoors, but you can make it work if you don't mind some driving.

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neutronicus t1_j96cpad wrote

The mountains are visible from Denver, which is a big qualitative difference.

But yes, practically if you are about that life you would live on the western side of the Metro area (Boulder / Broomfield / Westminster / Longmont / Arvada). In those areas you really are right there - the plains run right up to the Front Range so you can build right up to the mountains in a way that isn't quite possible here in the east.

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someguyontheintrnet t1_j93gbv5 wrote

Denver’s cost of living is only 3% higher than Baltimore. cost of living calculator

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yeaughourdt t1_j948vy0 wrote

No idea how it's calculating a 3% difference when the average single family home sold in Denver is over twice the price of that in Baltimore. I've been looking at housing there (not apartments so not much insight there) for a while and it's ridiculous. Housing is most people's largest monthly expense, so while you can probably get your groceries for around the same price, it's not nearly as livable.

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someguyontheintrnet t1_j94927i wrote

Its probably based on metropolitan area. Baltimore suburbs are expensive, baltimore city is not. But the taxes get you.

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