Making Tracks

Leave the Beltway behind. Three quick trips to get away from it all by train

It's a gorgeous weekend, 70 degrees and brilliant, sun on the tulips, joie de vivre pirouetting from every air molecule, an ideal day to escape to the country, to the bigger, broader wild beyond the Beltway. But . . . you have no car and no ride. So what's it going to be? Another spin through Rock Creek Park on your bike (like you did last week)? A stroll on the Mall where the monuments gleam like, um, like they usually do on sunny days? Maybe a jog on the C&O Canal Towpath with, oh, about 5,000 other Washingtonians?

You can do better. Plan a few days ahead, hop the rails to one of the following destinations and start relaxing the minute you board the train. From these depots, you'll find most of the kicks you see in those eco-ugly SUV commercials -- only minus the SUV and without the hassle of shuttling yourself down the road.

The rugged mountains along the Virginia-West Virginia border stack to the horizon, cradling some of the most dramatic views east of the Mississippi. The Alleghany Highlands around Clifton Forge, Va., boast a top-rated trout stream, extensive hiking and mountain biking, a lush 18-hole golf course and calm-water canoeing and kayaking.

Yet the region is often overlooked by D.C. travelers. Now, a local group has teamed with Amtrak to offer "Rails to Adventure" packages that include train tickets, lodging and activities.

Anglers routinely pull four-pound speckled trout from the Jackson River, which snakes through the Blue Ridge Mountains and was named the 25th-best trout stream in the United States by Trout Unlimited, a conservation group. Trout and bass also lurk in 2,530-acre Lake Moomaw, where fingers of blue water trace out 43 miles of shoreline. Hikers and mountain bikers can choose from dozens of trails that worm through dense forest and yield big ridge-top views. Rails to Adventure guide Ed Patterson calls the 12-mile Hidden Valley Trail one of Virginia's best mountain bike loops (bring your own bike on the train, for a $5 to $10 fee; there are no rentals available). For a mellower pedal, the nearby Greenbrier River Trail is a flat, dirt-and-gravel path that parallels a scenic river. Clifton Forge is also convenient to Douthat State Park, Longdale Furnace Recreation Area and Roaring Run Recreation Area. Also nearby: three golf courses, the most notable being an 18-hole spread at the Cliff View Golf Club & Inn, which happens to be the lodge where Rails to Adventure customers stay.

Two-night packages start at $335 per person, including round-trip train fare (the train takes about five hours each way and runs Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays); lodging at the Cliff View (built in 2000 with eight guest rooms); breakfast, lunch and one dinner; two activities; and ground transportation. For all arrangements, including train tickets, contact Rails to Adventure (888-701-1161; www.railstoadventure.com).

Long dominated by the University of Virginia, Charlottesville is also a gateway to acres of verdant forest, some right on the fringe of town. You will feel all the more smug sitting on Main Street tilting a beer after a hard day of mountain biking when you know you don't have to worry about your car.

The Rivanna Trails, 20 miles of flat, rolling and steep dirt paths that circumnavigate the town, follow the Rivanna River, Meadow Creek and Moore's Creek through undeveloped, forested land. Lodging convenient to the trail includes the Residence Inn (1111 Millmont St., 434-923-0300; doubles from $99) and the English Inn (2000 Morton Dr., 800-786-5400, www.wytestone.com/eic/main.html; doubles from $69). You can get trail information from the Rivanna Trails Foundation (434-923-9022; http://monticello.avenue.org/rivanna).

A 10-minute taxi ride from town is the pristine Ragged Mountain Reservoir, surrounded by tall, hardwood groves and a seven-mile trail system. Watch for raptors, owls, deer, black bear and otters.

For mountain bikers, Panorama Trails, about five miles from town on Route 844/Panorama Road, contains 25 miles of single track on 850 acres of farmland. The trails range from easy to hard, with a mix of hills, rocks, roots and butter-soft flats. A permit is required; it costs $8 at most local bike shops. For information on trail conditions, call 434-974-7849. Rented bikes are available from Extreme Sports (629 Berkmar Circle, 434-975-1900) for $35 a day or $20 a half-day.

The Amtrak train takes about 21/2 hours each way and leaves once or twice daily; it's $48 to $88 round trip. Bicycles may be checked for $5, but must be in a box. Call Amtrak at 800-872-7245. For general information, contact the Charlottesville-Albemarle County Convention and Visitors Bureau (877-386-1102; visitorcenter@ci.charlottesville.va.us) or visit www.charlottesvilletourism.org).

The town where abolitionist John Brown led an 1859 raid against a federal arsenal pays homage to its history with a walking tour of preserved buildings and museums at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. But part of the allure is the surroundings. Backpackers who want to shed civilization can tromp the Appalachian Trail, which runs right out of town. Cyclists can pedal the towpath -- it's slightly more wild and a lot less crowded than around D.C. -- on rental bikes from River & Trail Outfitters (in Knoxville, Md., just over the Route 340 bridge from Harpers Ferry; 301-695-5177); rentals cost $25 a day.

The Harpers Ferry KOA campground lets you sleep where Civil War troops once slumbered, with 100 tent sites (from $27.95) and 26 cabins (from $46.95), plus a heated pool and a 4,000-square-foot game room. The campground is about two miles from the train station (a $12 taxi ride via Community Taxi; 304-725-3794). For campground reservations, call 1-800-562-9497; for information, call 304-535-6895 or e-mail hfkoa@intrepid.net. The 18th-century Jackson Rose B&B (about one mile from the station; the B&B offers a free shuttle) was Stonewall Jackson's temporary Civil War headquarters (1141 Washington St., 304-535-1528; $105 weekends and holidays, with a two-night minimum). The Angler's Inn (also one mile from the station, with a free shuttle) is a 110-year-old Victorian with weekend packages including guided bass fishing (867 Washington St., 304-535-1239; $85 weekends through March 31, $115 thereafter; two-night fishing packages from $475).

Amtrak or MARC trains make the 70-to-90-minute trip between Union Station and Harpers Ferry one to three times a day (call Amtrak at 1-800-872-7245, MARC at

1-800-325-7245). You can check your bicycle on Amtrak for $5, as long as it's in a box; MARC allows only folding bikes in hard cases. For more information, contact the Jefferson County Convention & Visitors Bureau (800-848-8687; visitors@jeffersoncountycvb.com) or check its Web site at www.jeffersoncountycvb.com.

John Briley is a senior editor at iJet Travel Intelligence in Annapolis. He will be fielding questions and comments about this article at 1 p.m. Monday on www.washingtonpost.com/liveonline.