photo of volunteers working on trail improvements at Northwest Branch in 2022

Northwest Branch is one of the Mid Atlantic’s hidden bouldering gems. Located just north of the DC beltway in Silver Spring, MD, this urban crag experiences a high volume of visitors and more than it’s fair share of litter and other environmental impact. MAC has been hosting Adopt a Crags here annually for many years, and is committed to preserving this resource for generations of climbers to come.

Registration in advance is required – register here!

Schedule:

  • Registration: 8:30am
  • Project work: 9am-12pm
  • Lunch (burritos!) and Raffle: 12pm

What We’ll be Doing:

Current scope includes trail work, vegetation removal, trash pickup, and graffiti removal (in the last 6 months there has unfortunately been a huge uptick in graffiti along the North Bank). Depending on the number of volunteers we will split into smaller groups to tackle these tasks. 

Where To Meet/How To Get There:

If using GPS, the parking area is located at Burnt Mills East Special Park. We will be meeting in at the trailhead in the far corner of the lot.

From the north (Columbia, Baltimore, etc):

  • Take Route 29 south
  • Shortly after crossing 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) you’ll see a shopping plaza on the left with the Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, California Tortilla, etc. Go through the light and make a u-turn.
  • Now heading north on Route 29, turn right into the parking lot with the old red brick building.

From the 495 Beltway and DC:

  • Take Route 29 North
  • After crossing over Route 193 (University Blvd.) and going down the hill, look for the old red brick building on the right side and pull into the parking lot.

What to Bring:

  • Food/snacks and water for the day
  • Good sturdy boots
  • Long pants
  • Working gloves (if you have them)
  • Clothes you don’t mind getting dirty

Register Here:

Register

Questions?

E-mail us at adoptacrag@midatlanticclimbers.org.