Backpacking Trip to (1/3 of) Saint Mary’s Wilderness Trail

OVERVIEW

This will be an overnight backpacking trip to Saint Mary’s Wilderness. This is a 17.5 mile overnight loop hike, but we’re only doing approximately 4 miles each day (4 in, 4 out.) As far as elevation, if I remember correctly the part of the hike we’re doing is really flat, so it’ll be an easy hike in. I’m trying to gear this trip towards beginners or intermediates (because that’s where I fall), but everyone is obviously welcome. I really just want a relaxing afternoon/night in the woods, so I’m planning an easy hike. We’ll hike about 4 miles to this really cool clearing that’s just off of the trail, break camp, then hike the 4 miles out on Sunday morning.
There is a waterfall that is an extra mile (1-way) hike off the trail that time permitting we can visit either Sat or Sun, lots of old mining relics, and other cool things to look at. It’s an hour’s drive Southwest of here. We’ll leave Sat. morning and come back Sun. afternoon.

Outdoors at UVa provides:

Sat. dinner, Sun. breakfast, gas money, and if you need: big backpack, sleeping bag and pad, tent, and a seat in a car.

You must bring:

Sat and Sun lunch/snack food, at least one liter of water (I’ll be carrying at least two), solid footwear (there will be several streams, and we’ll have to cross a them; I’ll have boots, sneakers will probably work fine though), socks (they might get wet!), bug spray (probably won’t need this time of year though), toliet paper, flashlight!!, proper clothes (the low is 40-ish, but it should be 60 during the day, and it could rain…weather.com can’t really predict 10 days ahead). Try to bring as little cotton as possible, because wet cotton sucks!
(Check the link for a full listing of typical backpacking trips)