Prince William Forest Park Custom Search Located in Prince William County, Virginia, Prince William Forest Park is the largest natural area in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region at over 17,000 acres. It was created in August 1933 as the Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area, one of 46 recreational demonstration projects in 24 states. Today, the park has one of the few remaining Piedmont forest ecosystems and protects the Quantico Creek watershed. It is a sanctuary for native plants and animals. The park offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including wildlife viewing, solitude, hiking on 37 miles of trails, and 11 bicycle paths. Several camping options, including family and group tent and rustic cabin camping, backcountry camping, and a full-service, concessionaire-operated RV campground are also available. The park’s cultural resources are also varied. They include the remnants of Joplin and Hickory Ridge, two small communities existing prior to the park’s establishment. Many residents of Hickory Ridge worked in the nearby Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine (1889-1920). The once-polluted site of the mine, now the destination of a popular park trail, was reclaimed in 1995. Most visible today are the facilities, roads, and lakes built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the late 1930s. Cabin camps built by the CCC were used by the U.S. Army’s Office of Strategic Services for training spies and radio operators from 1942 to 1945.     CONTACTS Email - Marian_Lynch@nps.gov Fax- 703-221-4322 Write to 18100 Park Headquarters Road Triangle, VA 22172 Phone Headquarters - 703-221-4706 Visitor Information - 703-221-7181 TRAVEL BASICS Operating Hours, Seasons Daily, dawn to dusk. Campers staying at Oak Ridge Campground and the cabin camps have access 24 hours. Getting There PLANE - The park is served by Washington's Dulles International, and Reagan National airports. CAR - I-95, 32 miles south of Washington, D.C. at Triangle, Virginia (exit 150). The park entrance is less than 1/4 mile on the right hand side of route 619 west. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express rail service is available in nearby Quantico, Virginia. Greyhound bus service is available in Triangle, Virginia. Weather & Climate Summers can be hot and humid, with sudden thunderstorms possible. Winters can be cold with variable precipitation, with some snow possible. Spring and fall are generally comfortable with precipitation possible. Accessibility The visitor center, visitor center bathroom, the bathroom with shower facilities at Oak Ridge Campground (B-loop), the bathroom at Turkey Run Ridge Campground, and numerous buildings at Cabin Camp 1 are handicapped accessible. Getting Around All park facilities, hiking trails, biking paths, picnicing and camping can be accessed from the park Scenic Drive, a nine mile paved loop road. The only exceptions are the Chopawomsic backcountry area and Cabin Camps 1, 2, 4, and 5 (permits required). CAMPING Chopawamsic Backcountry March 1 - October 15 Hike in backcountry camping sites available under a first come, first served permit. The permit is available at the visitor center and is free of charge. Chopawamsic Backcountry offers a very private opportunity for backcountry solitude and camping in a detached unit of the park. Oak Ridge Campground Open All Year Oak Ridge Campground provides tent and RV (32' limit) camping for six persons or less per site. Campsites are wooded and provide a table and fire grill, showers and flush toilets, a parking space and room for tents or small recreational vehicles. Campers select sites on a first come, first serve basis. For More Information on this campground please call 703-221-7181 Travel Trailer Village Open All Year Travel Trailer Village is a private, concessionaire operated full-service recreational vehicle campground located on the north side of the park. Sites provide full hookups, hot showers, dump station, pool, laundry, playground and picnic tables. Information and reservations can be obtained by calling 703/221-2474. For More Information on this campground please call 703-221-2474 Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground Open All Year Turkey Run Ridge Campground is exclusively for group tent camping. Providing picnic tables, grills, parking and tent space, the sites are designed so parties of seven persons or more may camp in close proximity. Reservations are required. For More Information on this campground please call 703-221-7181 LODGING Cabin Camping Five Cabin Camps built in the 1930s can accommodate up to 200 persons and are used extensively by clubs, groups, and reunions. Cabin camps provide an outdoor experience with sleeping and cooking facilities available in a rustic setting. For more information and reservations call 703/221-5843. Individual cabin camp rentals are available May thru October. For More Information on this lodging please call 703-221-5843 Individual Cabins May to the middle of October Cabin Rental -The individual cabins are rustic forest retreats constructed in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Each cabin is furnished with twin size cots, ceiling fans and overhead lighting. Grills and picnic tables are located outside each cabin. The bathhouse, restrooms, hot showers and telephones are centrally located. Applications/Reservation – Reservations for individual, family and small group cabin rental in Camp 3 are accepted on a first come, first served basis, beginning in March. (Applicants must be 18 years or older to apply.) For more information please call Prince William Forest Park at (703) 221-5843. For More Information on this lodging please call 703-221-5843 FACILITIES Visitor Centers PRINCE WILLIAM FOREST PARK VISITOR CENTER Open All Year 8:30 to 5:00 Phone - 703-221-7181 Location - The visitor center can be reached by the park's main entrance found off of Joplin Road/Highway 619. Highway 619 can be reached by exiting Interstate 95 at exit 150 and going west about 1/4 mile. The visitor center is about 1/2 miles after the park entrance. Closures - New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day Special Programs - Please see ranger programs. Exhibits - The visitor center contains exhibits detailing the history of the area both before and after becoming a national park. Also, videos of the park, its wildlife and cultural history are shown upon request. A park orientation video is also shown upon request. Available Facilities - Exhibits, restrooms, videos, and a cooperating association bookstore.   Map Detailed Map Contact Info Phone, Email, Address, GPS coordinates Campgrounds Nearby List of Nearby Campgrounds Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Prince William Forest Park.   Campgrounds Near Prince William Forest Park: Prince william Travel Trailer Village, Dumfries, 3 miles away Turkey Run Ridge Campground, Prince William County, 3 miles away Leesylvania State Park, Woodbridge, 6 miles away Aquia Pines Campground, Stafford, 6 miles away Oak Ridge Campground, Prince William County, 7 miles away Smallwood State Park, Marbury, 10 miles away Burke Lake Park, Fairfax Station, 11 miles away   Marinas Near Prince William Forest Park: Hampton's Landing Marina, Woodbridge , 5 miles away Holly Acres, Woodbridge , 6 miles away Willow Landing Marina, Stafford , 7 miles away Holiday Harbor Marina, Stafford , 7 miles away Belmont Bay Harbor Marina, Woodbridge , 9 miles away   Hotels Near Prince William Forest Park: Ramada Quantico, Triangle , 1 miles away Sleep Inn Near Quantico Main Gate, Dumfries , 2 miles away Super 8 Dumfries/Quantico, Dumfries , 2 miles away Econo Lodge Near Quantico Marine Base, Dumfries , 2 miles away Comfort Inn Near Quantico Main Gate North, Dumfries , 2 miles away Hampton Inn Dumfries, Dumfries , 2 miles away Holiday Inn DUMFRIES - QUANTICO CENTER, Dumfries , 2 miles away   Trails Near Prince William Forest Park: The Crossing Trail, Prince William County , 1 miles away Pine Grove Forest Trail, Prince William County , 1 miles away Birch Bluff Trail, Prince William County , 2 miles away Laurel Trail Loop, Prince William County , 2 miles away Calvin Branch Mine Trail, Prince William County , 2 miles away   Beaches Near Prince William Forest Park: Clifton Beach, Charles County , 9 miles away   Ski Areas Near Prince William Forest Park: Ski Liberty, Pennsylvania , 66 miles away, 620 foot drop, 8 lifts, 16 runs Ski Roundtop, Pennsylvania , 89 miles away, 600 foot drop, 11 lifts, 15 runs Massanutten, Virginia , 99 miles away, 1110 foot drop, 8 lifts, 14 runs   Whitewater Near Prince William Forest Park: Quantico Creek, Prince William County , 4 miles away, Class II-III - 4 miles long (Trail 7 to Dumfries) Quantico Creek - South Branch, Prince William County , 7 miles away, Class I-III - 8.5 miles long (Route 619 to Dumfries) Aquia Creek, Stafford County , 11 miles away, Class II - 10.5 miles long (Rt. 610 to US 1) Pohick Creek, Fairfax County , 13 miles away, Class II-III+ - 5.5 miles long (Route 636 to Route 1) Accotink Creek, Fairfax County , 17 miles away, Class I-II - 13 miles long (King Arthur Road to Telegraph Road)   Public Lands Near Prince William Forest Park: Wolf Trap Farm Park, Vienna - VA , 21 miles away Great Falls Park, McLean - VA , 23 miles away Glen Echo Park, McLean - VA , 27 miles away Leesylvania State Park, Virginia , 6 miles away Purse State Park, Maryland , 8 miles away Smallwood State Park, Maryland , 10 miles away Mason Neck State Park, Virginia , 11 miles away   Golf Courses Near Prince William Forest Park: Medal Of Honor Golf Course, Quantico , 0 miles away Forest Greens, Triangle , 2 miles away Locust Shade Park, Triangle , 2 miles away Montclair Country Club, Dumfries , 3 miles away Aquia Harbour Golf Course, Stafford , 5 miles away   Lakes Near Prince William Forest Park Marumsco Acres Lake, Prince William County , 7 miles away Burke Lake, Fairfax County , 11 miles away Abel Lake, Stafford County , 14 miles away Motts Run Reservoir, Spotsylvania County , 20 miles away