Prince WIlliam Forest Park: Washington, DC's Overlooked Outdoors Destination

Residents and visitors to the Washington, DC area enjoy numerous choices for outdoor recreation, from the city's own Rock Creek Park to the beaches of the Atlantic and the Shenandoah mountains. However, a major national park is situated just only 30 miles south of Washington, DC, and somehow many residents of Washington, Baltimore and Richmond remain unaware of its very existence. This park is Prince William Forest Park, and its 15,000 acres of Virginia Piedmont forest are the perfect destination for an outdoors daytrip, weekend getaway, or even a major vacation/staycation.

Prince William Forest Park
The park dates back to 1936, and offers its visitors a mixture of outdoor adventure and features of historical interest. Prince William boasts a 37-mile network of forested hiking trails, including an 18-mile all-day loop trail. The hiking trails of Prince William Forest Park represent the single largest trail system in Northern Virginia. The park also has 18 miles of roads and trails open to cyclists and mountain bikers, as well as an orienteering course for navigational training. Fishing is permitted in the Quantico Creek.

Prince William Forest Park also contains numerous points of historical interest. The park was once the home of American Indians during the Jamestown period, and contains the archeological remains of a poorhouse that operated from the late 18th Century until 1924. Other ruins include the remnants of a late 19th Century pyrite mine, and the village and farms of freed 19th Century African-Americans.

Accommodations
One of the best parts of Prince William Forest Park is its range of accommodations. The park has rustic cabins for rent, offering an experience that is only one step above "roughing it." These cabins have electric lights and fans, but no outlets, and running water and showers are shared. Cooking is done outdoors on a charcoal grill. The park also has a full range of camping options, from RV camping to developed, tailgate tent camping to hike-in, backcountry, primitive camping. The campgrounds are open year around, and the cabins are open between April and October.

Getting There
Drivers coming from either Washington, DC or Richmond, VA should use I-95 and exit onto VA Route 619/Joplin Road. The park entrance is roughly 1/4 of a mile from the interstate. Visitors who do not have access to a car can use the Virginia Railway Express commuter train or Amtrak to reach the Quantico Station, and then take a taxi for the five-mile trip to the park entrance.