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Prince William Forest is a 15,000 acre National Park located in Prince William County, Va. about 30 miles south of DC. The park is mostly mature hardwood forest and is traversed by several streams and a number of hiking trails. This hike will be an 11-mile loop with an option to take an easily navigated shortcut to make it 8 miles for those wishing to make it a shorter day. There are some hills, but the difficulty rating is mainly due to the distance. Much of the hike will be on level trails along two branches of Quantico Creek, affording nice scenery with beautiful fall colors and generally easy walking.

  • Rating: Moderately Difficult
  • Pace: 2.25 - 2.5 mph
  • Length: 11.1 miles (8.3 miles with shortcut)
  • Elevation Gain: 1,074 ft
  • Estimated hiking time: 5 hours
  • Maximum Group Size: 10 hikers

Hike Route & Info
This hike will start at the parking area adjacent to the Prince William Forest Visitor Center. We will walk past the Pine Grove picnic area, enter the trail, and descend to Quantico Creek. We will follow the creek upstream along the North Valley trail until it passes over a small cascade. We will then cross a ridge using several trails to get over to the South Fork of Quantico Creek and then follow it downstream most of the way back to the visitor center. Trails are well-marked, and all of the stream crossings have footbridges. Although much of the hike will be on easy trails there are a few rocky and/or steep sections. You should bring good hiking shoes and trekking poles if you use them.

Normally, there is plenty of parking, water, and bathrooms available at the visitor center. However, if the government shutdown is still in effect on the day of the hike, assume that no water or bathrooms will be available in the park. In that case, please use facilities outside the park before arriving, and plan to bring your own water. I recommend bringing at least 2 liters of water and preferably 3, since we will be on the trail for 5 hours.

Make sure to pack a lunch to enjoy on the trail!

Meeting Point:
I recommend using the GPS coordinates below with Google Maps or another mapping application to get to the meeting point.

  • Meet at: Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center, parking area
  • Address: 18170 Park Entrance Road, Triangle, VA 22172
  • GPS Coordinates: 38.55939, -77.34760

Meeting Time:
Plan to arrive at 9:45 so you will be able to meet everyone and sign the PATC waiver. Once the waiver is signed, we will begin the hike by walking to the trail head in the Pine Grove picnic area. We will begin walking at 10:00 AM. Please be punctual as my hikes begin on time.

Contact Information:
Please use the comments feature for routine comments and questions. The hike Leader is Peter; 703-999-9435. Call or text as needed.

Hike Route-> https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.6/-77.3742/38.5742&pubLink=OM6IwM8CLguKPd853pVQrmy4&routeId=5cd29f27-dc5c-4b67-a84e-e62e0d1e5a2a

Other Notes

  • This hike will take place in Prince William Forest National Park. Standard NP entry fees apply.
  • When you RSVP, you are taking one of the slots. It is understood that plans change and people’s tolerance to weather differs, so if you aren’t going to be able to attend, please update your RSVP as early as possible.
  • If you have no-showed on a previous hike, you may be moved to the Waitlist until the end, allowing others to join first.
  • The PATC requires each hiker to sign a liability waiver, which will be available at the trailhead.
  • Please check Meetup the night before. We will cancel a hike due to unsafe conditions, heavy rain, or if the park is closed.
  • Attendance is limited at the discretion of our hike leaders. PATC rules do not permit children under 18 years to participate in a hike without a parent or guardian present.
  • Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Club volunteers maintain over 1000 miles of trails in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, including 240 miles of AT (and the section we will hike!). For more information about PATC, please visit https://www.patc.net/

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