Prince William Forest Park: Laurel Loop Trail Area! Choice of 9 or 12 Mile Hike

Prince William Forest Park (National Park) -- Featuring Trails Beginning in the Beautiful Laurel Loop Area! A Moderate 9 or Easy Side of Strenuous 12-Mile Hike

Roughly 100 miles inland from Virginia’s coast, a geologic boundary called the fall line marks a change in the landscape. Here, the sandy soil of Virginia’s coastal plain segues into the bedrock underlying the Piedmont. The effect is pronounced in rivers, where waterfalls and rapids form. Historically, these acted as barriers to ocean-faring vessels. Towns formed up and down the fall line to handle commerce between inland farmers and traders. Prince William Forest Park, a small national park straddling the fall line in Prince William County, is tied to this history through the tobacco farmers and pyrite miners who used the nearby port town of Dumfries to ship their goods. Today, the park still receives but from nature lovers who the cascades, wildlife, rare plants, and historic ruins draw.

This hike covers many trails in Prince William Forest Park, a National Park, and accompanies both the South and North Forks of Quantico Creek. The hike plan transits wetlands and beaver habitat, mixed hardwood forests, meadows, and a cascade.

Trail Information
Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Triangle, VA
Length: Choice of 9 or 12 Miles
Elevation Gain: 984 ft
Trail Type: Loop
Skill Level: Moderate-to-Strenuous
Trail Surface: A combination of dirt forest paths lead through hardwood forests, meadows, and some rocks along streams to small cascades, rock outcrops, and waterfalls
Season: Year-round
Local Maps: USGS Quantico, Joplin
Topographic Map: Prince William Forest Park
Facilities: Bathroom at Trailhead

Park Fee
• This park is a national park, so annual national park passes are accepted.

The park fee is $20 per single-passenger vehicle (fewer than 14 passengers) or motorcycle, valid for seven consecutive days. The park does not accept cash.

Gear Suggestions
Click Here for suggestions regarding what to wear and what not to wear when hiking the trails.

Weather Information
We hike rain or shine. Click here to view the forecast for the area we will be hiking in.

Our RSVP and Group Etiquette
Click Here to review our RSVP policies and group etiquette.

Directions to the Trailhead
Click Here for Directions to Where We Meet for This Hike

Meet & Greet and Sign-In — 9:15-9:25 a.m.

The Hike is at 9:30 a.m.

Please remember we are a volunteer-supported organization that values:

1. Fellowship and camaraderie while practicing good hike etiquette.
2. Leave No Trace principles.

Our hikes are led by generous, dedicated, and qualified MAHG-certified hike leaders who volunteer as leaders for the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Groups volunteer leadership team.
MAHG values being supportive and encouraging, focusing on safety while enjoying excellent camaraderie, the many health benefits of hiking, and unplugging from the stress of day-to-day life. Sharing what we know and learning from each other is an integral part of MAHG's core values, as is our dedication to conserving our natural resources and our commitment to the organization's mission.
Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group is a volunteer-supported, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. Donations are tax-deductible. Tax ID: 47-5141831.

To learn more about the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group, click here.

A Well-Mannered, Leashed Fido is Welcome on this Hike!

Let’s have fun out on the trails, and see you there!

Christa: 410.610.6254‬