The Prince William Forest Park established in 1936 has 37 miles of trails on it's 15,000+ acres, and is the largest protected natural area in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region. The circuit hike we have mapped here is just one of many possible combinations in it's vast trail system.
Follow the High Meadows Trail for 0.2 miles before crossing the first of many small streams over a wooden footbridge. Immediately after crossing the footbridge turn right at the concrete post, and trail junction, continuing along the orange blazed High Meadows Trail. In 0.2 miles cross over the blue blazed Taylor Farm Road (path) staying on the orange blazed trail. In 100 yards pass a very small cemetery on your left.
Follow the orange blazed High Meadows Trail for another 1.0 miles and cross Scenic Drive. From the other side of the road the High Meadows Trail continues for 0.8 miles where it ends the junction of the South Valley Trail and south fork of Quantico Creek. The concrete post trail markings at this junction are confusing, just continue straight on the now white blazed South Valley Trail, shortly turning left up wooden stairs then continuing along the left bank of the creek for 1.7 miles before re-crossing Scenic Drive.
In 0.1 miles past the road pass the Taylor Farm Road Trail on your left, then going underneath Scenic Drive in another 0.2 miles. Continue along the white blazed trail following the stream for 0.3 miles where the trail ascends a small hill for the steepest part of the hike. The remaining section of the white blazed South Valley Trail is the busiest portion of the hike as the trail is easily accessible from three parking areas on Scenic Drive.
In 0.7 miles the white blazed trail crosses Scenic Drive again, and in 200 yards, and just before a small wooden footbridge, turn left on the blue blazed trail. There is no concrete trail post here. Immediately turn left uphill on the blue blazed Turkey Run Ridge Trail. In 0.6 miles cross Scenic Drive for the last time and follow the blue blazed trail for the remaining 0.7 miles back to the Turkey Run Education Center and parking area.
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Reviews For The Prince William Forest Hike (5 Most Recent)
We are middle aged and out of shape. We didn't follow the exact route. I don't think we would have made it. We've been in the park several times and will continue using it to get into shape. It's a beautiful place that's great for kids too. While there we saw all types of people. The most athletic were the two woman using the route as a jogging path. They even said the steep inclines took some doing. Being young and in shape must be great.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, April 18, 2009
I think this hike gets a little bit of a bad name. I personally enjoyed the hike because of the subtle variations in each one of the segments. I hiked this in a nice spring day in three hours.
The beginning of the hike is a nice warmup to the rest of the circuit. It's key to set a comfortable pace now, because when you get to the back side of the loop, if you go too fast, you will hit the wall.
The one thing I noticed about this hike immediately was that you need to pace yourself to make it to the end. It may say 7.1 miles but it felt a little longer, about 7.5-7.75 miles (trust me, at the end I noticed). I took into the hike a fanny pack with two 24 oz bottles of Gatorade and some Cliff bars perfect for this.
After crossing the road for the 1st time, the 0.8 mile segment has a couple of sneaky hills that can catch you unawares. Once you join the bottom of the loop, which is white blazed, there's a couple of small rock scrambles to get over, and some nice spots to literally dive into the stream. There's a section tho that is switchbacks before crossing the road the second time that could be a struggle.
There's plenty of flat sections tho thankfully to catch one's breath. I liked the transitions from crossing the road to the ascent up the hill - this steep section killed me. I normally don't hike with poles, but I could have used them to great effect here there are two stretches where it's probably 20% grade. The decent from this hill can be slippery when wet.
The last 2km when you're on the blue trail, is a gradual uphill climb that will test your endurance. I struggle the last kilometer admittedly I was a bit tired.
Overall, I think this is a great hike. Yes, not a lot of elevation change, but a trail that has some character, and a certain seclusion from D.C. that is attractive, especially when it's a lot closer than SNP.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, November 22, 2008
I did a slightly different circuit from the one described above, due to time restrictions. Overall, I'd say this was an okay way to spend an afternoon, but nothing I'd consider a real "hike". It's more of a ramble in the woods, with some hills and streams. If I lived closer I'm sure I would be here often for jogging (although be careful, since some sections have lots of rocks on the trails), but this isn't a place I particularly want to visit again. It was a nice trail to introduce one of my dogs (recently adopted) to walks in nature, though. Good for beginners working on fitness and for those who live nearby who want to get into the woods for awhile.
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Kris Scofield
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Date of Hike: Saturday, September 20, 2008
This is a great hike for beginners and people that feel too out-of-shape to tackle Old Rag or the bigger hikes in the area just yet. It is also an excellent starting hike for children and dog-walkers. The visitor center has maps available that outline different routes for different mile hikes. I did the 10 miler which will take you to some great sights through out the park. The pyrite mine is a must see.
Saturdays seem to the be the busiest day at the park. Children and families stick to the South Valley and Laurel trails. Trail runners and dog walkers will be a common sight on weekends.
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Date of Hike: Monday, August 04, 2008
It was a quiet and solitude outing. I only saw one person the whole time. I guess that's what you get on a Monday afternoon in August. The good thing about this hike is it's close to the Northern Virginia area, but that is the bad part. I felt like I was taking a stroll through my local neighborhood park. It was not very strenuous. I do recommend it for beginners who find the Shenandoah to rocky or hilly. The park/trails are very clean and maintained.
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