Prince William Forest Park

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Prince William Forest Park

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Welcome to the official page for Prince William Forest Park. The park is the largest preserved green space in the Washington, D.C. area.
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Founded in 1936 as Chopawamsic Recreation Demonstration Area by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), these woods and streams welcome campers, hikers, bikers and nature lovers. Prince William Forest Park offers 4 campgrounds, 5 cabin camps, 37 miles of hiking trails, and 21 miles of bicycle-accessible trails. The park also offers a rich history spanning from the American Revolution to present day and intersects with two national trails. More information about the park's history and recreational opportunities can be found on our official website. Prince William Forest Park is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) under the Department of the Interior (DOI). While this is an open forum, it is also meant to be one in which individuals of all ages, life stages, and backgrounds are encouraged to participate in a respectful manner. The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior encourage inclusion, respect, and comfort in all aspects of visitor enjoyment, including their virtual experience. The administrators of this page will strictly enforce the National Park Service’s social media policy which can be found at www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/social-media.htm

10/21/2026

What happens if a park archeologist finds an artifact?

Like most things, it depends! If the artifact comes from the shovel test pit that the park archeologist is digging, they will collect it and bring it back to the lab. From there, it will be cleaned up, identified, and added to the park museum collection. If the artifact is just on the ground surface, and it’s in a safe and stable location, it will likely be left in place. Artifacts can tell future archeologist a lot more information in their original location than in a bag in the museum. In this case, the archeologist will take photos, GPS points, and notes to record what they’re leaving in place.

If enough artifacts are found (in Virginia, that magic number is three), that area will be recorded as an archeological site. Park staff will work with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to assign a site number and enter information into a state database, so knowledge of that site will be available for future researchers. Park staff will then add the new site to a monitoring schedule and keep an eye out for any projects that may impact it.

📷: NPS Photos of artifacts found in Prince William Forest Park

10/16/2026

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, stop by CCC Living History Days at Cabin Camp 3 in Prince William Forest Park!

At the event, visitors can learn more about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and watch living history reenactors demonstrate the use of some of the tools that the CCC would have used in the construction of the cabin camps in the 1930s. Drop in to the event anytime between 9:00am and 5:00pm on Saturday or Sunday to see the cabins set up like a 1930s era CCC work camp and see exhibits of CCC era tools and uniforms. This is a great opportunity to step back in time and learn more about the young men who built Prince William Forest Park.

To learn more about the event, visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=E90E074A-AF84-FC8E-A80C5B3494F6257C.

📷: NPS Photos/MW

10/14/2026

So what does a park archeologist do? Lots of things! Fieldwork, yes, but also research, writing, artifact analysis, and communication.

Often, fieldwork in northern Virginia looks like digging shovel test pits (STPs) in a grid in a project area, to see if there are any buried archeological resources. The hole goes as deep as it needs to get below human-modified layers (or until you hit a big rock!). The dirt that comes out of the hole is then put through a screen, to catch any small artifacts. This way, park staff will know if a project needs to be moved to avoid an archeological site.

Information about the dirt, including color and texture, is captured on a form so future archeologists can learn about what’s under the ground in that area. A GPS point is also taken at each STP, whether or not artifacts were found. All of this information helps park staff take care of the resources in the park!

📷: NPS Photos

10/09/2026

If you are interested in a paid yearlong internship starting in November 2026, check out the Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador applications for Prince William Forest Park before applications close this weekend on October 11th!

The Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador will work with park interpretation and visitor services staff on all aspects of our park's public communications, education, and community outreach with a focus on science communications. A partnership with Americorps and Conservation Legacy, this 50 week internship will run from November 30, 2026 through November 2,2027.

To apply by October 11th, visit https://secure8.entertimeonline.com/ta/conservationlegacy.careers?ShowJob=738760644&lang=en-US

📷: Conservation Legacy

10/07/2026

So you think you want to be an archeologist?

Maybe you’ve seen Indiana Jones or played Tomb Raider and feel inspired. We’re here to tell you that it’s a lot less b***y traps and gold relics and a lot more spiderwebs to the face and paperwork. (However, we do actually have the snakes...)

October is Virginia Archaeology Month, so join us to learn more about archeology in the park and some of what archeologists actually do! Here’s a fun fact to start with:

The two different spellings of “archaeology” in this post are not a typo – in the 1890s, the US Government Printing Office decided to get rid of the “ae” diphthong, and so “archeology” became the new US Government spelling of the word.

📷: NPS Photo/AMM of a screen near a lake

10/03/2026

Building a trail bridge 101!

We would like to give a big shout out to Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) volunteers for their awesome work on National Public Lands Day last week. They worked with park staff to replace an aging, saggy trail bridge at the intersection of the Little Run Loop and High Meadows Trail and also cleared fallen trees from across the Chopawamsic Trail. Thank you all for your hard work keeping our trails looking good!

📷: NPS Photos/MC

10/01/2026

Prince William Forest Park is excited to announce that we are currently recruiting a Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador for the park!

The Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador will work with park interpretation and visitor services staff to create and present science communication programs to park visitors. We're looking for someone to help us with all aspects of our park's public communications, including visitor contacts at community events and the park's visitor center, education and interpretive programming, signage, website information, and social media.

If you've ever wanted to work at an awesome park with a great team, this would be the perfect position for you! The Chesapeake Gateways Ambassador position is a 50 week paid internship opportunity starting on November 30 with Americorps and Conservation Legacy.

To learn more about the position and apply, visit https://secure8.entertimeonline.com/ta/conservationlegacy.careers?ShowJob=738760644&lang=en-US

📷: NPS Photo/MW of Quantico Creek

09/26/2026

It’s National Public Lands Day, one of the nation’s largest single-day volunteer efforts and a celebration of the places that connect us to nature, history, recreation, and each other.

From picking up litter and restoring trails to removing invasive species or simply lending a helping hand, there are plenty of ways to care for the public lands we all share.

How are you giving back to your public lands today?

Find ways to get involved at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm

09/25/2026

Did you know that Prince William Forest Park protects over 100 historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s? The historic cabins are grouped into five large group cabin camps and can accommodate groups of 76 to 205 people.

Four of these cabin camps are now available online for groups to rent at https://www.recreation.gov/gateways/2896. The cabin camps all have a central dining hall with a commercial kitchen, sleeping cabins, restroom and shower facilities, craft activity lodges, large grassy ballfields, and a campfire circle.

To learn more about the different cabin camps, visit https://www.nps.gov/prwi/planyourvisit/group-cabin-camping.htm.

📷: NPS Photos of Camp Mawavi (Cabin Camp 2)/GG

09/22/2026

A chill is in the air, and fall is finally here!

Today is officially the first day of fall or the autumn equinox, when both day and night are nearly equal in length. Though the forest is still green, some of the leaves on the tulip poplar trees are starting to turn yellow and drop along the park trails.

Where is your favorite spot to experience fall in Prince William Forest Park?

📷: NPS Photo/MW

Address

18170 Park Entrance Road
Triangle, VA
22172

Telephone

+17032217181

Website

http://www.nps.gov/prwi/index.htm

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