An original 1930's sign for Chopawamsic National Recreational Demonstration Area
A sign on Joplin Road marks the park entrance in the mid-1930s. NPS Photo

Prince William Forest Park

Federal Recreation Area · Virginia · National Park Service

Prince William Forest Park is an oasis, a respite of quiet and calm. In 1936, Chopawamsic Recreation Area opened its gates to house children's 'relief' camps during the Great Depression. Renamed Prince William Forest Park in 1948, these fragrant woods and trickling streams have welcomed generations of campers, hikers, bikers and nature lovers. Discover Northern Virginia's best kept secret!

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Biking · Mountain Biking · Hiking

Camping

Camping · Backcountry Camping · Group Camping · RV Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
703-221-7181
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: African American Heritage · American Revolution · Arts · Photography · Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Colonization and Settlement · Great Depression · Industry · Mining · Native American Heritage · Transportation · Bridges · Wars and Conflicts · American Revolutionary War · Civil War · World War II · Animals · Birds · Tortoises and Turtles · Climate Change · Forests and Woodlands · Deciduous Forests · Geology · Trails

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Road Biking · Car or Front Country Camping · Compass and GPS · Orienteering · Fishing · Freshwater Fishing · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Hands-On · Volunteer Vacation · Backcountry Hiking · Front-Country Hiking · Hunting and Gathering · Junior Ranger Program · Playground · Wildlife Watching · Park Film · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • Dirt trail surrounded by ferns and shaded by a green forest
    NPS Photo
  • Wooden cabin with a porch and nearby picnic table and grill shaded by a green forest
    NPS Photo
  • Pink and white flowers dot green bushes near the creek
    NPS Photo/Melissa Weih
  • An arched wooden bridge above a creek surround by a yellow and orange fall forest
    NPS Photo/Melissa Weih
  • Yellow and orange fall colors reflect in a still pool of water along a creek
    NPS Photo/Melissa Weih
  • Green crown of tall trees with blue sky above them
    NPS Photo/Cecilia Lynch

Nearby parks

Parks of Virginia

Douthat State ParkTwin Lakes State ParkWilderness Road State ParkAppomattox Court House National Historical ParkSailors Creek Battlefield Historic State ParkFort Monroe National MonumentWestmoreland State ParkGeorge Washington Birthplace National MonumentPowhatan State ParkBreaks Interstate ParkWolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsKiptopeke State ParkNew River Trail State ParkBear Creek Lake State ParkLeesylvania State ParkHungry Mother State ParkCape Henry Memorial Part of Colonial National Historical ParkArlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialYork River State ParkPetersburg National BattlefieldColonial National Historical ParkFirst Landing State ParkCaledon State ParkShenandoah River State ParkGreen SpringsClaytor Lake State ParkMason Neck State ParkMachicomoco State ParkStaunton River Battlefield State ParkGreat Falls ParkSky Meadows State ParkYorktown Battlefield Part of Colonial National Historical ParkPocahontas State ParkJames River State ParkNatural Bridge State ParkCedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical ParkRichmond National Battlefield ParkFalse Cape State ParkWidewater State ParkHolliday Lake State ParkFairy Stone State ParkGrayson Highlands State ParkChippokes State ParkBooker T Washington National MonumentLake Anna State ParkFredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military ParkBelle Isle State ParkHigh Bridge Trail State ParkCaptain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic TrailStaunton River State ParkSmith Mountain Lake State ParkManassas National Battlefield ParkShenandoah National ParkOcconeechee State ParkHistoric Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical ParkMaggie L Walker National Historic SiteNatural Tunnel State ParkSeven Bends State Park

59 parks mapped in Virginia

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12