Prince William Forest Park

In the morning, Sandy and I had breakfast together and then I packed up and started heading home. Sandy was staying another day with her family. Once past Baltimore and Washington, I got off I-95 at exit 150 and headed into Prince William Forest Park. I swung by the visitor center to pay admission then parked at lot A along the Scenic Drive. After getting all my stuff together, I took off hiking on the South Valley Trail heading towards Quantico Creek. I crossed the road and followed South Fork Quantico creek downstream.

After about 30 minutes, I came out at Pyrite Mine Road and turned right to to get on North Valley Trail and hiked through the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine area. I stopped at the overlook with views across the creek to where the mine used to operate.

Not much was visible anymore through the dense foliage, but it was a good example of nature reclaiming the land that had once been a sprawling mine complex. Continuing on, I passed by the ruins of an old foundation, all that remains of one of the mine’s many buildings.

The trail got a bit hillier, and I passed a set of scenic cascades along Quantico Creek.

Shortly, there was a split and I turned right onto the yellow-blazed Quantico Cascades Trail (though trail markers and signs also called this the Geology Trail and Quantico Falls Trail). Where the North Valley Trail departed from the creek, the Quantico Cascades Trail stayed close to the creek, ultimately leading to the “waterfalls”.

The NPS map listed a waterfall here, but that’s kind of stretch – cascades is probably more appropriate. Though they were small, they were quite scenic and I got some pictures, before heading up and away from the creek. The other end of Quantico Cascades Trail was at parking area E. I crossed Scenic Drive here and got on the short Mary Bird Branch Trail, which leads down to its namesake creek and then heads back up, terminating at the ranger station near the Turkey Run Education Center.

I stopped briefly to use the facilities and then took Turkey Run Ridge Trail back towards the start. This trail ends at South Valley Trail, right near parking lot A. I wasn’t quite ready to get back in the car yet, so I followed South Valley Trail in the other direction for a mile or so. The NPS map again listed waterfalls along South Fork Quantico Creek in this area.

Like the other “waterfalls”, they were more of cascades then true waterfalls, but still quite scenic. I stopped here for a while to enjoy the view, then started making my way back to the car.

It was a long drive home by myself from here, but at least I had gotten in a good hike.