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Prince William Forest Park
Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Trail
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| National Park Service | | This fence blocks access to foundations of the old pyrite mine complex. |
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Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Trail (0.3 miles; 0.5 km)
This short trail descends down to an open expanse above the banks of the Quantico Creek, once the site of the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine (1889-1920). During the mine’s operation, more than 200,000 long tons of pyrite was brought to the surface and processed into sulfuric acid. This was used to make soap, fertilizer, and gunpowder. This trail can be reached by parking in lot D and traveling along the Pyrite Mine Road for about ten minutes until you reach the trail marker on your left.
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| National Park System | | Geology Trail, marker 4 |
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After traveling down the trail for about 8 minutes, you will come upon marker 4 of the Geology Trail. Here you can learn a brief history of the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine.
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| National Park Service | | Quantico Creek and the end of Cabin Branch Mine Trail |
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Follow the trail for a couple more minutes and you will come upon Quantico Creek and the North Valley Trail. From here you can follow North Valley Trail either north or south (by crossing the bridge) along the creek. Take the trail south to reach the site of the main Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine complex.
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| National Park Service | | Bridge crossing over Quantico Creek to Cabin Branch Mine Site |
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A bridge crossing over Quantico Creek will take you on the southern route of the North Valley trail where you can see the old Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine site and other foundations remaining from the 1889-1920 mine operation.
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Did You Know?
Because of its abundance and high sulfur content, Pyrite, also known as "Fool's Gold," was once mined in what is now Prince William Forest Park (1889-1920) to be used in products ranging from light bulbs to soap.
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Last Updated: March 25, 2007 at 10:56 EST |
