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Firewood
Outside firewood is prohibited in Prince William Forest Park, unless it is certified USDA 'bug free' firewood. Any dead and downed wood can be collected in the park for in-park use. Help us protect the forest from invasive species!
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Oak Ridge Campground B and C Loops Full 5/26
The B and C Loops of Oak Ridge Campground are full for Saturday night, May 26th. A loop is a first come, first served loop of the campground so you can arrive early to get a site. Call the visitor center from 9 to 5 for a current A Loop site count.
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Sold Out of the Military Pass
We have sold out of our cache of the new InterAgency Military Pass. We have ordered 500 more and will post here and on our facebook/twitter pages when our shipment arrives.
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Warm Wet Spring = More Ticks
Please check yourself and your pets for ticks continually during and after your visit. Ticks are less prevelent if you stay on trail or in mowed areas. Wearing light colored clothing helps you spot them before the attach.
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Warm Wet Spring = More Ticks
Please check yourself and your pets for ticks continually during and after your visit. Ticks are less prevelent if you stay on trail or in mowed areas. Wearing light colored clothing helps you spot them before the attach.
Mary Bird Branch Trail
National Park Service Mary Bird Branch Trail Informational Sign Mary Bird Branch Trail(0.5 mile; 0.8 km) The Mary Bird Branch Trail is a short, easy trail that starts at parking lot E and ends on Old Black Top Road. Here you can meet up with trails such as Little Run Loop, High Meadows Trail, and Turkey Run Ridge Trail. 
National Park Service Mary Bird Branch Trail in Winter After traveling along the trail for about five to ten minutes you will descend into some low lying areas. Some of these areas collect water and have been made more accessible with boards. 
National Park Service Footbridge over Mary Bird Branch A little further down the path, you will come upon Mary Bird Branch Tributary, which empties out into South Fork Quantico Creek. There is a small bridge crossing over the creek. 
National Park Service (Above) Mary Bird Branch Creek with footbridge in background. (Below) Beaver activity along Mary Bird Branch Creek At Mary Bird Branch there are opportunities to see beaver activity. From the 1600s through the 1800s, there was a high demand for beaver skins, and the once-thriving population was severely diminished. In fact, beavers disappeared from the Virginia colony even before it became the Commonwealth of Virginia. Soon, beavers became extirpated (extinct from an area) across the entire lower 48 states. In the early 1950s, two pairs of beavers were brought in and released along Mary Bird Branch. This stream does not always maintain a heavy flow of water from year to year, so the beavers move on to other, more suitable, locations in the park. When the water level is high once again, they return. The result of the beaver activity is the creation of new fertile habitats for plants and animals. There are many stages of habitat changes brought about by beavers along this stream. As you walk along the stream, see if you can locate older pond sites by the absence of a tree canopy and an abundance of new sprouts from gnawed stumps. From here it is only a short walk up to Old Black Top Road. |
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.