Foundation Document Overview

Prince William Forest Park

Virginia 

Contact Information

For more information about the Prince William Forest Park Foundation Document, 

contact: www.nps.gov/prwi or 703-221-4706 or write to: 

Superintendent, 18100 Park Headquarters Road Triangle, VA 22172-1644

National Park Service • U.S. Department of the Interior
Purpose Significance

Significance statements express why Prince William Forest

Park resources and values are important enough to merit

national park unit designation. Statements of significance

describe why an area is important within a global, national,

regional, and systemwide context.These statements are

linked to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported

by data, research, and consensus. Significance statements

describe the distinctive nature of the park and inform

management decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and

protecting the most important resources and values of the

park unit.

•	 Prince William Forest Park is home to the largest protected

Eastern Piedmont forest in the United States.

•	 Through the protection of a large percentage of the

Quantico Creek watershed, Prince William Forest Park

provides outstanding opportunities for education and

scientific study.

•	 During World War II, Prince William Forest Park served as

a training site for the Office of Strategic Services, the United

States’ first centralized intelligence agency; the changes to

the landscape from their occupation and use of the park

provide tangible connections to this clandestine chapter in

American history.

•	 During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps and

Works Progress Administration transformed a landscape

of sub-marginal farmlands into the Chopawamsic

Recreational Demonstration Area; today the park contains

the largest concentration of CCC and WPA structures in

the national park system.

•	 Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area was the

model for the recreational demonstration area program, a

New Deal-era (1933–1938) initiative that built parks for the

nation’s urban youth and families.

•	 During a time of racial segregation, Prince William Forest

Park was the first recreational demonstration area in

the southern states to provide opportunities for African

Americans to connect with the outdoors through cabin

camping opportunities.

•	 Prince William Forest Park protects the longest intact

section of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary

Route National HistoricTrail found within the national

park system.

•	 Prince William Forest Park provides diverse recreational

opportunities and solitude within one of the most densely

populated regions of the United States.

Prince William Forest Park offers 

recreational opportunities rooted in its 

legacy as the model for the New Dealera recreational demonstration area 

program, and preserves, protects, and 

interprets a diverse array of natural and 

cultural resources.
Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems,

processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or

other attributes determined to merit primary consideration

during planning and management processes because they are

essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining

its significance.

•	 Recreation and Renewal. Rooted in its legacy as a

recreational demonstration area, Prince William Forest Park

provides a wide range of recreational opportunities through

recreational vehicle, tent, and cabin campsites; 37 miles of

forested trails for hiking, running, solitude, and natural quiet;

reservoirs and streams for fishing; scenic roads for biking;

outstanding habitat for wildlife viewing; and backcountry

areas for backpacking, solitude, and natural quiet.

•	 Natural Landscape. Once a place of sub-marginal farm

lands, silted streams, and clear-cut forests, Prince William

Forest Park has restored the native Eastern Piedmont forest

and Coastal Plain ecosystems through the work of the Civilian

Conservation Corps and modern-day resource stewardship.

The plants, animals, streams, and geologic features that make

up this natural landscape provide outstanding opportunities

for education, research, and recreation.

•	 Recreational Demonstration Area Legacy. Chopawamsic

Recreational Demonstration Area (now known as Prince

William Forest Park) was the model for the RDA program,

the first national program to construct parks specifically for

urban and underprivileged populations.The Chopawamsic

model showcased the societal benefits of parks, providing

craftsmanship skills to those who constructed and maintained

the parks; environmental rehabilitation to the landscape; and

life-changing outdoor educational experiences for urban

youth, single mothers, and families, a legacy still carried on at

Prince William Forest Park today.

•	 Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area 

Landscape. Constructed of native materials by laborers

and craftsmen from the Civilian Conservation Corps

and Works Progress Administration during the 1930s,

the Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area

landscape includes original bridges, dams, lakes, trails,

roads, water towers, vegetation, and CCC cabin camps.

These structures and their purposeful integration into

the natural landscape provide an excellent example of

NPS rustic style architectural and landscape design and

CCC and WPA craftsmanship.

Fundamental Resources and Values
Prince William Forest Park contains other resources and values that may not be fundamental to the purpose and significance

of the park, but are important to consider in management and planning decisions.These are referred to as other important

resources and values.

•	 Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 

National Historic Trail. An exceptionally well-preserved

segment of the route runs through Prince William Forest

Park.The allied armies of Gen. George Washington marched

along this route to the siege of Yorktown, a pivotal event in

the Revolutionary War.

•	 Water Quality of the Quantico Creek Watershed. 

Streams in the Quantico Creek watershed that are protected

within the park are some of the most unspoiled in the

Chesapeake Bay watershed. Water quality indicators, such as

acidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, clarity, and plant and

animal species diversity and abundance, are all well within

healthy levels.This healthy water quality allows the streams

to serve as baseline standards to which other streams in the

region can be compared.

•	 Threatened and Endangered Species. Prince William

Forest Park protects habitat for a variety of threatened and

endangered species including the small whorled pogonia,

velvet sedge, star-nosed mole, and American ginseng.

•	 Office of Strategic Services Landscape. Prince William

Forest Park was the site of the Advanced Special Operations

and CommunicationsTraining Schools for the World War

II era Office of Strategic Services, America’s first centralized

intelligence agency.The park preserves a vast physical

landscape left by the agency, including

all five cabin camps; shooting, mortar,

and demolition ranges; bunkers

and mock tank remnants; and the

Burma Road.

•	 Museum Collections. The

museum collections associated with

Prince William Forest Park include

ethnographic and oral histories and

more than 30,000 objects, including

biological specimens, archeological

objects, and records such as

work orders, maps, photographs,

and blueprints from the Civilian

Conservation Corps and Works

Progress Administration.

•	 Archeological Resources. 

The archeological record at Prince William Forest Park

contains evidence of continuous human use of the area

dating from American Indian use of the site to the modern

day. Significant historical periods represented in the

archeological record include the period of American Indian

use, early settlements and communities, the Revolutionary

War, the Civil War, and the CCC and OSS eras.

•	 Other Cultural Landscapes. 

Prince William Forest Park’s

layered history provides

opportunities to protect and

interpret a variety of cultural

landscapes beyond the five main

cabin camps.These landscapes

include building foundations,

features, and landscapes such as

the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine and

bridge; the Poor House; 45 known

cemeteries; the Greenwood Gold

Mine; settlements including Hickory Ridge, Batestown,

and Joplin; American Indian camps; Civil War skirmish

sites; historic road traces; witness trees; and mill sites.

There are also ethnographic resources associated with

cultural landscapes throughout the park.

Other Important Resources and Values
Interpretive Themes

Description

Prince William Forest Park is

located approximately 35 miles

south of Washington, D.C., in

Prince William County, Virginia.

Totaling nearly 15,000 acres,

the park is the largest protected

natural area in the region and

is the third largest national park in the state of Virginia. It is

also the largest example of a Piedmont forest in the national

park system, serving as a sanctuary for a diversity of plants and

animals, which are threatened by increasing development in

Northern Virginia.

The park is at the transition between the rolling Piedmont

Plateau and the low-lying Atlantic Coastal Plain.These two

zones meet within the park at the “fall line,” where land level

drops from the harder rocks of the piedmont and flow over

the softer sedimentary rocks of the coastal plain, resulting

in unique geological features such as waterfalls and rock

outcroppings. Parts of the Quantico Creek watershed are also

within the park, contributing to the beautiful natural landscape

that the park preserves.

The hills within Prince William Forest Park have been

inhabited for at least 9,000 years. Many diverse groups,

including American Indians, African Americans, loggers,

miners, and European settlers, have called the parklands home.

These various human inhabitants contributed to a diverse

landscape that features historic roads, town sites, and mines.

Traces of this human history can still be seen throughout the

park, with stone piles marking property corners, old fences,

and gravestones in family cemeteries.

Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand

after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about

a park unit.Themes are derived from, and should reflect , park purpose, significance, resources, and

values.The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park

staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all of the park significances and

fundamental resources and values.

•	 Improving Quality of life. As a model site for the nationwide RDA Program, Chopawamsic

Recreational Demonstration Area (now Prince William Forest Park) tells the story of sweeping New

Deal programmatic reform aimed at providing economic relief to farmers, training and jobs for the

unemployed, and memorable summer camp experiences for economically deprived

urban populations from Washington, D.C. Prince William Forest Park continues to provide opportunities for residents of the

metropolitan area and visitors alike to improve their health, fitness, and well being.

•	 Opportunities for Natural Resource Stewardship.The oasis of protected land within Prince William Forest Park preserves

irreplaceable habitats for plant and animal communities of the piedmont ecoregion and Quantico Creek watershed. In a sea of

suburban sprawl, the park serves as an outdoor laboratory for scientific research and environmental education and as a

gateway for all visitors to develop a conservation and preservation stewardship ethic.

•	 A Military Legacy. From Revolutionary War generals to today’s United

States Marine Corps, Prince William Forest Park continues to protect and

share its proud military history and forges a greater appreciation for the

sacrifices and service of our armed forces.

•	 Human Relationship with the Land.The lands of Prince William

Forest Park preserve a record of diverse relationships between humans

and the environment from prehistoric times to the present day. People

shaped the landscape and in turn are shaped by the landscape.
Description (continued)

First established in 1933 as Chopawamsic Recreational

Demonstration Area (RDA), Prince William Forest Park was

created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New

Deal—a nationwide effort aimed at fighting the effects of the

Great Depression. It was built as a new type of park, where lowincome, inner-city children and families could escape the city

and experience nature.The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

and Works Progress Administration (WPA) created programs to

reduce unemployment and teach job skills, constructed roads,

bridges, dams, and cabin camps throughout the park, which

remain today as a reminder of the park’s RDA history.

The family camps closed for three years during World War II

when the park became a top-secret paramilitary installation.

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the first centralized

intelligence agency in the U.S., operated two training schools

in the park for spies, teaching recruits to gather intelligence,

decipher codes, and interpret covert radio transmissions. Many

physical remnants exist from this time period, including the

modified cabin camps; bunkers; and areas used for armament

practice such as firing, mortar, and demolition ranges.

The park returned to recreational use in 1946 and was

established under its present name in 1948. While the region

has become increasingly urban, Prince William Forest Park

still serves as a place where visitors can engage nature while

immersed in the natural landscape that has recovered from a

distinctive period of American history.

North

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Exit

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Exit

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Drive nic

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Scenic

PRINCE WILLIAM FOREST PARK

CHOPAWAMSIC

BACKCOUNTRY AREA

Little

Creek

Quantico

Creek

Carters

Pond

Breckenridge 

Reservoir

Fork

South Branch

Creek

Chopawamsic

Creek

Quantico

Creek

South

Middle

Chopawamsic

Branch

Branch

Chopawamsic Creek

North

Quantico

South

Fork

Creek

Powells

Creek

Quantico

Powells

Creek

Neabsco Creek

Mary Bird

Creek

Branch

LAKE

MONTCLAIR

waterfalls

waterfalls

Headwaters of

Quantico Creek

LOCUST SHADE

PARK

FOREST GREENS

GOLF COURSE

US MARINE CORPS

RESERVATION

US MARINE CORPS

RESERVATION

US MARINE CORPS

RESERVATION

Oak Ridge Campground (no RV hook-ups)

Farms to Forest 

Trail Loop 

cemetery

cemetery

Taylor Farm

site

cemetery

Cabin Camp 1 (Goodwill

permit required)

Cabin Camp 3

(Orenda

permit required)

registration on-site

Cabin Camp 4

(Pleasant

permit required)

Cabin Camp 2

(Mawavi

permit required)

Cabin Camp 5

(Happyland

permit required)

Cabin Branch 

Pyrite Mine Trail

High

Turkey Run

Education Center (TREC)

(permit required)

Turkey Run Ridge Group

Campground (permit required)

West Gate Road

Liming

Road

Lane

Tay ol r Farm

Old

Black

Top Road

Road

Burma

One

Road

Pleasant

Road

Lake

Trail

Meadows

Little

Run

Loop 

Trail

Valley

North

Trail

Oak

Ridge

Quantico

Cascades

Trail

Trail

South

Trail

Valley

Valley South

Dumfries Road

Park

Headquarters

Ranger Station

Telegraph

Picnic Pavilion

National

Museum of 

the Marine 

Corps

Pine

Grove

Williams

Ball Field

 The

 Crossing

Trail

Road

Mine Pyrite

Road

Orenda North

Orenda

Poa Annua Lane Road

South

Cabin Branch

Pyrite Mine site

Laurel 

Trail 

Loop

Gate

Gate

North

South

Valley

Valley

Trail

Trail

South

Trail Valley

Trail

Run

Turkey

Ridge

Piedmont

Forest Trail

Muschette Trail

Breckenridge Road

Lykes

Lane

QUANTICO

NATIONAL CEMETERY

Mawavi

Road

Birch

To Fredericksburg

29km 18mi

B ul ff Trail

Chopawamsic Trail

Joplin Road

Park

Entrance

Park Headquarters Road (authorized access only)

Bird

Mary MCB1

Independent Hill To Manassas

Aden 

Road

Minnieville 

Road

Spriggs

Road

Cardinal

Branch

Drive

To Washington, D.C. 39km 24mi 

Dale Boulevard

Fuller

Road

Van Buren Road

Road

Graham Park

(permit required)

Primitive campsites (0.2 to 1.0 mile from the trailhead)

proposed trail

and parking lot

Jefferson Davis Highway

Boardwalk

Boardwalk

Prince William Forest 

RV Campground

(hookups available)

Spriggs Lane

DUMFRIES

TRIANGLE

DALE CITY

Visitor Center

Biking and Hiking on Unpaved Roads

Hiking Trails

Biking and Hiking on Unpaved Roads

Hiking Trails

Trail

Burma Road

Lake One Road

Liming Lane

Mawavi Road

North Orenda Road

Old Black Top Road

Pyrite Mine Road

South Orenda Road

Taylor Farm Road

West Gate Road

Muschette Trail

Blaze Total length

2.3km 1.4mi

0.6km 0.4mi

1.4km 0.9mi

1.4km 0.9mi

1.6km 1.0mi

2.6km 1.6mi

1.6km 1.0mi

0.8km 0.5mi

1.4km 0.9mi

1.0km 0.6mi

0.3km 0.2mi

Trail

Birch Bluff Trail

Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Trail

Chopawamsic Trail

The Crossing Trail

Farms to Forest 

Farms to Forest Trail Loop

High Meadows Trail

Laurel Trail Loop

Little Run Loop

Mary Bird Branch

North Valley Trail

Oak Ridge Trail

Piedmont Forest Trail

Quantico Cascades Trail

South Valley Trail

Turkey Run Ridge Trail

Muschette Trail

Blaze Total length

2.7km 1.7mi

0.6km 0.4mi

3.5km 2.2mi

0.8km 0.5mi

1.6km 1.0mi

2.7km 1.7mi

3.4km 2.1mi

2.3km 1.4mi

1.0km 0.6mi

0.8km 0.5mi

5.0km 3.1mi

2.9km 1.8mi

0.6km 0.4mi

1.1km 0.7mi

2.3km 1.4mi

0.3km 0.2mi

14.0km 8.7mi

Campground Cabin camp

Wheelchair-accessible Amphitheater

RV camping Showers

Ranger station

Parking areas

and lot name

Unpaved road

(open to bicycles)

Hiking trail

(closed to bicycles) Unpaved road

Picnic area

Restrooms

Shared use trail

(biking and hiking) Potomac HeritageNational Scenic Trail

(hiking only)

Potomac Heritage

National Scenic Trail

(biking and hiking)

Locked gate Bridge

Drinking water