Prince William Forest Park · VA
Col Du Shade
Live · updated
Today
Workable day for mountain biking.
Today's best: mountain biking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Workable day for hiking.
Trail running
Workable day for trail running.
Mountain biking
Workable day for mountain biking.
Dog walking
Workable day for dog walking.
Score breakdown
- · 80°F air — Within comfort range, outside ideal
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − 42 min of daylight — You need at least 48 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 1.34 mi
- Elevation gain
- 260 ft
- Surface
- dirt
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.5255, -77.3643 — VA.
Park
Part of Prince William Forest Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Col Du Shade?
Col Du Shade is a 1.34-mile route with 260 feet of elevation gain. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Col Du Shade?
Col Du Shade is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Col Du Shade, and where do closure alerts come from?
Col Du Shade is in Prince William Forest Park, which is managed by the National Park Service. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the live NPS alerts API for this park unit. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.