Manassas National Battlefield Park · VA
First Manassas Trail
Self-guided loop of the July 1861 First Battle of Manassas, the war's first major clash, tracing the fighting from the Stone Bridge feint to Matthews Hill and Henry Hill. Mostly flat with numerous wayside exhibits.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the trail running plan today.
Today's best: trail running
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Score breakdown
- − 88°F air — Above trail running's comfort zone (28–78°F)
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − 81 min of daylight — You need at least 101 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 5.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 560 ft
- Surface
- gravel
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.8297, -77.5214 — VA.
Park
Part of Manassas National Battlefield Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is First Manassas Trail?
First Manassas Trail is a 5.4-mile route with 560 feet of elevation gain — moderate — some sustained climbing or technical sections; expect to work for it but no specialized skills required. 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 First Manassas Trail?
First Manassas Trail is crushed gravel or compacted aggregate — drains quickly, stays passable in wet weather. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages First Manassas Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
First Manassas Trail is in Manassas National Battlefield 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.