Prince William Forest Park · VA
North Valley Trail
Follows the North Fork of Quantico Creek through mixed hardwood forest and passes the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine site; pairs with the South Valley Trail for a loop along both forks of the creek.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the hiking plan today.
Today's best: hiking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- − 88°F air — Above hiking's comfort zone (32–85°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.
- − 80 min of daylight — You need at least 135 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 3.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 390 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.5948, -77.3611 — 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 North Valley Trail?
North Valley Trail is a 3.1-mile route with 390 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 North Valley Trail?
North Valley Trail 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 North Valley Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
North Valley Trail 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.