Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas VA

August 2023

Like many Civil War battlefields in this part of the country, Manassas is a sprawling park filled with acres and acres of trails, fields, and woodlands.

If you just come to the visitor’s center, you’ll find yourself in the middle of seemingly endless fields. And if you’re a Civil War buff, that might be enough.

But if you venture to some of the other parking lots in the park, you’ll find miles of trails through beautiful Virginia woods.

That’s where I went today, parking at Stone Bridge Parking Lot, crossing the appropriately named Stone Bridge, then along the simple dirt trails through the woods, next to the Bull Run tributary from which the associated battles got their Confederate names. The trail runs quite a few feet above the water, but given their dirt nature, you’ll want to avoid hiking after heavy rains. The weather was beautiful today so the trails remained hard-packed except for a few marshy spots deeper in the woods, though Bull Run itself was quite muddy.

Better, while the battlefields are ever-popular, these trails remain quiet and lightly trafficked, mostly by locals enjoying a leisurely stroll or a long dog walk. You won’t have to push your way through crowds of hikers lugging backpacks. You can just enjoy a bit of nature.

Fees: None