| Prince William Forest Park | |
|---|---|
 Quantico Creek in Prince William Forest Park | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Dumfries, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 38°35′07″N77°22′47″W / 38.58528°N 77.37972°W /38.58528; -77.37972 |
| Area | 16,084 acres (65.09 km2) |
| Established | November 14, 1936 |
| Visitors | 379,535[1] (in 2011) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Prince William Forest Park |
Prince William Forest Park is aNational Park Service (NPS) site in the U.S. state ofVirginia withinPrince William County (and very partiallyStafford County), located adjacent to theMarine Corps Base Quantico near the town ofDumfries. Established as ChopawamsicRecreational Demonstration Area in 1936, the park is thelargest protected natural area in theWashington, D.C. metropolitan region at over 13,000 acres (5,300 ha).[2]
The park serves as the largest example of EasternPiedmont forest in theNational Park System. The park also protects theQuantico Creekwatershed. It is a sanctuary for numerous native plant and animal species.
The park was developed byWorks Progress Administration workers after theGreat Depression. Landscaping and structures were designed byNational Park Service architects. Four camp areas are listed individually on theNational Register of Historic Places:[3]
The park also includes theCabin Branch Pyrite Mine Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.[3] The park itself was designed as thePrince William Forest Park Historic District in 2012.[4]
The land on which Prince William Forest Park now resides was once used by Native Americans of theArchaic period. The Native Americans would use the area for hunting, gathering, and camping. Many artifacts from the archaic people have been found throughout the park.[5]
The park was erected where once the town ofBatestown stood. It was an enclave for freed slaves named for Mary Bates, the matriarch of the community.[6][7]
Between 1933 and 1937, the Federal Government began implementing aResettlement Administration program to form ChopawamsicRecreational Demonstration Area,[2] where rural farmers were supposed to relocate for more fertile land. The RA bought 79 pieces of property in bothHickory Ridge and Batestown and condemned another 48, to form a new recreation area. However, the RA often made no effort to actually resettle the displaced residents.
The area residents resisted the relocation efforts, sometimes retreating into the park boundaries to escape detection. This continued until the beginning ofWorld War II, where the park was taken over by theOffice of Strategic Services as a spy training ground, since a camp was needed within driving distance of the capital that could focus on special operations. Trainees practiced dismantling booby traps, performing message drops, psychological warfare, shortwave radio, and basic and advanced ciphers.[8]
The park was surrounded by barbed wire and fences, and patrolled by dogs and armed guards. All remaining forty-four holdouts were evicted, some carried away screaming.[9]
At the end of the war, the displaced residents hoped their land would be restored, but to date these families have received no compensation. Instead, the property was turned over to theNational Park Service and renamed Prince William Forest Park.[7]
A variety of recreational opportunities are available, which include:
The park’s cultural resources are also varied. They include:
Prince William Forest Park is most notably home to mammalian species such aswhite-tailed deer,black bear,beaver, andcoyote.[11] Deer in particular can be seen almost anywhere in the park. A variety of bird species, such as thehooded warbler, thewood thrush, and thered-shouldered hawk, can also be found.[12] Reptiles such aseastern black rat snakes have been seen in and around logs and brush areas, andeastern box turtles can often be found, especially after a light rain. There are a number ofamphibians that inhabit the park, such as theAmerican toad,green frog, andCope's gray tree frog, as well as salamanders such as themarbled salamander and theeastern red-backed salamander. Variousskinks can be seen around sunny areas of the trails as well.[13]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
