Prince William Forest Park: An Urban Oasis Where Nature and History Meet

By Tracey Heibel and Patricia Westenbroek

Nestled between I-95 and the Quantico Marine Base, sits Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia. This natural retreat from urban life played several unique roles in American history, from mining to training spies during World War II and continues to fascinate visitors near and far. 

The Park was home to a profitable pyrite mine in the 1880s. At the time, iron pyrite was used in many important products of the day, including gunpowder, dyes, glass, and soap. The mine closed in 1920.

During the 1930s - 1940s, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed this outdoor area for recreational use by the public. The property then served as a Recreational Demonstration Area (RDA) during the Great Depression providing children living in impoverished urban conditions with an opportunity to escape the city and enjoy outdoor recreation.

From 1942-1945, the Park served as a training ground for the Office of Strategic Servicers (OSS), the precursor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The U.S. spies who trained here were dropped behind enemy lines during WWII to gather intelligence to support the war effort. 

In 1945, the Park was returned to the public for outdoor recreational use. Since then, the Park of 15,000 acres boasts 37 miles of hiking and multi-use trails, four cabin camps, and four campgrounds for an urban oasis, 20 miles south of Washington DC.  The National Park Service’s Prince William Forest Park Visitors Center continues to welcome guests to explore the Park then and now with a museum exhibit.   Unable to visit in person? A few clicks aways, the Virtual Museum Exhibit brings this unique history to life:  https://nps.gov/museum/exhibits/prwi [or click on the pictures below to learn more and enjoy the vast photo archive]. For additional information, follow the Park on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/C4n7KEvLbIh/.

Fun Fact: The Spooky Beaver crew takes its name from the history of the park.  “Spooky” is a play on words taken from the OSS training days when spies were called “Spooks”. “Beavers” is a salute to the successful beaver repopulation effort that took place on the property in the 1950s when the beaver population was nearly extinct in the state of Virginia. The Park is maintained by the PATC’s own Spooky Beaver Crew in close collaboration with the National Park Service.

The Spooky Beaver Crew loves all volunteers no matter what their experience level! The crew enjoys sharing their knowledge and supporting volunteers to learn more about trail maintaining. Come join us and help keep the Prince William Forest National Park trails beautiful. Check us out at www.spookybeavers.net/ or sign up on Meetup via PATC Volunteers group.