Chopawamsic Backcountry Camping Permits in VA -- Campground & RV Camping in Virginia

Located within the 15,000-acre forest of Prince William Forest Park, the Chopawamsic Backcountry Area features 8 primitive hike-in campsites set along a 2-mile loop trail. Each site offers a cleared, flat spot for pitching a tent, marked by a numbered wooden post. Facilities are limited to a single vault toilet at the trail's parking area. The surrounding 400-acre wilderness terrain includes winding creeks, rolling hills, and access to the northern shore of the Breckenridge Reservoir for fishing. The park sits near the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Quantico.

Getting there: To get to the backcountry area: From the park entrance, follow Rt. 619 or Joplin Road for around 2 miles north past the American Legion sign. Almost immediately after you pass mile marker 22, the entrance to the backcountry area is the first left at the top of a slight hill. It is a gated small gravel parking area with a pit toilet. The gate is not locked; please shut it behind you. Do not follow GPS applications to Chopawamsic Backcountry Area as they will sometimes take you onto military roads that are not public access.To get to the main park entrance:From Washington, D.C., and points north, take I-95 south to exit 150-B toward VA Route 619/Joplin Road. The park entrance is the second right, continue up the road 2 miles to the gravel parking area for the Chopawamsic Backcountry Area on the left near mile marker 22.From Fredericksburg, Virginia, and points south, take I-95 north to exit 150 toward VA Route 619/Joplin Road. Turn left at the bottom of the exit ramp and continue on VA Route 619 West approximately 1/4 mile to the park entrance. Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are approximately 45 minutes drive-time from Prince William Forest Park. Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Richmond International Airport are 90 minutes away. There is no bus service near the park. Local commuter buses may be available near the park via the PRTC system. Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express services are available in nearby Quantico, Virginia, approximately 5 miles from the park entrance. There is no public transportation directly to the park.

• Moderately separated here.
• Estimated night sky: Bortle 4, a rural sky with a glow on the horizon.
• Open country, with nothing named rising within 30 miles.
• Mostly tent-only sites, with 8 hike-in sites and most of them shaded.
• Middle Branch Chopawamsic Creek runs 0.6 mi off.

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