Drove down here on the weekend, in the heart of the wintertime. Visiting the area around Bristow with my mom + sister, so figured this would be a good spot to walk the dog. Plus, this was technically on the way back, so it worked out nicely for us. Entrance to the park is a bit tricky -- just go straight at the traffic light at the end of the road. The road is narrow, and it's easy to miss it by heading left instead -- a mistake we almost made. The parking lot is not spacious but there were lot of free spots at the time we went. Thankfully it was not too busy. Only I got down, as it was rather cold weather. I walked our dog for a good half-hour. Trees everywhere, the scenery was nice. A bit muddy at parts, but not overly so. I recommend bringing a pair of hiking shoes just in case. Trail ran through the woods, with some interesting views. Saw all kinds of trees -- long and narrow ones, fallen ones, dead and decaying ones where the wood gave way when you stepped on them. The walk felt kind of lonely though -- I honestly didn't see another soul on the walk. I figured it might be the weather or something. My dog enjoyed it a lot. I did too for the most part. The views were nice and relaxing, very calming overall. I am a fan of the cold, so that helped too. Overall, cool spot. Nice wooded trail area for casual walks, and for bringing the dog on. Last visited: 1/7/23 read more

See all

Very nice state forest for a hike! It's woodsy and provides plenty of shade to hide from the sun. Different trail options available. Picnic tables available for a food break as well. Toddler approved ;) read more

Being fairly new to Gainesville, I was very surprised to come across this tucked away park in an area that is now getting blown out with parking lots and data centers. Thank God there's this protected lot of trees remaining. I drove into the park with the idea that it would be a basic, uneventful loop and I'd go home. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself on a 3.25 mile trek around the forest perimeter by following the blue trail markers. Walking at a moderate pace, I arrived back at my starting point in one hour and 10 minutes. The scenery and foliage types change and add variety along the way, although when the leaves fully grow in for the summer, I'm sure the mountain views from the northern side and Battlefield to the east will be obscured. The trails were nicely kept without any sign of litter, and there's even some benches along the blue trail crafted by a local Eagle Scout troop. There's only some mild elevation changes towards the end, assuming you are walking counter-clockwise from the starting point. My Garmin watch reported a maximum of 50ft elevation change for the two most challenging points along the blue line. There are other trail types but I haven't explored them yet. I plan to return more often for the exercise, so I'm really glad to have found this local gem! read more

The Conway Robinson State Forest is a nice little wooded parcel off U.S. 29 - just east of Gainesville, VA. A small swath of private land separates the Forest from Manassas National Battlefield Park. There are a number of hiking trails here. It's perfect for getting out and away for a nice walk or hike in the woods. You could work in any number of hikes with the network of trails here - up to a five mile hike or so! The trails are marked with color blazes. The trail difficulty is easy to moderate. There are a few moderate slopes on some of the trails - and some of the trails are quite rocky, so keep an eye on your footwork as you hike along. At the parking lot there is a kiosk with a map of the Forest. The trails are color coded. You can also find a trail map in pdf form on the web site for the Conway Robinson State Forest: http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stforest/resources/ConRob-Map-Trail.pdf The Virginia Department of Forestry manages this land. They have a scientific research plot on the Forest - comparing a protected patch of land to the surrounding Forest. The protected patch is fenced off to exclude Deer from browsing the vegetation. There is an interpretive sign explaining the research project. Very interesting! Get out in the woods! Listen to the wind whispering through the trees, enjoy the sounds of the Forest - fuel your spirit with a dose of nature! read more

See all

We passed by this park and never even noticed the sign until my husband's co worker told him about it. While the sign is prominent it was easy to miss as cars go by possibly going 45-55 miles an hour near the Battlefield in Manassas, off Highway 29. The long trail (blue) loops around the outer part of forest for a total of 3.2 miles. In the inner loop, there's little patches of red trails. There's a parking area where you can enter either to the left or right of the blue trail. If you start on the right entrance, you will run into an arrow sign that directs left for the horses and arrow pointing right for the hikers. We started our trek to the left and only saw this sign as we near the end of our hike. It's mainly a flat hike with patches of gravel or rocks and a few well kept small area of flank woods over gravel. If you live close to this area I highly recommend if you want an easy 3-mile type hike. This place is also a favorite for mountain bike riders and horse riders because the trail itself is wider than most, well maintained, and risk free injury. Although for my hike today I was surprised by a bee that stung me on my left lower leg; fortunately it only left a little bump and a red dot in the middle of an inch round skin inflammation. At least I know i'm not allergic even while the sting from the bite still lingers (3 hours later). No worries, I think it was an isolated incident because when I swatted it off my leg we did not see any after that. So go and get out there and enjoy a little bit of nature on a good day. Today's weather was perfect for it at about 64 degrees around 9:30am when we started hoping to get back in time for the 1pm Redskins game. I actually suggested going to the golf course for a few swings but glad we hiked instead, just perfect weather for it earlier in the day. read more

See all

This was a very secluded small park. There was free parking and easy access. Depending which trail you take your run/hike can be 1-3 miles. The trail itself was flat, very narrow and not kept up well. It is very easy to get lost throughout the trail because there are a lot of mini trails that are unmarked. It is not a difficult trail to run but would take a running buddy for safety. read more

See all

Hidden treasure. Great trails for beginner hikers and intermediate mountain bikers. If you are a woman don't hike alone. Make sure you go with a hiking buddy because it is quite isolated, and sometimes I have seen men hanging out and sleeping in their cars in the parking lot. read more

This is a little hidden gem in Northwestern Prince William county. Most people don't know it exists, but it's there, just off of 29. It's a tiny little managed hardwood forest with hiking, horseback riding, and bicycling trails all throughout the 444 acres. There are also picnic tables and a covered pavilion. Be careful in the late spring/early summer as there are a TON of ticks and mosquitoes. Hiking can be a little treacherous at times because of the bikers that churn up the muddy ground, but it's a pretty easy hike over mostly level ground. There are maps available from the DOF site, as well as one being posted at the entrance. read more

Conway Robinson State Forest - Entrance Sign - Hiking Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

See all

Conway Robinson is a nice little state forest that offers some hiking/trekking, mountain bike and horse trails with various sceneries to take in as you go along. Tucked away on Route 29 it's easy to miss this place if you're not looking for it. The entrance is located directly across from the intersection of University Boulevard. The drive in to the parking lot has several large potholes so go slow and watch out. The parking lot is not large, but people rotate in and out frequently so I've never had any issue getting a spot. There is a small picnic pavilion and if my memory serves me correctly there's even a grill for BBQ action. There's an information kiosk with a map of the park and its trails. Since there's no maps of the trails to take to go, I recommend taking a picture of the map at the kiosk so you know where they are. The trails are pretty good and easy to follow however the markings aren't super obvious so keep a lookout for them. The terrain varies from standard forest to rocky to pine forest which makes for a nice change of scenery as you traverse through the trails. A couple of the trails can get really muddy so if there's been recent rain prepare yourself to get dirty. There are a few signs to tell you about the park and how nature works so it's not a bad place to bring the kids and let them learn a little. Also this place allows mountain bikes and horses so pay attention to others on the trail. A few times I've gotten lost in my music with my headphones on and been surprised by a passing biker. If you're looking for a nice place to take the family, get a bike shred in or trot along with your horse this is a good spot for each. *This park is gun carry friendly. read more

I usually go to Manassas Battlefield for my hikes, but wanted to try something different. This is a great change of pace. Quiet and off the beaten path. If you like forest scenery it is the place. Beware of coming after a rainy day because the path while mostly level is mainly dirt. I can see tracks of dirt bikes. Not much elevation but a nice 3 mile circle. read more

Conway Robinson State Forest - Hiking Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

See all

Big fan of this place!! I'm so hesitant to write a review just because I love how peaceful this place is without all of the tourists. For years I have talked about finding a place to walk the dog that isn't so crowded (great falls, bull run, etc.) My husband rides his bike here and decided to take me one day. It's so quite and peaceful and the trails are great! They have multiple trails, some harder than others, but I love them all. There are more bikers than hikers here, so it's very important to have your pets leashed! This will always be my weekend go to place to get my dog and myself exercise! A pooped dog is a happy dog! ;-) read more

See all

My friend introduced me to this trail as a means to get my feet wet in mountain biking. I've ridden both the Red (or was it orange?) and Blue trail and can say the blue trail is awesome for beginners like myself. Sections of straight and flat forest trail allow for a breather before going right back into the deep woods. There is a nice variety of obstacles here, but when riding backwards there are spots where you nearly have no option but to walk your bike, like an uphill section with a log in the way. I found the blue trail to be really fun, if not a bit tame at times. The red trail had some rather tricky technical parts where it looked like someone with a love for rocks went to town. Overall, this is a great, quiet little trail that serves an excellent spot to hone your skills. read more

As you past by this place is barely visible. It's over grown and not well kept. There are dead trees down and they just mow around them. Visually unappealing. read more

Great for hiking, mountain biking, and trail running. Could be fun for a picnic too. I did some hiking here. A full loop around the whole park is about 3 miles so it's not that expansive as compared to the national battlefields in Manassas. There's plenty of winding paths to follow through the woods. The main road and surrounding housing developments are not too far away but at the center of the forest you get a good feel of being in the woods. The trails are well maintained. They have some cool signage explaining the forest growth and the history of Conway Robinson. Have fun exploring the forest not too far from the hustle and bustle of Northern VA. read more

Conway Robinson State Forest - Clear cut for optimal forest regrowth - Hiking Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Mountain biked the blue trail. Great place! Perfect spot close by. Only a few folks (was mid week) and the trail was well marked. I went ahead and extended the ride by going on the orange, a bit rough, had to walk the bike over the large boulders, but still a great day. read more

The first time in 22 years I got back on the saddle again MT Bike that is. It was a great reunion at this park. I read one review the person stated that it was a lame park because of the rocks well anyone who has ride single track understands you will go through a variety of terrain . I had a blast even being so out of shape I will be going back with some friends. read more

Would recommend visitors do a Google search for media information about this park prior to visiting it. Don't see anything noteworthy in the search? Search a little harder. read more

This is a great little hidden spot that not many people know about, despite it being located right off 29. I took my dog there and we did a nice 3 mile or so loop. The blazes on the trails are clear and it's easy to navigate. Moderate to easy hike for most semi-in shape people like myself. read more