2024 Summary and Reflection Post

For once I have managed to get all of my hikes for the year posted before the end of the year!  2024 was a great year on the trail with God's creation in its natural state.  We did 55 new hikes this year that covered 142.8 miles of trails across 21 different states.  None of those numbers are personal records, but they are good numbers.  Highlights for the year include doing my 1000th blog hike on my way back from California at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona, hiking the Cordwalk at Kohler-Andrae State Park in Wisconsin, and hiking to the top of Indiana Dunes in northwest Indiana.  We also completed our goal of visiting and hiking in every state park in Indiana.

Looking ahead to 2025, I hope to get off to a quick start with a trip to Texas Hill Country; I have never been there before.  We will also spend quite a bit of time in Alabama next year with the goal being to finish visiting and hiking in every state park in Alabama.  I only have 5 state parks left to do in Alabama, so hopefully we will accomplish that goal by the end of March.  I also have a trip to Hawaii planned for this year, which will check off the final of 3 long term goals I set more than 10 years ago: visit and hike in all 50 states before I turn 50 years old. We also have a trip to New Jersey and our usual trips to Ohio and Tennessee planned.  I am looking forward to another great year on the trail in 2025!

As always, I want to thank you for reading the posts and watching the videos here at Parking Full Time.  Your views, comments, subscriptions, and likes encourage me to keep this project going.  I'll see you on the trail in 2025!

Happy new year, take care, and Lord bless,

David Prager, aka Big Dave, the Parks Professor

2024 Summary and Reflection Video (recorded at Lake Wateree State Park in South Carolina):

Manassas National Battlefield Park: First Manassas Trail (Blog Hike #1038)

Trail: First Manassas Trail
Hike Location: Manassas National Battlefield Park
Geographic Location: north side of Manassas, VA (38.81313, -77.52158)
Length: 5.2 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: November 2024
Overview: A loop hike passing major landmarks from the First Battle of Manassas.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/mana/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=975043
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming April 17, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: In northern Virginia, take I-66 to SR 234 (exit 47).  Exit and go north on SR 234.  Drive SR 234 north 0.7 miles to the Henry Hill Visitor Center on the right.  Park in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: The Confederacy called the battles Bull Run after a nearby creek; the Union called them Manassas after a nearby town.  Whichever name you use, the battlefield was located just 30 miles west of Washington DC, and twice during the American Civil War it became the focus of the entire country's attention.  The first time came on July 21, 1861 when the first of many major Civil War battles in Virginia was fought here.  The Union army was trying to drive south to strike the Confederate capital in Richmond and put a quick end to the new war.  While the events of that day will be detailed later in this post, the fact that the war lasted nearly 5 years tells you how that battle went for the Union.

            The second time came just over a year later on August 28-30, 1862.  Union Major General John Pope thought he had Confederate troops commanded by Major General Stonewall Jackson trapped between Union forces to the east and west.  After Jackson's men successfully repelled several assaults, Confederate reinforcements commanded by Major General James Longstreet arrived.  Seemingly unaware of Longstreet's presence, Pope's forces continued attacking Jackson's position, at which time Longstreet counterattacked and devastated the Union army.  The Union rearguard prevented a Confederate assault on Washington, but the victory at Manassas led Confederate General Robert E. Lee to embark on his Maryland campaign, which would end in defeat a month later at Antietam.

            Both of the battles described above occurred on the same battlefield, and that battlefield is now protected as Manassas National Battlefield Park, which was established in 1936.  The park occupies 5073 acres of rolling terrain, but history takes center stage here: the park offers only a Visitor Center with interpretive materials, some picnic areas, and many miles of trails.  The park's trail system is built around 2 main loop trails: the First Manassas and Second Manassas Trails, which pass important locations from their respective battles.  Both loops start near the Visitor Center, so you can easily hike one or both loops as you wish.  This hike describes the First Manassas Trail, which is the shorter of the 2 loops.

Trailhead at Visitor Center

            From the Henry Hill Visitor Center parking lot, head northeast on the First Manassas Trail as it heads across a mowed grass field with some monuments and cannons.  The Visitor Center is named after the hill on which you are walking, and this hill's significance in the First Battle of Manassas will be described later in the hike.  The First Manassas Trail is marked with blue paint blazes, so the route-finding on this hike is simple: just follow the blue blazes.  That said, there are numerous other trails in this part of the park, so you do need to watch for the blue blazes to stay on the right trail.

Crossing Henry Hill

            Henry Hill is the highest point on this hike, so the trail begins a long gradual descent as it leaves the open field and enters the woods.  The largest trees in this forest are oak trees, but some red cedars also live here.  A dense layer of honeysuckle populates the understory.  At 0.7 miles, you intersect a horse trail that appears to be an old dirt road.  As directed by the blue blazes, turn left to begin heading north on the old road.

Intersecting and old road

            Just shy of 1 mile, you cross Young's Branch on a wooden footbridge.  A gradual climb brings you to a crossing of US 29 at 1.2 miles.  The high volume of traffic moves fast here, and the crossing is unmarked from the drivers' perspective.  Thus, you need to be very careful crossing this highway.

Crossing Young's Branch

            A brief moderate climb brings you to a trail intersection at 1.4 miles where the Stone Bridge Loop Trail exits left.  An interpretive sign tells you that the Van Pelt farmstead once stood here.  The farmstead was a key structure during both battles due to its strategically important location on the bluffs overlooking Bull Run.  The farmhouse burned down in the early 1930's.  Turn right at this intersection to stay with the blue blazes and start the steep descent to Bull Run.

View from former Van Pelt farmstead

            After descending some wooden stairs, you cross a boardwalk and reach the Stone Bridge just shy of 2 miles.  Some of the earliest action in the First Battle of Manassas took place here as Union troops coming from the east needed to cross Bull Run to assault Confederate positions on the bluffs to the west.  This Union effort was successful, and Confederates were pushed back onto the high hills to the west of the bluffs.  Although this bridge looks like the original bridge, it only dates to 1884: the original Stone Bridge was destroyed by retreating Confederates in March 1862.

Stone Bridge

            Next the trail curves left and begins heading upstream with Bull Run to your right.  I saw a heron in the stream, and the floodplain hiking past large sycamore trees is flat and pleasant.  At 2.3 miles, the trail climbs steeply to leave the floodplain.  A bench near the top of this hill gives a nice blufftop view of Bull Run, and it makes a nice place to sit and rest near the midpoint of this hike.

Heron in Bull Run

            The next 0.8 miles head west on a rolling course through a mixture of fields and woods.  At 3.2 miles, you reach the former site of the Pittsylvania mansion.  Built in 1765 by Landon Carter Jr., the large Pittsylvania estate was in severe financial trouble by the start of the Civil War.  The mansion served as a field hospital during both battles.  Although the mansion survived both battles, it burned in the fall of 1862, and today only the foundation stones remain.

Trail near Pittsylvania site

            Past Pittsylvania, the rolling westward course continues, and near 4 miles into the hike you reach the summit of Matthews Hill, which at 1 foot below Henry Hill is the second highest point on this hike.  A row of cannons stands atop Matthews Hill, and interpretive signs tell you that Union infantry thought they had the First Battle of Manassas won when they forced the Confederates from this hill.  Yet looking to the south gives a clear view of Henry Hill where you started, and atop Henry Hill was stationed a Confederate leader named Thomas Jackson.  Jackson reorganized and rallied the Confederates to an unlikely victory, and he earned the nickname "Stonewall" for his leadership on that day.

Looking south to Henry Hill from Matthews Hill

            From the trail intersection atop Matthews Hill, turn left to begin the final leg of the First Manassas Trail.  The trail descends moderately to enter Young's Branch ravine, which at this point separates Matthews and Henry Hills.  At the bottom of the ravine, you pass the Stone House, which is possibly this park's most recognizable landmark.  Built before 1850, this house stood in the line of fire during both battles, and it was used as an oasis for injured soldiers from both sides.

The Stone House

Reconstructed Spring Hill Farm

            Use the crosswalk and pedestrian signal to cross US 29 and begin the final somewhat steep climb toward Henry Hill.  As you approach the Visitor Center, you pass through the reconstructed Spring Hill Farm.  The original farm was heavily damaged by Union artillery and later destroyed.  Pass the Henry Family Cemetery and return to the Visitor Center to complete the hike.