Entrance to Old Black Top Road in Prince William Forest Park

Length: 1.6 miles, one way
Difficulty: Strenuous

Old Black Top Road is a gravel fire road that is open to bikers and hikes. It runs between Scenic Drive at Parking Lot F and the Turkey Run Education Center. Unless you want to continue riding farther on the paved park roads, this is an out-and-back ride, 1.6 miles one way. For the record, I started my bike trip from the parking lot.

Old Black Top Road in Prince William Forest Park

Like all roads within Prince William Forest Park, Old Black Top Road has its share of hills. For the first half mile I was loving it—some level areas combined with mild downhill slopes. I peddled the entire way in my bike’s highest gear. At the half-mile point it all changes when the bottom drops out at a hill that is as steep as any that I have come across. The downhill run is great until you realize that you must ride back up it when you return (I ended up pushing my bike). With that said, Old Black Top Road is the easiest non-paved bike road in the park, so if you take a ride and find it exhausting, you probably need to pack up and bike somewhere else.

At the bottom of the hill is a creek, and not long after crossing it comes the intersection with Taylor Farm Road. I can’t say the terrain levels out after the intersection, but it’s about as level a stretch of gravel road as you will find in the park—mostly small hills. There are an equal number of ups and downs, so you won’t have an easier ride going one way versus the other.

I got to the Turkey Run Education Center in a little over ten minutes, then turned around and headed back. Like most of the fire roads in the park, unless you are riding to a particular destination you are just biking for exercise.

End of Old Black Top Road at the Turkey Run Education Center in Prince William Forest Park

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