Turkey Run Ridge Trail Map (click to enlarge)

Length: 1.4 miles, one way
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Northern half is moderate, southern half is easy (dividing mark is the Scenic Drive)

The northern end of the Turkey Run Ridge Trail starts at the Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground, while the southern end starts at the intersection with the South Valley Trail at South Fork Quantico Creek. My hike started from the northern end, which I reached by hiking from Parking Lot E on Scenic Drive along the Mary Bird Branch Trail and Old Black Top Road.

The trailhead is located at a marked crosswalk on the road that leads to the campground and the Turkey Run Education Center, about a hundred yards prior to its end at the facilities. Many of the trails in Prince William Forest Park have informational signage at their start, but not this one. Here you will only find a cement post that is typical of the trail markers used at park.

Northern trailhead for the Turkey Run Ridge Trail in Prince William Forest Park

The first half of the Turkey Run Ridge Trail is nothing but one hill after another with slight reprieves along level terrain every now and then. The trail follows a ridge until the point where it crosses Scenic Drive, about .7 mile from the start. It passes through a forest of tall trees with a high canopy that lets in enough light so that it is not all dark and gloomy. The forest floor is open and has very little vegetation and debris. The surface of the trail is smooth, with minimal rocks and roots.

Typical terrain of the northern half of the Turkey Run Ridge Trail in Prince William Forest Park

Once crossing Scenic Drive, other than an initial hill, the trail is rather flat until the very end at South Fork Quantico Creek when it heads downhill to the water. The distance between the two points—the road and the creek—is another .7 mile, putting the road crossing smack dab in the middle.

Typical terrain of the southern half of the Turkey Run Ridge Trail in Prince William Forest Park

Turkey Run Ridge Trail dead ends into the South Valley Trail near a footbridge that spans South Fork Quantico Creek. If all you want to do is hike this trail, turn around and head back the way you came. Like nearly all trails in Prince William Forest Park, Turkey Run Ridge is one way, so if you want to make a loop you need to combine it with other trails. In this case, the only loop you can make back to the campground is along the park road.

My goal was to continue east on the South Valley Trail towards the Visitor Center. If this is your plan, things get a little tricky if you are using the park brochure as a trail map because the intersection is not properly drawn. You may be tempted to cross the aforementioned footbridge based on the map, but what you really need to do is turn left at the fork and remain on the same side of the creek that you arrived on. This will set you off hiking on the South Valley Trail towards North Orenda Road. Taking a right on the South Valley Trail sends you back to the main park road near Parking Lot A, which is the way you must go if you prefer to hike back to the campground along the road. If you cross the bridge, all you do is make a short loop around a parcel of land and end up right back at the bridge.

Bridge to nowhere near the intersection of South Valley Trail and Turkey Run Ridge Trail in Prince William Forest Park

I hiked the Turkey Run Ridge Trail as part of an 8-mile loop hike that starts at Parking Lot E on Scenic Drive. For those who want to tackle a highly interesting hike, from Parking Lot E cross the road and look for the Mary Bird Branch Trail and take this to Old Black Top Road. Turn right on the road and head towards the Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground. Find the Turkey Run Ridge Trail and hike south until it ends at South Valley Trail. Take a left on South Valley and hike north until you get to North Orenda Road, at which point you must jog to the right for a quarter mile in order to reconnect with the South Valley Trail. South Valley comes to a final end at Pyrite Mine Road. Take a right over the bridge and the road naturally becomes the North Valley Trail. North Valley passes through the ruins of the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine and eventually comes to the eastern terminus of the Quantico Cascades Trail. Take this back to the parking lot. For more information on any of the trails mentioned above, click the links to read a detailed trail review.

Loop Hike Map (click to enlarge)

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