This recon occurred on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. It was just me on this trip.
As of today, Culpeper Battlefields State Park is the newest state park within the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to the
this park was dedicated on June 8, 2024. It will eventually be over 3,000 acres and have facilities for hiking, tours, boating, camping and public programs. A number of public and private entities worked to make this park a reality. This state park is still a work in progress. I did not hike any of the trails within this park. The purpose of this trip was to check out the park itself and see what state of development that it was in.
I set out from Manassas, VA to explore 4 areas of this park which are now partially complete and open to the public. They are located in Culpeper and Orange counties:
- Brandy Station, Fleetwood Hill Trailhead, 20362 Fleetwood Heights RD, Brandy Station, VA
It took me awhile to find this one. Google Maps took me in circles, probably due to losing cell service. There is a parking area that was mostly taken up by construction vehicles. There is a .26 mile loop on grass with 10 interpretive signs. I took images from the parking area. The view over these former farm fields was amazing. When I left I got caught up in an alternating lane construction area and had to wait 20 minutes to get to the next stop. - Brandy Station, St. James Church Trailhead, 13198 St. James Church RD, Brandy Station VA. This stop had a small circular road with a memorial to confederate Lt. Col. William Henry Fitzhugh Payne. There was a.75 mile grass loop trail that was not discernable. Again, a lot of land. It was about 3.5 miles from my last stop. Hopefully, they will be connected some day.
- Brandy Station, Buford Knolls Trailhead, No address, Brandy Station, VA. GPS coordinates are 38.53210168052754, -77.85810219854996 . Again, a small circular road, some civil war era fencing, two interpretive signs. There appeared to be a mowed linear trail 2.52 miles in length. The map shows it going to the Willshire House. Again, a lot of land here.
- Cedar Mountain, 9465 General Winder RD, Rapidan, VA. My final destination was Cedar Mountain Battlefield, which was about 15 miles away in Rapidan, Orange County, VA. I had hiked here in the past sometime between 2010 and 2017. I didn’t have a website then so I didn’t record the trip. They had enlarged this trail since I was last here. It is now about 1.25 miles and is a series of loops. There are porta potties in the woods here as well as a house near the battlefield that is a visitors center. Unfortunately, the visitors center was closed today. There is a trailhead for this hike in the front yard of this visitors center.
I then set off for home. This battlefield park will be similar to the Wilderness Battlefield near Fredericksburg, VA. It is spread out among various parcels of land. Future locations within this park will include Rappannock Station, Kelly’s Ford and Hansbrough’s Ridge Battlefields.
At one point in the past, I remember hearing on WTOP radio that the locals in Culpeper County, VA voted against funding to create these battlefields. So organizations like the
American Battlefield Trust and
Cedar Mountain Battlefield Foundation
bought the land as it became available, then donated these lands to the state.
In closing, I’m very happy that these lands will be preserved, not just for hiking but for history’s sake as well. Today was a great day.
Mike C
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