Stone Bridge (Manassas, VA)

Located in the historic city of Manassas is the National Battlefield Park. Within this park, we hiked the trail encompassing the notable Stone Bridge, which served to transport traffic during the Civil War.  The original Stonebridge was built in 1825 and destroyed in the First Battle of Bull Run in 1862. It was later rebuilt in 1884. The rebuilt bridge still stands today in the same location as the original one.

We began our hike at the Bridge.  It was a relatively easy hike for the family, including our two children (ages seven and four). There are portions in which we traveled up and down hills, with a few downhill steps in some places. Parts of the trail run directly along side the stream, which is very pretty. The Bridge was amazing to see—so much history surrounding this historic landmark. An unexpected bonus was the variety of nature we encountered on our hike. We saw deer, a water snake, blue-tailed skink and many different insects (butterflies, spiders, beetles and cicadas). There was a sign for bird watchers, so the ability to view species of birds must be another positive feature of this trail.  Horses are not allowed on this trail, but dogs are welcome. We saw lots of dogs on our hike. There are also benches throughout the trail that make nice resting spots to enjoy the surroundings.