Manassas National Battlefield Park · Virginia

Stone Bridge Loop

0.6 mi of trail, end to end · about 60 ft of climbing · 168 ft–250 ft · native surface · trail class Developed · hiking

History

169 ft 230 ft · 0.2 mi high 230 ft

Along the way Van Pelt House Site

Stone Bridge Loop Trail the Park Service's write-up

45-60 Minutes · dogs allowed

Start Stone Bridge Parking Lot, Tour Stop #12

Stone Bridge in Winter
The Stone Bridge over the Bull Run in a winter setting. Photo: NPS

Distance: 1.3 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Hiking Time: 1 Hour 1. Start from the Stone Bridge parking lot at the side closest to Bull Run.

2. Start walking down the trail and across the Stone Bridge.

3. Upon crossing the Stone Bridge, follow the path to the right along Bull Run. Follow markers and path. Begin your hike at the Stone Bridge parking lot (Tour Stop #12). Follow the trail down to the post-war Stone Bridge (Confederate troops destroyed the war-time bridge in 1862), where Union forces deployed to divert Confederate attention from the main advance upstream. Upon crossing the bridge, the trail continues along Bull Run with its picturesque displays of wildflowers in the spring and colorful foliage in the fall. The trail ascends a steep bluff to the overlook of Farm Ford, where Union troops led by Col. William T. Sherman crossed Bull Run on the day of the battle. Turning west away from the stream, the trail emerges out in the open fields of the war-time Van Pelt property. Visitors will pass the site of the Van Pelt home, 'Avon,' used by Confederate Col. Nathan G. Evans as his headquarters. The trail cuts back over a watershed area with excellent birding opportunities from the wooden boardwalk through the marsh.

Accessibility This trail does not meet ADA accessibility guidelines.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 39 trails in Manassas National Battlefield ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.