Manassas National Battlefield Park · Virginia

Sudley Loop Trail

0.6 mi loop · about 40 ft of climbing · 181 ft–221 ft · native surface · trail class Developed · hiking

220 ft 217 ft · 0.6 mi high 221 ft

Sudley Loop Trail the Park Service's write-up

15-60 Minutes · dogs allowed

Start Sudley Loop Trailhead

The historic Thornberry House on the Sudley Loop Trail
The historic Thornberry House on the Sudley Loop Trail Photo: NPS Photo

Distance: .6 mile circuit hike

Difficulty: Easy

Hiking Time: 30 minutes

Elevation Change: 47 feet 1. Park at Sudley Parking Lot. (Second Manassas Driving Tour Stop #5)

2. Cross Sudley Road (Use extreme caution)

3. Follow markers and maintained path The trail parallels the historic Unfinished Railroad bed for a short distance before turning north along Bull Run. Visitors will pass the historic Thornberry House (not open to the public), one of only three pre-war structures still standing in the park. The trail continues past the confluence of Bull Run and Catharpin Creek, to the site of Sudley Spring Ford. More than 13,000 Union troops crossed Catharpin Creek at this site in route to the battlefield. As visitors begin their return, the trail follows the war-time Sudley Road trace.

Accessibility This trail does not meet ADA accessibility guidelines. There are also several short but steep ascents/decents that may be difficulty for some visitors with limited walking movement.

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.