How much does it cost to enter Prince William Forest Park?

NPS lists $20 for a private vehicle, $15 for a motorcycle and $10 per person. The vehicle fee is valid for seven consecutive days according to the NPS note.

What are the park hours?

NPS says the grounds are open every day from sunrise to sunset. It lists closures on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Are dogs allowed in Prince William Forest Park?

The national rule requires pets to be on a leash no longer than six feet where they are allowed. NPS lists pets as permitted on 5 of its 7 things to do.

Does Prince William Forest Park take cash?

NPS says entrance fees are cashless, so use a card or mobile payment.

All parks › Prince William Forest Park

Prince William Forest Park: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Private vehicle, 7 days: $20^[1]
Busiest month (2025): May^[2]
Recreation visits, 2025: 339,015^[3]
Campgrounds: 11^[4]

Prince William Forest Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System in Virginia^[5]. NPS lists a private vehicle entrance fee of $20 and says fees are cashless^[1]^[6].

Entrance fees and passes

Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.

Fee or pass	Price
Private Vehicle^[1]	$20
Motorcycle^[7]	$15
Per Person^[8]	$10
Annual Entrance - Park^[9]	$35

The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here^[10].

Entrance fee payment is cashless (card or mobile payment)^[6].

America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.

Pass	Who can get it	Price
Resident Annual Pass^[11]	US citizens and residents	$80
Non-Resident Annual Pass^[11]	Non-US residents	$250
Senior Annual Pass^[11]	US citizens and residents 62+ years old	$20
Senior Lifetime Pass^[11]	US citizens and residents 62+ years old	$80
Military Annual Pass^[11]	Current US military and dependents	Free
Military Lifetime Pass^[11]	Gold Star Family members and veterans	Free
Access Pass^[11]	US citizens and residents with permanent disability	Free
4th Grade Pass^[11]	US 4th graders	Free
Volunteer Pass^[11]	Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours	Free

When to visit and hours

NPS says the park grounds are open every day from sunrise to sunset^[12]. Listed closures are Thanksgiving Day on 2026-11-26, Christmas Day on 2026-12-25 and New Year's Day on 2027-01-01^[12]. NPS describes all four seasons, with spring and fall generally comfortable and summers that can be hot and humid^[13]. July and August are the hottest months, and sudden thunderstorms are possible in summer^[13]. NPS notes that snow may close the main park roads in winter^[13]. In 2025 the busiest month was May with 38,622 recreation visits and the quietest was January with 13,784^[2].

Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, May, is highlighted^[2].

Show visits by month

Month, 2025	Recreation visits
January	13,784
February	15,389
March	29,135
April	32,179
May	38,622
June	33,402
July	31,347
August	35,512
September	31,289
October	35,818
November	26,845
December	15,693

Show visits by year

Year	Recreation visits
2021^[3]	325,248
2022^[3]	294,916
2023^[3]	295,630
2024^[3]	355,196
2025^[3]	339,015

Camping

NPS and Recreation.gov list 11 campgrounds in the park^[4]. The largest are Oak Ridge Campground with 99 sites and Prince William Forest RV Park with 72 sites^[4]. NPS lists nightly individual-site fees from $13 to $80^[4]. Check Recreation.gov for current booking details.

Oak Ridge Campground, 99 sites^[4]
Prince William Forest RV Park, 72 sites
Cabin Camp 3, 13 sites
Turkey Run Ridge Group, 10 sites
Chopawamsic Backcountry Camping Permits, 8 sites
Camp HappyLand, 1 sites
Camp Mawavi, 1 sites
Camp Orenda, 1 sites
Camp Pleasant, 1 sites
Telegraph Picnic Pavilion, 1 sites
Camp Goodwill, 1 sites

Pets and dogs

The NPS pet rule says pets must be crated, caged or kept on a leash of six feet or shorter at all times in areas where they are allowed^[14]. Pets are not allowed in public buildings or on designated swimming beaches, with service animals excepted^[14]. A park can also close further areas to pets, so check with the park^[14].

Before you go

Entrance fees are cashless, so bring a card or mobile payment^[6].
The Prince William Forest Park annual pass costs $35^[9].
The park accepts the America the Beautiful pass, and the Resident Annual Pass costs $80^[10]^[11].
NPS lists one thing to do that requires a reservation^[15].
Fees and hours change, so confirm on the official park page before you go.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to enter Prince William Forest Park?: NPS lists $20 for a private vehicle, $15 for a motorcycle and $10 per person^[1]^[7]^[8]. The vehicle fee is valid for seven consecutive days according to the NPS note^[1].
What are the park hours?: NPS says the grounds are open every day from sunrise to sunset^[12]. It lists closures on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day^[12].
Are dogs allowed in Prince William Forest Park?: The national rule requires pets to be on a leash no longer than six feet where they are allowed^[14]. NPS lists pets as permitted on 5 of its 7 things to do^[15].
Does Prince William Forest Park take cash?: NPS says entrance fees are cashless, so use a card or mobile payment^[6].

Facts and sources

Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $20. National Park Service
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 325,248, 2022: 294,916, 2023: 295,630, 2024: 355,196, 2025: 339,015. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
Campgrounds in Prince William Forest Park (list on this page). National Park Service
Prince William Forest Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: Park) in Virginia. National Park Service
Entrance fees at Prince William Forest Park are cashless (cards or mobile payment, no cash) according to NPS. National Park Service
Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $15. National Park Service
Entrance fee, Per Person: $10. National Park Service
Annual Entrance - Park: $35. National Park Service
Prince William Forest Park accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
Operating hours, Prince William Forest Park Operating Hours: Prince William Forest Park grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset for recreation use. Listed exceptions: Closed Thanksgiving Day 2026-11-26 to 2026-11-26 (closed); Closed Christmas Day... National Park Service
NPS weather and seasons overview for Prince William Forest Park. National Park Service
National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
NPS lists 7 things to do at Prince William Forest Park: Become a B.A.R.K. Ranger at Prince William Forest Park, Prince William Forest Park Junior Ranger, Bike the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail in Prince William Forest Park, Hike to the Taylor Farm... National Park Service

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.