Conway Robinson State Forest — Attraction in Gainesville

Drove down here on the weekend, in the heart of the wintertime.

Visiting the area around Bristow with my mom + sister, so figured this would be a good spot to walk the dog. Plus, this was technically on the way back, so it worked out nicely for us.

Entrance to the park is a bit tricky — just go straight at the traffic light at the end of the road. The road is narrow, and it’s easy to miss it by heading left instead — a mistake we almost made.

The parking lot is not spacious but there were lot of free spots at the time we went. Thankfully it was not too busy.

Only I got down, as it was rather cold weather.

I walked our dog for a good half-hour. Trees everywhere, the scenery was nice.

A bit muddy at parts, but not overly so. I recommend bringing a pair of hiking shoes just in case.

Trail ran through the woods, with some interesting views. Saw all kinds of trees — long and narrow ones, fallen ones, dead and decaying ones where the wood gave way when you stepped on them.

The walk felt kind of lonely though — I honestly didn’t see another soul on the walk. I figured it might be the weather or something.

My dog enjoyed it a lot. I did too for the most part. The views were nice and relaxing, very calming overall. I am a fan of the cold, so that helped too.

Overall, cool spot. Nice wooded trail area for casual walks, and for bringing the dog on.

Last...

Do you like nature? Mountain biking? Hiking? Getting your kids out of the house to burn up some energy?

If you said yes to any of these things, then this is the place to go. It is one of the best kept secrets in Gainesville, VA and the surrounding areas for that matter. I remember when I was literally the only car in the lot everytime I went, but it has certainly gotten busier over the last year or so.

There are numerous trails that offer a variety of different landscapes. If you look at a map and plan, you can do a full loop back to the other side of the parking lot (about 3 miles). It's great to go here season round. I do not recommend going right after a rain storm, unless you like getting real dirty and muddy. Also, make sure you check yourself and your kids for ticks when you get back to your car, especially during the warmer...

A great place to hike. Muddy areas need to be better drained, raised or fixed, as bikes tend to make those areas worse. That run off makes the small streams muddy and trail areas eroded. Update 5/11/24: There are signs that say don't go on the trail if it is muddy. Can't tell if it is muddy until you walk for a bit, mostly on the southern side. It's muddy because the bikers MAKE it muddy! Please ban bike use, they are ruining the trails. Update 8/25: Very poorly maintained, tons of bike created muddy spots, trail intersections are not marked at all, random trails not marked. Overgrown in many spots, fallen trees on trails. The trails have been neglected for quite some time. It used to be nice, it is quite disappointing now. The lack of any real maintenance or care has convinced me to hike elsewhere. It's a shame, it could be...