Ride Overview
Located just outside the gates of Quantico, Locust Shade Park is a small Prince William County park that has quickly become a regional destination for mountain bikers in Northern Virginia. The park features approximately eight miles of trails, including two mountain bike–specific highlights: Col du Shade and 95th Street.
Col du Shade is a narrow ribbon of trail carved along the shoulder of I-95, delivering steep climbs, exposed bench cuts, and sustained effort that will challenge your fitness and focus. In contrast, 95th Street is a compact skills area packed with skinnies, rollers, and one of the most fun — albeit short — downhill sections in the region. Its proximity to the parking lot has made it a local favorite and a popular place to session features.
What was once an underused trail system has been transformed into a vibrant destination for cyclists and hikers across the region.
Negotiating the “Off Ramp” feature on the way down the 95th Street descent.
Ride Details at a Glance
Location: Dumfries, VA
Length: ~8 Miles
Ride Time: 1–2 hours, depending on pace and trail selection
Ride Type: Mountain Bike
Difficulty: Level 2/Beginner
Ride Notes: Locust Shade offers trails suitable for riders of all abilities, including advanced riders seeking technical challenges. The 95th Street area provides a low-risk, high-reward environment where beginners and experienced riders alike can practice and refine mountain bike skills.
The Col du Shade, one of the park’s signature trails, demands sustained effort and careful line choice, featuring steep climbs, narrow bench cuts, and several advanced features. I was directly involved in the redevelopment of the Locust Shade trail system and helped bring this vision to life. A complete history of how this small park evolved into a regional riding destination is available on the Best Rides DC blog.
Riders can extend a Locust Shade session by combining multiple laps and repeated feature runs, particularly on 95th Street. The trails on Main Side Quantico and training area 6C on Quantico’s west side are also easily accessible from Locust Shade. Adding these will make for an epic day on the bike. Ongoing trail stewardship and periodic updates continue to refine features and improve the riding experience within this compact park.
Route Maps
The interactive route maps below show the loops described above and allow riders to explore the route in more detail.
This route appears as an honorable mention in Mountain Biking Virginia, which includes additional regional context, access notes, and nearby riding options.