Earning BARK Ranger badges for my dog is one of my favorite ways to spend time outside in nature. The BARK Ranger program is an initiative by the National Park Service (NPS) to promote responsible pet use in the United States’ national parks that is also a lot of fun.
The DC area has lots of BARK Ranger programs. At Prince William Forest Park, a national park near Quantico, Virginia, the BARK Ranger program offers a way to enjoy the park responsibly.
By pledging to follow the BARK guidelines, visitors can earn a special badge for their dogs, recognizing them as official BARK Rangers. This program not only encourages responsible pet behavior but also adds a fun and interactive element to the park experience for pet owners and their furry companions.
This blog post will guide you through the BARK Ranger program at Prince William Forest Park, explain how you and your dog can participate, and provide tips to make the most of your visit. The park has options for seasoned hikers and casual visitors (like me), and interesting geology to look out for.
Table of Contents
What is a BARK Ranger?
The NPS created the BARK Ranger programs to encourage responsible pet ownership in the United States’ national parks. Each park defines their own program (and whether they have one at all).
The name is a play on the title of the park rangers, but it is also an acronym:
- Bag you pet’s waste
- Always leash your pet
- Respect wildlife
- Know where you can go
These guidelines (known as the BARK Ranger Code of Conduct) ensure the proper use of these shared spaces that the NPS works to preserve.
At Prince William Forest Park, your dog can become a BARK Ranger and earn a badge after you (the owner) pledge to follow the Code of Conduct.
Prince William Forest Park
Near Quantico, Prince William Forest Park originally was founded as the Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area (RDA). RDAs were created in 1933 during the Great Depression as work projects to provide natural recreation areas within 35 miles of major cities for the urban population.
Between 1935 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration, and other relief agencies built the infrastructure for a recreational park, with cabins, trails, 5 lakes, roads, and a sewer system. It opened in 1936,providing meals, fresh air, and exercise to children and women with young children. While the RDA was open to all races, the camps themselves were segregated. It continued as summer camp for children from Washington DC for decades.
Today, you can explore the 13,000 acres of woods on its 37 miles of hiking trails (the most extensive hiking trail network in Northern Virginia). The hiking trails wind through the hills and over streams, and range from quick loops to multi-day treks. For he more advanced, there’s a 60-point orienteering course, and the park provides maps and compasses for free.
How to Become a BARK Ranger at Prince William Forest
The process for earning the BARK Ranger badge at Prince William Forest Park was very easy. Here, they have you complete a pamphlet and take a pledge. Once you are done, you get a metal Prince William Forest Park Bark Ranger badge with a cute paw print on it.
And of course, you get the bragging rights of having an official BARK Ranger!
Go to Prince William Forest Park
Prince William Forest Park entrance is not far off I-95 and just up the road from Quantico. The traffic on this part of I-95 can be hit or miss, and I always advise to take the express lanes, even if it seems like it’s not necessary, because traffic jams seem to come out of no where.
Once you’re there, you will pay a $20 entrance fee per car. This gives you a pass that is good for 7 days if you want to come back.
Be sure that you plan your visit so that the visitor’s center is open. They have limited hours in the winter once Daylight Savings Time is over. In the summer, they are open every day, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. In the winter, they are open Friday through Monday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The parking lot by the visitor’s center is fairly small. There are other parking lots, but they are a far walk.
Stop by the Visitor’s Center (optional)
The visitor’s center has information about the park and its history, as well as friendly park rangers to answer your questions.
It also has a BARK Ranger pamphlet with a quiz on dog etiquette, a word search, and a log of your hike. When you go into the visitor’s center, turn right into the NPS side. Ask the ranger for the BARK Ranger pamphlet. It is good to get before your hike, but you don’t need to before your hike.
If parking by the visitor’s center is difficult, you can circle back down after your hike is over and grab the pamphlet then.
Explore the park
The park is really peaceful with tall trees and well-marked trails. It’s the largest green space in the Washington, DC region, so there’s a lot to see. With 37 miles of hiking trails, it really is a choose your own adventure type thing.
We did not have the desire for a super long or strenuous hike. We did the Laurel Trail Loop to the South Valley Trail to the North Valley Trail to the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Trail and doubled back on the Pyrite Mine Road. It took us about 2 hours to complete (with a dog who wanted to sniff everything). There was some elevation gain, and some exposed rocks on the trail, but not a strenuous hike.
We went in mid-November around 9:00 AM, and didn’t pass anyone on the trail for about an hour. It started to get busier on our way out, but we still only passed 3 dogs on the trail. If you’re looking for something that’s less popular, this might be the ideal time for you.
There’s some cool geology in the park, and the park has put together a guide on some interesting geological sites so you can put together your own self-guided geology walk. There was once a mining operation for pyrite (commonly known as fool’s gold) in the park, and you can see some signs of the old mine (though sadly I didn’t see any pyrite). You can also see the fall line, the geological line on the east coast where waterfalls form for the first time inland from the Atlantic Ocean (Great Falls is a bigger example of the fall line).
If you want a longer stay in the park, you can also rent out campsites and cabins in the park.
Just remember to follow the BARK Ranger code of conduct during your time in the park!
Go to the visitor’s center, complete the puzzles, and get your badge
Once you’re done enjoying the park, head back to the visitor’s center and once inside, go right. You can You can complete the quiz and fun little games in the pamphlet. The ranger desk handles purchase of different park passes as well as answering questions from guests, and there may be a line.
Tell the park ranger that you are ready to earn the BARK Ranger badge. On the back of the BARK Ranger pamphlet, they’ll write your dog’s name and sign. The park ranger then swore me in on Lil Mikey’s behalf, making me repeat a pledge to uphold the BARK principles, including helping him not chase squirrels (very difficult task!).
As with every BARK Ranger program, exactly what the park ranger does will vary. They have leeway, but it does seem that the swearing in is a big part of their program.
After that, I received the metal Prince William Forest BARK Ranger badge. The badge was free (included in admission).
Congratulations! Your pet is now an official BARK Ranger! Celebrate their achievement with them and let them sniff their hard-earned badge.
Important: The badge does have a hook on it, but it does not close. I would not recommend putting it on your dog’s collar. We did and it fell off within a minute.
What’s Next?
There are plenty of other opportunities around the DMV to become a BARK Ranger. Check out the other national parks offering BARK ranger programs around DC and collect as many as you can.
Great Falls (Virginia) has a fun scavenger hunt, and nothing compares to the beauty of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in my opinion.
FAQs
How can my dog become a BARK Ranger?
At Prince William Forest Park, you will get sworn in by a ranger at the visitor’s center.
What times can I get the badge?
You can get your Prince William Forest Park BARK Ranger badge any time the visitor’s center is open.
In the summer from the March daylight savings time to the November fall time change, it is open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day. From November time change to March daylight savings, it is open 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Fridays – Mondays (closed Christmas and New Year’s Day).
Where can I get a BARK Ranger outfit for my dog?
I took a DIY approach to the BARK Ranger outfit and honestly it give me so much joy. Lil Mikey gets so excited when the bag we keep his outfit in comes out. I wrote out all the details of how I made it and what I bought.
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