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Travel
Virginia: Guide
to going places
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Parks
Guide :
State Parks/Central Virginia
Central
Va. State Parks
Northern
Virginia Parks
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Bear
Creek State Park
929 Oak Hill Road, Cumberland
(804) 492-4410
Less than an hour west of Richmond and nestled in the heart of Cumberland
State Forest, Bear Creek Lake is the perfect getaway for the outdoor enthusiast.
Activities center on the park’s 40-acre lake complete with a boat launch,
fishing pier, boat rentals and swimming beach. The park offers camping,
an archery range, lakeside picnicking, bike rentals, playgrounds, hiking
and access to a 14-mile multi-use trail in the state forest.
Pocahontas
State Park
10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield
(804) 796-4255
Just 20 miles
from downtown Richmond, Pocahontas State Park has been one of the more
popular parks in the state park system. Swift Creek forms the nucleus
of the park, which is centered in a wildlife management area. Camping
and group cabins are available and swimming and boat launch is free for
overnight campers.
York
River State Park
5526 Riverview Road, Williamsburg
(757) 566-3036
Located 11 miles west of Williamsburg, York River State Park offers visitors
an opportunity to experience the environment of a coastal estuary. This
park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater
and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life.
The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of York River frontage
and its related marshes while providing an area for passive day-use recreation
for visitors.
Bear Creek
Lake State Park
929 Oak Hill Road
Cumberland
(804) 492-4410
Surrounded by the Cumberland State Forest, Bear Creek Lake State Park
is about 5 miles from Cumberland on Route 629. The park was a project
during the Great Depression, when 100 men with the Civilian Conservation
Corps built the lake and two pavilions. Activities include trails for
hiking, biking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The 40-acre lake
and Willis River provides freshwater fishing and boating opportunities
as well as a swimming beach. Visitors can rent rowboats, paddleboats and
canoes.
Fairy
Stone State Park
Route 2, Stuart
(276) 930-2424
Home of the mysterious fairy stones, which are shaped like St. Andrew’s
and Roman crosses, Fairy Stone State Park is located in Patrick County
off of Route 57northwest of Martinsville. Activities include trails for
biking, hiking and horseback riding. Its 168-acre lake adjoining Philpott
Reservoir is located near the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Swimming and freshwater fishing can be enjoyed along the sandy banks of
the lake. Visitors can rent rowboats, paddleboats and canoes; motorboats
are permitted on the reservoir only.
Holliday
Lake State Park
Route 2, Appomattox
(434) 248-6308
Combine a visit to this state park with a visit to nearby Appomattox Courthouse
National Park on U.S. 60, site of Gen Robert E. Lee’s surrender in 1865.
Outdoor adventures include trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback
riding. A beach area along the 150-acre lake makes it great for swimming
and freshwater fishing. Visitors can rent rowboats, paddleboats and canoes.
Motorboats with electric motors are allowed, too. The Sunfish Aquatic
Trail is a self-guided water tour, and the “Critter Hole” play
area is a family favorite.
James River
State Park
Route 1, Gladstone
(434) 933-4355
The James River State Park is one of the newest state parks along the
James River in Buckingham County on Route 606. Outdoor adventures include
trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The James River offers
some great freshwater fishing along three miles of river frontage as well
as three fishing ponds.
Occoneechee State
Park
1192 Occoneechee Park Road, Clarksville
(434) 374-2210
Occoneeche State Park is located on the 50,000 acre Buggs Island Lake
and also extends 39 miles up the Roanoke River. Explore 800 miles of wooded,
cove-studded shoreline. It’s yours to enjoy whether you like swimming,
fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, or boating. The park offers 89 campsites,
picnic areas, an ampitheater, wildlife areas, hiking trails and boat launches.
Water equipment rentals are available including kayaks, paddleboat, canoes,
skiis, wakeboards, tubes, ropes, bicycles and more.
Sailor’s
Creek Battlefield State Park
788 Twin Lakes Road, Green Bay
(434) 392-3435
During “Black Thursday of the Confederacy”, Robert E. Lee’s
Army of Northern Virginia lost 7,700 men at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield,
which led to the South’s surrender at Appomattox 72 hours later. The park
is located north of Farmville on Route 307. The Overton-Hillsman House,
which served as a field hospital during the Civil War, is open for tours
June through August. Civil War buffs will enjoy Lee’s Retreat Driving
Tour from Petersburg to Appomattox Court House through the park. Picnic
areas are available and some group camping by special arrangements.
Smith
Mountain Lake State Park
1235 State Park Road, Huddleston
(540) 297-6066
Smith Mountain Lake is the second largest lake in the state and was created
in 1960 when a dam was built on the Roanoke River in Smith Mountain Gap.
The park is on the north shore of the lake in Bedford County on Routed
626. Outdoor adventures include trails for hiking. Visitors can rent motorboats,
paddleboats and canoes, fish from boats or a fishing pier. The park’s
500-foot beach along the lake makes it a family favorite for swimming.
Staunton
River State Park
1021 Fort Hill Drive, Randolph
(804) 454-4312
Staunton River State Park is 18 miles east of South Boston on Route 344.
It was named for Capt. Henry Staunton, who protected early settlers from
Indian attacks. Outdoor adventures include trails for hiking, biking and
horseback riding. The park has both a swimming pool and wading pool. Buggs
Island Lake nearby and Lake Gaston offers opportunities for freshwater
fishing and boating, including motor boats. Visitors can rent canoes,
kayaks and jonboats at River Traders just outside the park entrance.
Twin Lakes
State Park
788 Twin Lakes Rd, Green Bay
(434) 392-3435
Twin Lakes State Park has two lakes, Goodwin and Prince Edward. Until
the 1960s it was racially segregated, and as a result it has two complete
sets of facilities. It is located near Farmville on Route 629. Outdoor
adventures include a swimming beach on Prince Edward Lake and freshwater
fishing and boating on both lakes. Visitors can rent rowboats, paddleboats
and canoes. Trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding are provided
through the hardwood forest that surround the lakes.
Source:
Va. Department of Conservation and Recreation
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