Holliday Lake State Park

General Information

Deep in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, Holliday Lake is a paradise for the outdoor enthusiast. Fishing for largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill is popular. Swimming at the park's guarded beach and the "Critter Hole" play area are visitor favorites. The park has several hiking trails, including a connector trail to the 10.2-mile Carter Taylor Multi-use Trail for hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. Visitors enjoy its campgrounds, picnic shelters, playgrounds, seasonal concession stand, gift shop and boat ramp. The park rents canoes, kayaks, jon boats, stand-up paddleboards and pedal-boats. Holliday Lake is just minutes from the famous Appomattox Court House National Historical Park where Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in 1865 ending the American Civil War in Virginia.

Hours

8 a.m.- dusk.

Location

About 12 miles from the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

Access via State Route 24 between Appomattox and U.S. 60 and from Routes 626, 640 and 692. Approximately 12 miles from the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

Its address is 2759 State Park Road, Appomattox, VA 24522; Latitude, 37.395945. Longitude, -78.640327.

Drive Time: Northern Virginia, three and a half hours; Richmond, two hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, four hours; Roanoke, two hours

Note: Visitors driving from Buckingham County via Route 636 may want to avoid Routes 614 and 640, which have gravel, and proceed west to Route 24.

Park Size

560 acres. Lake: 153 acres.

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Cabins, camping

OVERNIGHT FACILITIES

Camping. For information on availability of overnight accommodations, particular park amenities or to make a reservation, you can reserve online or call 1-800-933-PARK (7275). Click here for park fees.

Click here for details on reservation cancellation and transfer policies.

Cabins: None, but nearby James River, Bear Creek Lake and Twin Lakes state parks have cabins.

Camping

Laurel Ridge and Redbud campgrounds. Laurel Ridge is well-suited for RVs up to 38 feet long, and Redbud allows tents, trailers, conversion vans and pop-ups up to 30 feet long.

• Each site has a grill, lantern post and picnic table. The grill can be raised, allowing an open campfire. All fires must be contained within this space.
• Sites are color-coded - yellow is for Laurel Ridge (30-38 feet), green (22-30 feet) and white (up to 22 feet) for Redbud. Late arriving guests should set up on a site coded with the color assigned and register the next morning at the contact station or office.
• Firewood is for sale. Starter logs are available at the contact station. Because of the risk of forest infestation, do not bring firewood to the park.
• A parking fee is charged for more than two vehicles, and they must be parked near the restroom or in a field across from Redbud campground.
• Guests visiting campers must pay parking fees and leave by 10 p.m. They may, however, stay overnight if the 6-person limit per site is not exceeded.
• Boat launching is free for overnight campers.
• Swimming, when the beach is open during prime season, is free for overnight campers.
• All sites, except the group camp, have water and electric hookups.
• Pets are allowed but must be attended at all times and kept in an enclosed area or on a leash no longer than six feet.

Group camping area - GroupSite - All standard tent sites, no hookups. Must fit on a 16 x 20 foot pad. Each site has a picnic table and lantern holder. There's a large shared grill for the entire area.

• Tents only.
• No electricity; water available at entrance to group camping area.
• Rented to groups only, up to 30 people.
• Bathhouse with running water and hot showers nearby.
• Pets are allowed but must be attended at all times and kept on a leash no longer than six feet or in an enclosed area.
• Parking for up to eight vehicles.

Camping lodge (bunkhouse) – Two-night minimum; no weekly requirement. It can be rented only during camping season, from the first Friday in March through the first Sunday of December. The three-room trailer has seven bunk beds, a refrigerator, a microwave and a coffee maker. Outside the lodge is a deck, a fire ring with cooking grate, a large pedestal grill, a water spigot, and a small screened-in picnic shelter with two tables and an outdoor sink. Water is available during warmer months; call the park to verify. Cooking and smoking are not permitted inside the lodge. Parking for five vehicles is covered with rental of the lodge; all other vehicles must pay the park's daily parking fee. Additional cars must park in the field across from Redbud Campground. This facility is not sold 11 months in advance; it goes online in January each year. Check-in is 4 p.m., and check-out is 10 a.m.

• The transfer deadline policy and cancellation fees are the same as those for cabins.
• Linens are not provided. Guests must bring their own linens and pillows.
• Maximum occupancy is 14. Guests are responsible for any damage.
• No bathroom, kitchen or fireplace
• Camping lodge guests use campground bathhouses (about 75 yards away).
• Swimming is free to overnight guests from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day when the beach is open.
• No cable hookup
• Electrical outlets limited to 50-amp service are available.
• No extra bed rentals

Site type

Laurel Ridge Campground - LREW38ftYellow (Electric and Water) - color code: yellow. Offers 20, 30 and 50 amp hookup. Various equipment up to 38 feet; six sites. The sites have been designed for larger RVs.

Redbud Campground - RBEW30ftGreen (Electric and Water) - color code: green. Allows trailers, motorhomes and popups 22-30 feet long. RBEW22ftWhite (Electric and Water) - Color code: white. Allows tents, vans, trailers, motorhomes and popups up to 22 long. Offers 20 and 30-amp hookup. Total 30 sites.

Total sites of each type: Laurel Ridge; LREW38ftYellow, 6; Redbud; RBEW30Green, 8; and RBEW22White, 22. GroupSite, 1. CampLodge, 1.

Recreation

TRAILS

The park has seven hiking trails and one aquatic trail. Lakeshore Trail is a 6.3-mile hiking trail that loops around the lake and the Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, passing through a hardwood forest, wetlands and managed pine plantation. Saunders Creek Trail provides access from the campground to the picnic area and is .1-mile in length. Dogwood Ridge Trail is a .7-mile loop that starts across from  Redbud Campground. Northridge Trail is .4-miles and provides a ridge top walk from the picnic area toward the northern end of Holliday Lake and hooks up with the Lakeshore Trail. The Laurel Ridge Trail runs from the Laurel Ridge Campground and connects to Saunders Creek Trail. The S-Curve Trail, which begins at Redbud Campground and ends at the picnic area, enables guests to stay off of the road. The Sunfish Aquatic Trail is a self-guided water adventure that requires a boat and free trail brochure. A brochure map and numbered stop's provide information about the lake and environment as you paddle around its edges. The trailhead for Carter Taylor Connector Trail is next to the amphitheater. The trail connects to a 10.2-mile loop in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest for hikers, bicycle riders and horseback riders. A State Forest Use Permit is required for bicyclists and equestrians using that trail.

Visit the Explore Virginia Outdoors website for enhanced maps and video tours of Holliday Lake's trails.

SWIMMING

Swimming is available at the beach from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. There is a fee for beach swimming. Click here for park fees. Discount swim coupons and annual swimming passes are available at the park only. Beach and boathouse hours are:

• Weekdays: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.*
• Weekends and holidays: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.*

Summer beach schedule: The beach area may be closed on weekdays after Memorial Day to early June and from mid-August to Labor Day weekend. If your stay depends on swimming, please contact the park beforehand for details.

The life-guarded swimming beach area has a bathhouse and a concession operation. Rental boats and beach merchandise are available at the boathouse.

Swimming, when available, is free for overnight guests but cannot be guaranteed should circumstances beyond the park's control require that swimming be closed (emergencies, weather related incidents, etc). Refunds for swimming to overnight guests won't be made under any circumstances. Also, when the beach reaches capacity, park staff may stop selling and distributing swim arm bands to day-use and overnight guests until the number of people on the beach reaches a safe level. The concession stand will remain open at such times. We apologize for any inconvenience.

FISHING, BOATING

If you’re looking for great largemouth bass fishing, this scenic lake is for you. You’ll also find chain pickerel, crappie and yellow perch. It’s a good place to escape the daily grind and enjoy a peaceful day on the water.

Fishing is available with valid Virginia fishing license. Licenses are sold at the park Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Boat Launching is available; electric motors only. No gas-powered boats.

Boat Rentals: Jon boats, canoes, and kayaks are available from the first weekend in April through last weekend in October, weather permitting. Guests should rent from the park office or contact station prior to Memorial Day weekend and after Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, boats are rented at the boat house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. One-hour and half and full-day rentals are available for Jon boats, canoes and sit-on-top kayaks. Stand-up paddle boards are rented by the hour, and pedal-boats are rented for 30 or 60 minutes; both are available from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

HORSES

None at this park.

Park Trail Guide

Click here for the park's trail guide.

Click here for its general facilities guide.

Nearby Attractions

• Appomattox
• Appomattox Tourism
• Appomattox Court House National Historical Park (Civil War)
• Clover Hill Village (restored historical village)
• Bear Creek Lake State Park
• High Bridge Trail State Park
• James River State Park
• Museum of the Confederacy (Appomattox)
• Twin Lakes State Park

Picnic Shelters

The park offers lakeside picnicking near the swimming beach. Shelters have tables and grills, and restrooms are nearby. Reserve shelters by calling the Customer Service Center, 800-933-7275. Small shelters only.

Two shelters are available for rent. Parking and swimming fees are not included in shelter rental. Click here for park fees. Shelters can be rented from 8 a.m. to dusk (all day).

Cancellation policy: No refund within 14 days before reserved date. Before then, there's a cancellation fee.

Amenities: Both shelters have a large grill, picnic tables and access to restroom.

Shelter 1:

• Located adjacent to the edge of the lake, near restroom.
• Shelter can accommodate 25 people under the shelter. More seating is available around the shelter.

Shelter 2:

• Across from swimming beach.
• Shelter can accommodate 36 people under the shelter. More seating is available around the shelter.
• Wooden ramp for wheelchair access into shelter.

Meeting Space and Facilities

MEETING FACILITIES

None at this park. Nearby Bear Creek Lake and Twin Lakes state parks have meeting facilities.

VISITOR CENTER, GIFT SHOP

No visitor center. Gifts and souvenirs are available year-round at the park office. Fishing licenses may be purchased at the park office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some camping items are available at the contact station when it's open. Beach supplies, worms and souvenirs are available at the boat house during summer.

RESTAURANT

None. This park has a snack bar in season where guests may order steak and cheese sandwiches, burgers, onion rings and sno-cones.

LAUNDRY

Closest laundry facility is 20 minutes from the park.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER

None at this park.

Other Info

ACCESSIBILITY

• Campground: No designated universally accessible sites, but the park can, on request, arrange to place those with disabilities near the restrooms. Roadways are paved and sidewalks to restroom are paved.
• Restroom: Accessible toilet and shower in each. Doors to building are not automatic, and space inside is tight but manageable by wheelchair.
• Picnic area: Restroom has elevated toilet, but the stall area does not meet wheelchair access size. Doors are not automatic and difficult to open from within. There are paved sidewalks to the building. Several wheelchair height picnic tables are scattered throughout the area, and the ground is fairly even in most places. There's a ramp for wheelchair access into shelter 2.
• Concession/swimming beach: Concession restrooms are large and open. The toilet is elevated, but space within the stall is inadequate for turning. There's a universally accessible shower with seat in each restroom. Universally accessible parking is available by building and paved sidewalks for access. Paved walkways lead to the fishing pier, beach, accessible playgrounds and food service window.
• Although motorized vehicles are not permitted on park trails, electric wheelchairs and electric scooters that meet the federal definition for wheelchairs are allowed to enable people with disabilities to use the trails.

NATURE, HISTORY PROGRAMS

Click here to view all parks' events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs. The park offers canoe tours, ranger-conducted hikes, campfire programs, environmental education programs and specialty workshops.

CONCESSIONS

Operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Concessions include snack bar and beach swimming.

The snack bar is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays and stops serving hot food at 6 p.m. On weekdays, it's open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and stops serving hot food at 5 p.m. It may be closed on weekdays after Memorial Day to early June and from mid-August to Labor Day weekend. Call the park for more detail.

HISTORY

The area encompassing Holliday Lake State Park and the surrounding state forest was cleared in the 1800s for farmland. In the 1930s the federal government, through the Resettlement Administration, began buying the farms to return the land to its former productive hardwood forest state. The construction of a dam began at Fish Pond Creek but the dam was relocated to Holliday Creek where a lake could be created. Traces of family cemeteries can still be found in the area. After Holliday Lake was completed in 1938, the state, through an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, took over the management of the new day-use recreational area. In 1972, with the addition of campsites, the area became a state park.

FRIENDS GROUP

Feel like lending nature a hand? Please contact the Park at hollidaylake@dcr.virginia.gov to discuss the opportunity of forming a Friends of Holliday Lake State Park group. This group is a hands-on volunteer organization dedicated to preserving and supporting the park.

MASTER PLAN

Master plans must be written for parks before they're built. The plans are updated at least once every 10 years thereafter. The plans cover the size, types, infrastructure and locations of facilities as well as the site's special features and resources. Three public meetings are held during the initial development of each plan. Click here for this park's master plan.

WILDLIFE

Virginia State Parks are great places to discover and reconnect with the wild world. Bring a camera and share your captures with the world. But please don't disturb or get too close to the animals. The park is, after all, their home. Here are a few recent natural encounters others have had at Holliday Lake State Park.

View all wildlife encounter photos from Holliday Lake State Park.