GENERAL INFO: Occoneechee State Park is on Virginia’s largest lake, Buggs Island Lake, also known as John H. Kerr Reservoir. The park features 18.1 miles of trails that allow the guest to experience the history of the Occoneechee Indians and plantation life in the 1800s. The Commonwealth of Virginia began leasing the land for recreational use from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1968.
LOCATION: From I-85, take Route 58 West Exit at South Hill. Park is located on Route 58 one mile east of Clarksville.
Drive Time: Northern Virginia, three and a half hours; Richmond, two hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, three hours; Roanoke, two and half hours
Click here for a Google map.
PARK MAP: Click here (PDF).
OVERNIGHT FACILITIES: Cabins, two lodges and camping. Water view sites by reservation only. This park offers no swimming. Boat launch is free for campers. Most campsite areas are shaded. 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. Click here for park fees.
Click here for details on reservation cancellation and transfer policies. A fee is charged per pet per night for overnight stays.
Cabins and Lodges: No swimming offered at this park. Weekly rentals, which are required for these facilities during prime season, start on Saturday or Sunday. No bed rentals. A two-night minimum stay is required the rest of the year, however in prime season guests who wish to stay less than a week may call 30 days prior to desired arrival date to see if there is vacancy for two-night minimum stay. The cabins and lodges are open year-round and reserved 11 months in advance.
Lodges: Occoneechee has two lodges. During prime season, LOD#09 rents weekly starting on Saturday; LOD#12 starts renting on Sunday.
Each lodge has:
Cabins: During prime season, cabins 1-6 rent weekly starting on Saturday; cabins 7, 8, 10, 11 and 13 start renting on Sunday.
Total sites of each type: CF2B, 6; CF2W, 3; CF3B, 1; CF3W, 1; LD6B, 2
Site Types
CF2B – two-bedroom frame cabin, sleeps six maximum, one queen bed, two sets of bunk beds (sleeps four); no bed rentals.
CF2W – two-bedroom frame cabin, water-view, sleeps six maximum, one queen bed, two sets of bunk beds (sleeps four); no bed rentals.
CF3B – three-bedroom frame cabin, sleeps eight maximum, one queen bed, two single beds in second bedroom, two sets of bunk beds (sleeps four) in third bedroom; no bed rentals.
CF3W – three-bedroom frame cabin, water-view, sleeps eight maximum, one queen bed, two single beds in second bedroom, two sets of bunk beds (sleeps four) in third bedroom; no bed rentals.
LD6B (both lodges) – six bedrooms, sleeps 16 maximum, three baths, handicapped accessible, two queen size beds in two bedrooms, two single beds in two bedrooms, two sets of bunk beds each in two bedrooms (each room sleeps four); no bed rentals.
Total: 11 cabins; two lodges.
Total sites of each type: RSTD, 51; REWA, 34; RSTW, 18; REWW, 5
Site type:
Campground B:
RSTD - BROWN: Various equipment, no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only.
REWA - GREEN: Electric and water; RVs up to 35 feet allowed only in Campground B (no exceptions); various equipment; no sewer. Accepts outlets for 20 and 30 amp current. These sites are not on the lake.
RSTW - GRAY: Waterfront sites for various equipment, no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only.
Campground C:
RSTD - PURPLE: Various equipment, no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only.
REWA - BLUE: Electric and water; RVs up to 30 feet in Campground C (no exceptions); various equipment; no sewer. Accepts outlets for 20 and 30 amp current.
RSTW - RED: Waterfront sites for various equipment with no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only (no exception).
REWW - ORANGE: Waterfront site for various equipment with electric and water hookups; RVs up to 30 feet (no exceptions). Accepts outlets for 20 and 30 amp current. These types of sites are in Campground C only.
Total campsites: 88.
Camping Lodge (bunkhouse): Occoneechee State Park has one camping lodge (bunkhouse) for rent. The two-room lodge has seven sets of bunk beds, a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffeepot, and heating and air conditioning. Outside the camping lodge are a small front deck and a large covered back deck (12’ x 24’) with two picnic tables. Cooking and smoking are not permitted inside the lodge. Gas or charcoal grills are permitted but not provided. Four vehicles are permitted with rental of the camping lodge. Others with vehicles must pay the daily parking fee and park in overflow or other designated parking areas. No week-long stay requirement.
Occoneechee Equestrian Campground: Coming
soon. Eleven 100 by 24-foot
campsites with electricity; eleven 12 by 12-foot covered stalls (not
specifically assigned). This campground operates from March 1 to the
first Monday in December. Check-in is 4 p.m., check-out is 3 p.m.
One vehicle in addition to RV or horse trailer, popup or two small tents; maximum occupancy is six people per campsite. The campground is designed mainly for self-sustaining horse trailers and RVs, but equestrian customers with other camping equipment are welcome.
SWIMMING: No swimming or wading from the shoreline is permitted because of hazardous drop-offs and heavy boating traffic.
TRAILS: About 3.1 miles of walking trails wind through woodlands throughout the park. A one-mile self-guided interpretive trail takes visitors to the terraced gardens of the Old Plantation grounds. The park also has a 17-mile round trip multi-purpose linear trail for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
FISHING, BOATING: Fishing: Buggs Island Lake and connecting Lake Gaston are famous for the number and size of fish found there. Striped and largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and perch are plentiful. A valid Virginia or North Carolina fishing license is required.
Boating: Available year-round. Motorboats are allowed. Three boat launching ramps are available for access to Buggs Island Lake for both motorized and non-motorized boats. Call 1-800-933-PARK to purchase an annual boat launch passport. Click here for park fees.
A Buggs Island Special Pass covers boat launching and parking for Occoneechee and Staunton River state parks . Call 1-800-933-PARK for more information.
Pontoon and fishing boats, including safety equipment, can be rented at boat ramp #1 from Clarksville Marine Rentals, Inc. It's open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Boats must be returned by 6 p.m. Thirty gallons of gas are included in the rental. Call (434) 374-2525 or (434) 374-2755 to make reservations.
HUNTING: Restricted to designated areas. Call the park for details.
PARKS CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Click here to download a flier about the 2008 Occoneechee Native American Festival. The festival is generally held in mid-May. Click here to view all parks' events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs.
VISITOR CENTER, GIFT SHOP: Camper registration. Also, the center features Native American history, "The Occoneechee Story," a living hut and artifacts. Also within is a year-round gift shop featuring Native American merchandise, t-shirts, hats, souvenirs, postcards and educational material.
NATURE, HISTORY PROGRAMS: Click here to download a flier about the 2007 Occoneechee Native Americal Festival on May 12, 2007. Click here to view all parks' events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER: None.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Prestwood Plantation; John H. Kerr Dam with Visitor Center. Visit www.clarksvillva.com for more information about the area.
PICNIC SHELTERS: The park has two shelters that can be rented from 8 a.m. to dusk (all day). Call 1-800-933-PARK to reserve. Shelter users may use the volleyball area, and the park lends volleyballs as well as horseshoes. The shelters are available for rent from the first weekend in March through the first weekend in December. Parking fees are not included in the rental (see above for details). Click here for park fees.
Cancellation policy: No refund within 14 days before reserved date. Before then, there's a cancellation fee.
Shelter 1 (small): Accommodates up to 50 people comfortably. It has lights as well as electrical outlets and is near the playground, which makes it ideal for kids. It also features horseshoe pits, a trail leading to a beautiful lakefront view and a modern restroom facility.
Shelter 2 (large): It accommodates up to 125 comfortably and is near the playground, horseshoe pits and restrooms. This shelter is handicapped accessible, has lights and electrical outlets and is on the left just past the visitor center.
CONCESSIONS: Pontoon and fishing boats, including safety equipment, can be rented at boat ramp #1 from Clarksville Marine Rentals, Inc. It's open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Boats must be returned by 6 p.m. Thirty gallons of gas are included in the rental. Call (434) 374-2525 or (434) 374-2755 to make reservations.
LAUNDRY: Closest laundromat is one and a half miles from park.
RESTAURANT: Several of each within one mile of park.
HISTORY: From 1250 to 1670, the Occoneechee Indians lived on an island on the Roanoke River near what is now Occoneechee State Park. In 1676, the Occoneechee were caught up in Bacon's Rebellion. Events that followed led to an abrupt end of the Occoneechee's prominence in the region. Neither Governor Berkeley nor most Virginians approved of Bacon’s actions.
Nearly 200 years after the attack on the Indians, William Townes built a plantation on this land by the water. A 20-room mansion with horse stables, a smokehouse, servants’ quarters and beautiful terraced gardens were built on his 3,100-acre plantation in 1839. In 1898 the mansion was destroyed by fire. The landscaping of the garden can still be seen in the park today.
