The park is closed during hunts Nov. 8-11 and Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 as well as Dec. 13-16.
GENERAL INFO: Occoneechee State Park is on Buggs Island Lake, also known as known as the John H. Kerr Reservoir. It's Virginia’s largest lake. The park has 18.1 miles of trails that allow guests to experience up-close the history of the Occoneechee Indians and plantation life in the 1800s. The state began leasing the land for recreational use from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1968.
AT-A-GLANCE: The pictographs directly below show park offerings. Click on those of interest or read below for more detail. Mouse-over the image for a short text description or click here to view a legend in which each pictograph's meaning is expressed.
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: There are 11 cabins, two lodges 88 campsites for tents and RVs, and 11 equestrian campsites. Water view sites by reservation only. Swimming is not permitted at this park. 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: 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. Cabins and lodges are open year-round and may be reserved up to 11 months in advance.
Lodges: Occoneechee has two 6-bedroom lodges. During prime season, both lodges are rented for week-long stays. L009-SAT stays start on Saturday and L012-SUN stays start 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: Two-bedroom frame, 6; two-bedroom frame waterview, 3; three-bedroom frame, 1; three-bedroom frame waterview, 1; six-bedroom lodge, 2
Site Types
Two-bedroom frame– two-bedroom frame cabin, sleeps six maximum, one queen bed, two sets of bunk beds (sleeps four); no bed rentals.
Two-bedroom frame waterview – two-bedroom frame cabin, water-view, sleeps six maximum, one queen bed, two sets of bunk beds. (Cabin 11, which is handicapped-accessible, has a queen bed, a fold-out queen sofa bed in the living area, and two twin beds instead of bunkbeds.) No bed rentals.
Three-bedroom frame – 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.
Three-bedroom frame waterview – three-bedroom frame cabin, water-view, sleeps eight maximum, one queen bed, two single beds in second bedroom, two sets of bunk beds in third bedroom; no bed rentals.
Six-bedroom lodge – six bedrooms, sleeps 16 maximum, three baths, handicapped accessible, two bedrooms with a queen size bed in each, two bedrooms with two single beds in each, and two bedrooms with two sets of bunk beds in each; no bed rentals.
Total: 11 cabins; two lodges.
Total sites of each type: Standard, 51; EW, 34; StdWaterview, 18; EW Waterview, 5
Site type:
Campground B:
B Brown Std 30ft: Various equipment, no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only.
B Green EW 35ft: 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.
B Gray Std-W 30ft: Waterfront sites for various equipment, no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only.
Campground C:
C Purple Std 30ft: Various equipment, no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only.
C Blue EW 30ft: RVs up to 30 feet in Campground C (no exceptions); various equipment; electric and water hook-ups. Accepts outlets for 20 and 30 amp current.
C Red Std-W 30ft: Waterfront sites for various equipment with no hookups; RVs up to 30 feet only (no exception).
C Orange EW-W 30ft: 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.
Occoneechee Equestrian Campground: 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. Trails are open but may be in poor condition after heavy rain. The park is stabilizing the trails with material to prevent such conditions in the future.
Camping Lodge (bunkhouse) – Two-night minimum; no full-week requirement. The two-room lodge has seven bunk beds, a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffeepot, and heating and air conditioning. A small front deck and a large (12 feet by 24 feet) covered back deck with two picnic tables are just outside the building. Cooking and smoking are not permitted inside the lodge. Gas and charcoal grills are permitted but not provided. Four vehicles are covered with rental of the camping lodge; all other vehicles must pay the park's daily parking fee and park in the overflow or other designated parking areas. It’s available only during camping season, from March 1 to the first Monday in December. This facility is not sold 11 months in advance; it goes online in January each year. Check-in is 3 p.m., and check-out is 10 a.m.
The transfer deadline policy and cancellation and pet fees are the same as those for cabins.
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 15-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: Managed lottery hunts for shotgun and muzzeloading weapons. See http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/hunting.shtml for more information. Also, the Occoneechee Panhandle Area provides public hunting for those with a valid state hunting license; you must register at the area's access gate.
PARKS CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Click here to download a flier about the annual 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 annual Occoneechee Native American Festival held in May. 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: The closest laundry facility is nearby in Clarksville.
RESTAURANT: There are several nearby in Clarksville.
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 Gov. 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.
FRIENDS GROUP: The Friends of Occoneechee State Park is a group of volunteers registered with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to support the park, its staff and park users. The citizen support organization (CSO) group’s mission is to identify and promote activities to conserve, enhance and interpret the park’s natural, cultural, scenic, historic, educational and recreational resources. Learn about or join the friends group or send an email note.
