5 parks within an hour of Roanoke

If you love spending time outdoors, Roanoke is the place for you. From mountain biking and hiking to kayaking and fishing, this mountain city offers a long list of adventures. In addition to its own opportunities for connecting with nature, Roanoke provides you with easy access to the renowned Appalachian Trail and five Virginia State Parks.

Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, Smith Mountain Lake and Natural Bridge state parks are located within an hour’s drive of Roanoke. Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, camping, swimming, boating or relaxing by a fire, these five parks offer something for everyone.

Let’s look at these five parks and why they’re worth visiting.

1. Claytor Lake State Park

Distance from Roanoke: Approximately 55 miles, 1-hour drive

Claytor Lake State Park is situated along the 4,500-acre Claytor Lake, so boating and fishing are popular activities. The park even has a sandy beach and full-service marina with docking slips, supplies, fuel and boat rentals.

If you prefer to stay on land, Claytor Lake has six trails, totaling 7 miles. They’re rated easy to moderate and are open year-round to hiking and biking.

Complete your visit with an overnight stay at one of the park’s campsites* or in a cabin, family lodge or yurt.

Claytor Lake is also a great location for weddings, birthday parties and family reunions. Not only does the park have a waterfront meeting facility with a kitchen and deck but it also has seven picnic shelters available for rent.

Bonus adventure: Head to the historic Howe House (PDF), which was built between 1876 and 1879 by Haven Howe, a Civil War veteran and early environmentalist. While the house serves as the park office, it features interactive exhibits that describe the ecology of the lake and the surrounding areas.

*Due to improvements, Campgrounds Birch is closed through the 2025 season. Campground Cedar will open for the 2025 season on April 4. Campground Alder will open for the 2025 season on May 23.

Mountain Biking at Claytor Lake State Park

2. Douthat State Park

Distance from Roanoke: Approximately 45 miles, 1-hour drive

Douthat State Park opened in 1936 and is one of Virginia’s original six state parks. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places for the role its design played in the development of parks nationwide.

Douthat is 4,500 acres and has more than 40 miles of wooded hiking trails, ranging from easy to difficult. Most of the 26 trails are open to mountain bikers and some allow horses. Cell phone service at the park is limited, so we recommend downloading the park’s trail maps from Avenza before your visit.

The park also offers playgrounds, an amphitheater, picnic areas, tent and trailer camping, 32 cabins and three family lodges.

For an off-land adventure, check out the 50-acre Douthat Lake, perfect for fishing, relaxing on the sandy beach and boating (gas-powered boats are prohibited).

Bonus adventure: Whether you want a Douthat sweatshirt, s’mores fixings or fishing lures, the Lakeview Camp Store and Grill has it all. We recommend checking it out and grabbing breakfast or lunch from the grill* during your visit.

*The grill has seasonal hours. Please visit the park’s website before your visit for more information.

Tent camping at Douthat State Park

3. Fairy Stone State Park

Distance from Roanoke: Approximately 50 miles, 1-hour drive

At 4,741 acres, Fairy Stone State Park is the largest of Virginia’s original six state parks and remains one of the largest to this day.

The park is well known for its 168-acre lake that has a swimming beach and allows boating (gas-powered boats are prohibited) and fishing. For anglers, the lake is home to largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish and October-stocked trout.

On land, you can find more than 10 miles of trails—some of which are open to hiking, biking and horseback riding—cabins, yurts, RV and equestrian campgrounds*, two playgrounds, six picnic shelters and a conference center for private events.

Bonus adventure: Fairy Stone State Park is named after the rare stone crystals, known as Fairy Stones, that can be found in the park. They’re considered to be good luck, and the park will host guided Fairy Stone hunts for visitors throughout the year.

*Due to improvements, the main campground will be closed through February 2026. While the equestrian campground will not be directly impacted, overnight guests will not be able to use the bathhouse and dump station at the main campground.

Water-front cabin at Fairy Stone State Park

4. Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Distance from Roanoke: Approximately 40 miles, 45-minute drive

Smith Mountain Lake State Park is located on Virginia’s second-largest freshwater lake. In addition to boating and fishing opportunities, the park has a 500-foot swimming beach, one of only two public beaches on the 20,000-acre lake.

While the easy access to the water attracts many visitors, it’s not all this 1,248-acre park has to offer. There are 13 hiking and biking trails, ranging from half a mile to 3 miles, picnic pads, a picnic shelter, a playground, 20 cabins, and tent and RV camping sites.

The park’s Discovery Center is a popular spot for interactive programs, and the visitor center has various educational displays and a small gift shop.

Bonus adventure: Head to the Discovery Center to access the .3-mile Lake View Trail. At the end of the trail, keep an eye out for the osprey nest. Between March and September, the ospreys usually nest here, and the female will lay eggs in April that hatch in May. You can also see a recording of the nest at the visitor center.

The beach at Smith Mountain Lake State Park

5. Natural Bridge State Park

Distance from Roanoke: Approximately 36 miles, 45-minute drive

Natural Bridge State Park is home to the iconic Natural Bridge, a 200-foot limestone arch that’s a National Historic Landmark and geological wonder.

The park is about 1,500 acres and offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails. One of the most popular is Cedar Creek Trail, which takes visitors under the Bridge*, past Saltpeter Cave and to Lace Falls.

For the family, the park has a Children’s Discovery Area that features a Kids in Parks Track Trail and a Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom. Also, kids 15 and younger can fish Cedar Creek.

Natural Bridge also has an 18-hole disc golf course, three primitive group tent campsites, a large gift shop, a seasonal café and a Base Camp with education exhibits.

Bonus adventure: Natural Bridge State Park is an International Dark Sky Park, meaning the park has low light pollution and great stargazing. Stop by after dark to join a ranger-led sunset hike, stargazing program or lantern tour under the Natural Bridge.

*Accessing Cedar Creek Trail requires navigating a stairway with 137 steps. Accommodations for those with accessibility needs can be made upon request at the park's visitor center or by calling 540-291-1326. Strollers are not recommended because of the number of stairs.

The Natural Bridge

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In addition to the many activities above, each of these parks hosts a range of nature and history programs throughout the year, from guided walks and canoe trips to fossil hunts and living history demonstrations. You can learn more at virginiastateparks.gov/events.

Once you’re ready to start planning your trip to Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, Smith Mountain Lake or Natural Bridge state parks, you can find all the resources you need, including trail maps and reservation and pass information, at virginiastateparks.gov.