If you are anything like me you love adventure and visiting Virginia State Parks is a big part of that adventure.

When I discovered we had an available weekend toward the end of August I decided it was time to book a random cabin at a random Virginia State Park. I knew that cabin rentals within the same month do not require a full one week stay, so anything that is available for August is up for grabs!

Cabin 1 James River State Park, Cabin 2 Staunton River State Park. Cabin 2 Fairy Stone State Park, Cabin 3 Westmoreland State Park, Cabin 5 Shenandoah River State Park, Cabin 6 Natural Tunnel State Park, Cabin 7 First Landing State Park

Since it is the weekend and the reservation center is currently closed I wanted to check available cabins online, but how to do that? I figured that if I didn't know how to do it, then you probably didn't know how either, so that is why I am sharing this with you here.

Follow these simple steps to find a random cabin at a random Virginia State Park for a special getaway:

   1) You can start by going here and then click on "enter date" next to Bear Creek Lake State Park.

   2) When the page changes, look at the choices along the top and click “Plan your trip.” This will give you a search box that has Bear Creek in the box. Change that to Virginia (manually type in the word "Virginia")

   3) Enter the dates you want and check whether you are flexible or not on the dates.

   4) Camping and lodging should be selected as "Interested in" and the next drop down menu below that select “Cabins or Lodgings” under “Looking For.” You can enter of occupants, or just leave it blank. Underneath that area it says "Filter You Results". Click on ""waterfront" if this is what you are after, or leave it blank. 

   5) You will now be given a list of state parks with available cabins for the date(s) you have specified. It will show you what cabin size, ie one bedroom, two or lodge and if you click on that you will now see a cabin loop map which is great to show you vicinity to the water, etc. This is the page where you can select the cabin and make your online reservation.

What sort of cabins are at what park?

I still have difficulty knowing what sort of cabins are at each park, so I always go to the Flickr sample cabins photos on each state park's page. I have my preferences of course, as much as the old CCC cabins have the rustic old timey feel, I enjoy the large open kitchens in the later cabins. 

For example, if you go to the Occoneechee State Park page, and click on cabins, camping just below the main paragraph it reads:

                    Click here to visit a Flickr photoset of typical cabins and lodges at the park. Cabins and lodges vary; any given dwelling may not match what's shown in the photos. Two of my own examples below:

Mom in the large open kitchen of newer Cabin 8 at Occoneechee State Park 

Cabin 8 at Douthat State Park has an updated kitchen, but it is enclosed from the main living area of the cabin. This is a 2 bedroom original CCC cabin so we always enjoy the rustic feel of these cabins, and the kitchens tend to have their own back door.

Learn more about the more than 300 cabins available to rent at Virginia State Parks here. For cabin rental rates and seasons click here (PDF). Don't forget pets are allowed to overnight in Virginia State Parks' cabins for a daily fee, so there is no need to leave your four-legged family members in a kennel.

You are probably wondering what I came up with?

I did my random cabin search for a random state park and one thing is for sure, I have yet to go to Lake Anna State Park, but it is on my list...but the winner in my quest for some outdoor adventure in August is Hungry Mother State Park! I had been to Hungry Mother State Park way back in 2010 when I hiked Molly's Knob (you may have seen the photo below), so I am super pleased to be going again.

A hike to the top of Molly's Knob Trail offers a grand reward at Hungry Mother State Park

Helpful Hint:

Remember last minute cabin discounts are posted online on our Virginia State Parks Facebook page and twitter account @vastateparks. This means you can save 25% off the cabin rental rate for the upcoming weekend! I recommend keeping your eyes peeled for this if you want a spur of the moment getaway.

So what do you say, do you want to forget your worries at a cozy state park cabin? Click here to begin your random search for a random cabin at Virginia State Parks