From Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, there’s something for everyone at Virginia State Parks. Whether you’re after a relaxing picnic or a two-week vacation, leave life’s daily pressures behind and reconnect with nature and your family at a nearby state park.

Park Locations

You’ll find plenty of programs, events and activities at Virginia State Parks. Our 35 parks have thousands of campsites, hundreds of cabins, more than 500 miles of trails and convenient access to Virginia’s major waterways. Beaches, picnic shelters, family lodges, meeting facilities, festivals, concerts, nature programs, cultural happenings… the list goes on and on. 

Having a blast at Bear Creek Lake State Park

Photo courtesy of Bill Crabtree Jr., Virginia Tourism Corporation

Family, friends and fun (and food!)

Photo courtesy of Bill Crabtree Jr., Virginia Tourism Corporation

Numbers, numbers, numbers!

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation manages a diversity of lands:

• -35 state parks
• -6 undeveloped parks
• -59 natural areas
• -More than 120,000 total acres, mostly in state parks
• -More than 500 miles of trails
• -260 cabins (located at Bear Creek Lake, Belle Isle, Chippokes, Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, First Landing, Hungry Mother, James River, Lake Anna, Natural Tunnel, Occoneechee, Shenandoah River, Smith Mountain Lake, Southwest Virginia Museum, Staunton River, Twin Lakes, Westmoreland)
• -22 five and six-bedroom cabins (Bear Creek, Belle Isle, Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, Hungry Mother, James River, Kiptopeke, Natural Tunnel, Occoneechee, Shenandoah River, Westmoreland)
• -1,608 campsites in 25 different parks
• -88 picnic shelters
• -20 visitor centers
• -11 swimming beaches
• -5 swimming pools
• -2 restaurants; 19 snack bars

Water, water everywhere

Virginia State Parks have small (50- to 170-acre) man-made lakes at Bear Creek Lake (Cumberland County), Douthat (Clifton Forge), Fairy Stone (Patrick County), Holliday Lake (Appomattox County), Hungry Mother (Marion), Pocahontas (Chesterfield County) and Twin Lakes (Prince Edward County).

Each offers sandy swimming beaches with lifeguards from Memorial Day to Labor Day (no swimming at Swift Creek Lake at Pocahontas) and boat rentals. Gasoline motors are not allowed on these lakes to insure the safety and enjoyment of all those using the lakes. All are regularly stocked by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Guarded swimming beaches are also features of Smith Mountain Lake, Claytor Lake and Lake Anna State Parks. These lakes allow gas-powered boats. First Landing and Kiptopeke have unguarded swimming beaches on the Chesapeake Bay.

Swimming pools:

• -Chippokes (Surry County)
• -Natural Tunnel (Duffield)
• -Pocahontas (Chesterfield County)
• -Staunton River (Halifax County)
• -Westmoreland (Montross)

State parks offer gas powered boating access to the following bodies of water

• -Smith Mountain Lake
• -Claytor Lake
• -Buggs Island Lake (Occoneechee and Staunton River State Parks)
• -Lake Anna
• -York River
• -Potomac River (Westmoreland and Leesylvania State Parks)
• -Chesapeake Bay (Kiptopeke and First Landing State Parks)
• -Rappahannock River (Belle Isle)
• -James River

What do you say, are you ready to come out and play?