Perhaps Valentine’s Day 2021 has you wondering how you will celebrate romantic love without the traditional theater and restaurant plans. For outdoor enthusiasts and those seeking to try something new this Valentine’s Day, Sky Meadows State Park could be the romantic getaway you are looking for. Less than an hour drive from Northern Virginia and about an hour from within the DC beltway, Sky Meadows State Park has long been a destination for those looking to “get away from it all” and has especially appealed to couples looking for a quiet place to rest and rejuvenate.

After taking in the scenery, it should be no surprise that the park has been the site of
countless romantic stories, including first dates, proposals and weddings.

Whether slowing down your busy lives to reconnect with a spouse or partner or aiming for a memorable first date, consider the natural beauty of the outdoors. Sky Meadows State Park is situated in the Crooked Run Valley and offers breathtaking vistas, abundant trails to explore, and beautiful picnic spots. After taking in the scenery, it should be no surprise that the park has been the site of countless romantic stories, including first dates, proposals and weddings.

This Valentine’s Day, consider the natural beauty of the outdoors.

The park is rich in history, both recorded and unwritten. From my time interacting with visitors, I have learned some of their stories and the role the park played in their journeys together. Allow me to share some examples of how Sky Meadows has been a site of romantic stories, and maybe this Valentine’s Day, you will be inspired to add one of yours. 

Historic Mt. Bleak has been the backdrop for both historical and modern tales of love.

Visitors interested in Sky Meadows’ rich history can catch a glimpse of the park’s Civil War-era history. The ca. 1844 Historic Mount Bleak has been the location for many meaningful events for the families that lived there, including weddings and other tales of romance. Amanda Edmonds, niece and neighbor to Mount Bleak Farm residents, kept a diary from 1857-1867 (a published version of which can be purchased in Sky Meadow’s gift shop). A read of the diary takes you into the historical tales of love at Mount Bleak.

In one entry from April 1861, Amanda writes about attending her cousin Kate’s wedding at Mount Bleak. The wedding was supposed to take place on the first sunny day following several days of heavy rain. However, much to the anxiety of Amanda and the other attendants (and the bride), the groom was a no-show. It turns out he was kept from crossing a flooded Shenandoah River, delaying his arrival by one day. In a time before cell phones (or phones at all for that matter), the situation made for a suspenseful and dramatic wedding story, as eloquently told by Amanda. Just a few entries later, and you find Amanda writing about the coming Civil War, during which Amanda continued to find that all was fair in love and war.

Skip ahead more than 150 years and, although the park maintains the integrity of the Mount Bleak Historic Area as a wedding-free zone, there are several options for planning nuptials in the park. The beautiful pastoral landscape makes it especially appealing to couples interested in small ceremonies with nature or historical themes. Contact the park office for more details on meeting spaces and facilities for planning a wedding.

Photo Credit: Meredith Sledge Photography

Sky Meadows also welcomes guests seeking out the scenery as a backdrop to their photographs, whether that be engagement, wedding or annual family photos. Those interested can help us by ‘knowing before you go.’ If you are a professional photographer for such occasions, photography is permitted by Special Use Permit only. To inquire about applying for a professional photography permit, please call the park or email skymeadows@dcr.virginia.gov.

While working in the park Visitor Center, many couples have eagerly shared with me how they found love or bonded over a backcountry camping trip. I have witnessed at least one proposal from the window of the Visitor Center. Finally (if you are still reading and will indulge me), I will share a first-hand account of the “Sky Meadows Effect” on a budding romance. 

Once upon a time, I had never been to Sky Meadows State Park. I was living in Washington, DC, and my boyfriend at the time wanted to go camping. He had never gone camping before, and it had been years since I had camped as a kid. My boyfriend bought a tent and some supplies and made a campsite reservation for 2 nights for his birthday weekend. We drove out of the beltway on a Friday evening and arrived at Sky Meadows State Park just in time to unload the car and begin our hike to the campground at dusk. We decided to carry all our water in gallon jugs rather than treat the non-potable water from the campground water spigot. We promptly got lost in the woods as it was getting dark. Skip ahead more than 10 years; that boyfriend is now my spouse and the park where we had our first camping trip together (where we did eventually find the campground and have been back many times) is one of our favorite places, and now my workplace. Although I cannot guarantee that every couple who comes here will fall in love with each other, I am confident that you will fall in love with this park. At least, you might decide to be friends.