The Best State Parks To Visit In Virginia
From a divine equine stable to a massive natural bridge to a fairy stone factory to a legendary landing site, Virginia's 40-some state parks are among the prettiest preserves in the entire United States. We have chosen nine above all others that encapsulate the best of Virginia's sundry scenery to sample during a trip.
Grayson Highlands State Park
Grayson Highlands State Park has a lot of highlights. This southwestern preserve sits about 5,000 feet above sea level and provides access to Virginia's highest mountain. Mount Rogers, which protrudes nearly 2,500 feet above its surroundings, is climbable via the Appalachian Trail, a 2.5-mile section that crosses the park along with many other scenic trails. Some of those, like the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail, are catered for horseback riding. But the coolest equines in Grayson are not climbable. A herd of wild ponies, numbering over 100 and standing around four feet tall, lives in the park. The "almost heaven" John Denver sang about might actually be Grayson in Virginia proper.
Douthat State Park
Spanning 4,545 acres, Douthat State Park is slightly larger than Grayson and is the third-largest state park in Virginia. Those acres are filled with trails, streams, waterfalls, campsites, picnic areas, playgrounds, cabins, lodges, an amphitheater, a store, a restaurant, and a lake for swimming, boating, and fishing. The park does not have cell service, so you can rent a private lakefront campsite for a truly rustic retreat. If you would rather have some connection to the outside world, you can get Wi-Fi from the park office, store, and beach complex. Do that in Douthat.
Sky Meadows State Park
Another heavenly Virginia park, Sky Meadows, features the fields and forests that flank the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to being a state park, this relatively flat preserve is an International Dark Sky Park that attracts professional and amateur astronomers. It also attracts birders, who watch everything from woodpeckers to bald eagles, as well as historians, who tour the 18th-century Mt. Bleak-Skye Farm. Sky Meadows is near the not-so-bright lights of Paris, Virginia, where you can stop for beef tartare and chocolate mousse pavé after perusing the pastoral preserve.
Pocahontas State Park
Pocahontas is not far from civilization but is far and away the largest state park in Virginia. Its 7,919 acres sit about 20 miles from Richmond. And, yes, it was named after the historical figure turned Disney character. You can feel like Pocahontas while walking through winsome woods on 10 miles of hiking-specific trails, and then enter the modern age by hopping on a mountain bike and riding 44 miles of famous biking trails. Afterward, relax with a dip in the Aquatic Recreation Center or a show at the 2,000-seat Heritage Amphitheater. Pocahontas Premieres is a concert series held at the amphitheater from May through September.
Natural Bridge State Park
Natural Bridge State Park's main attraction is in its name. A 200-ish-foot bridge or arch was carved out of limestone by nature's hand and is now passed under by thousands of human feet. Along the way, they stomp around fields, forests, streams, campsites, a gift shop, and a 50-foot waterfall called Lace Falls. Although it is a bit of a trip, try to pair Natural Bridge with its sister, Natural Tunnel State Park, which has another massive natural arch. This one is used as a train tunnel and is decorated with lights each Christmas.
False Cape State Park
Despite its size and serenity, False Cape is one of Virginia's more underseen parks. This is likely due to location. False Cape is on a peninsula so remote that it feels like a deserted island, but that is central to its charm. Visitors can have their own private paradise, complete with pristine beaches, sprawling dunes, colorful meadows, salt marshes, maritime forests, sea turtles, wild horses, and primitive campsites. Virtually everything is primitive about False Cape. Even vehicles are prohibited. The park is accessible only by foot, bike, tram, and boat.
Fairy Stone State Park
One of the more magical preserves, Fairy Stone State Park, was named for its abundance of cross-shaped pebbles that, according to legend, are crystallized fairy tears. In reality, fairy stones are a nesosilicate mineral called staurolite. Park visitors can hunt for staurolite and keep what they find or else buy them from the park office. They can also hike, bike, camp, picnic, and horseback ride, as well as swim, boat, and fish in the 168-acre Fairy Stone Lake. Fairy Stone is an OG Virginia state park, having been one of the six that first opened on June 15, 1936.
Shenandoah River State Park
This park's full name is Shenandoah River Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. State Park, but it is called Shenandoah River for short. Naturally, it contains a portion of the Shenandoah River, where visitors fish and boat. The banks have hookups and cabins for scenic riverfront camping and 25 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails. One can marvel at the Shenandoah Valley's majestic mountains from almost anywhere in the park. Then they can climb said mountains in neighboring Shenandoah National Park, which has over 200,000 acres, to Shenandoah River State Park's 1,619.
First Landing State Park
Fittingly, First Landing, the site of English colonists' first visit to America, is one of the most visited state parks in Virginia. Each year, around a million people see what the Virginia Company saw in 1607, namely "faire meddowes," "goodly tall Trees," and "fresh waters running through the woods," as described by colonist George Percy in archaic English. Such timeless wonders are now combined with cabins, yurts, electric hookup campsites, picnic areas, boat ramps, a store, an amphitheater, and the Chesapeake Bay Center, where modern visitors learn more about the park's original visitors. History hikes are offered throughout the year.
Virginia shows its best when it comes to state parks. There are over 40 of them, and they comprise all kinds of nature, culture, and history. Although it was hard to pick favorites, Grayson Highlands, Douthat, Sky Meadows, Pocahontas, Natural Bridge, False Cape, Fairy Stone, Shenandoah River, and First Landing are, to us, the top state parks to see during a Virginia vacation. Start packing!
