Virginia State Parks

Virginia has 42 state parks — one of the finest state park systems in the South, covering the full range of Tidewater, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Appalachian landscapes.

Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville)
On the South Fork Shenandoah River — tubing, kayaking, and fishing in the shadow of Massanutten Mountain. The 24-mile river access makes this the finest water recreation state park in the Shenandoah Valley. The Culler's Overlook trail gives views of the river meanders and the Blue Ridge.

Grayson Highlands State Park (Mouth of Wilson)
Adjacent to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area — the most dramatic state park in Virginia. The Wilburn Ridge trail (through the park and into the adjacent NRA) passes through rhododendron tunnels to high, open bald summits above 5,000 feet. Wild ponies (Virginia Highlands ponies) roam the high balds — descendants of ponies brought to the mountain in the 1970s to control vegetation. The park has outstanding camping at elevation.

First Landing State Park (Virginia Beach)
Virginia's most-visited state park — at the northern tip of Virginia Beach, where the English colonists first landed in 1607 before proceeding up the James River to Jamestown. The park's unusual Tidewater ecology (bald cypress swamps, Live oak maritime forest, Atlantic coastal dunes) within the Virginia Beach metro is remarkable. The Cape Henry Trail gives access to Chesapeake Bay beach.

Natural Tunnel State Park (Duffield)
In southwest Virginia — the Natural Tunnel is a 850-foot-long, 100-foot-wide tunnel carved by Stock Creek through limestone and dolomite. The tunnel was used by the Southern Railway and is still active (freight trains pass through). The park's chairlift descends to the tunnel observation area.

Sky Meadows State Park (Delaplane)
In the northern Piedmont below the Blue Ridge — pastoral meadows, historic farm buildings, and a connection to the Appalachian Trail. The park preserves an important section of the Virginia Hunt Country landscape.