Camping Vacations

Many people are wondering why the parks are closing when the storm track indicates an eastern swing late Thursday.   I'd like to take a moment to explain the complex preparations Virginia State Parks make in these situations.

First and foremost, visitor safety is the absolute priority.



Virginia State Parks follows a set of policy guidelines that require us to close the parks when an area is under a "hurricane watch."  This closure decision then triggers a complex set of protocols that are implemented with visitor safety in mind.

Weather forecasting is tricky business even on normal days--imagine trying to predict what will happen when the storm is nearly 200 miles wide with winds around 135 miles per hour.  NOAA simply can not determine with 100% accuracy the track of this storm.



Camping in an RV or tent in a wooded area during an intense storm is a lot different than hunkering down in your brick and mortar home.  Heavy rains and moderate winds can bring down tree branches and fling debris across the park.  Water pumps and electrical pedestals can fail due to downed trees and flood waters. 

Yesterday, park staff alerted guests that the park will be closing at 4 p.m.  Many park guests were directed to the Chesapeake Bay Center where City of Virginia Beach CVB staff and a public workstation with internet access is available.  Guests are able to transfer their park reservation to inland parks, book hotel rooms, check email and check the latest weather data.


Throughout yesterday and today, park staff are gassing up vehicles, inspecting and fueling chainsaws, inventorying signage, prepping traffic cones and pulling out safety equipment.  All of this is done with the goal of being able to open the park as soon as possible after the storm hits. 

Late this afternoon after the park is closed to visitors, park staff will secure buildings by pulling down hurricane shutters, securing outdoor furniture and closing all gates and access points.

Late this evening, park staff will secure their own homes and make last-minute shopping excursions for supplies for their families.  One of the reasons, we must make a closure decision so early in the storm tracking process is because we must give our employees time to handle their personal situations--relocating their families, stocking their hurricane kits, etc.

On Friday the storm is forecasted to pass through coastal Virginia between 4 a.m. and 2 p.m., once the situation is deemed safe, park staff will conduct inspections of all the public facilities and create a plan for re-opening the park.


The goal is to re-open as quickly as possible.  On Friday, as soon as conditions permit, work crews will go out with chainsaws, tractors, and work trucks to remove down trees and debris.  Dominion Power will be alerted to any electrical problems.  If flooding is a problem, the park manager may decide to open on a limited basis--for instance, the manager may decide to open for day use only or may decide to open only the campground loops that are safe for visitors.


The best thing to do is to check the Virginia State Parks website for information on re-opening of the parks.   Again, the main priority is visitor safety.  We will re-open as soon as possible!!

It's hurricane season so it seems prudent to take the time to explain one of the less pleasant decisions we have to make - when and how to decide to close a park for severe weather.


From the first hint that a Hurricane or significant weather event is heading our way, Virginia's Department of Emergency Management scheduled conference calls for Federal, State and Local officials and major utility providers to discuss preparedness for the storm.


From our perspective, the safety of our visitors is of paramount concern and Virginia State Parks has an official policy that helps us decide when it is prudent to close our facilities. In other words, when we decide we need to make our overnight and day guests leave the park. We do not make the decision lightly, but you can see with the policy, below, that we have well defined parameters for making that call.

Our official call to close a park or facilities is the trigger for when we waive cancellation fees. Prior to that determination, guests are free to cancel using our standard cancellation policy. You can always check the current conditions on the NOAA weather site.

Sometimes our guests have been upset that we have closed the park and sent them away from a place to stay with nowhere for them to go. However, our decision is always based on our determination that it is UNSAFE to be in the park under the forecasted conditions. Our goal is to provide the most accurate and advance notification within reason and to notify customers in advance of their arrival whenever possible. It is important that guests provide us with email addresses or multiple contact phone numbers so we can reach them in advance of their departure.

To help get the information about park closings to customers without the need for everyone to call our Reservation line, we have instituted a new emergency bulletin system. If there is urgent information like whole park closures or specific facility closures, there will be a brown box close to the top of a park's webpage (see arrow in the picture below) with "Click here to read an urgent message about this park." If you click that link you will be directed to a page with the current information.



We hope this new alert system will enable our visitors to know about any possible closings or issues that may impact their overnight stay or day visit before they leave their house.

The last thing we ever want to do is ruin someone's vacation or park visit, especially since some of these trips are planned eleven months in advance. But there is nothing like a tree falling through your tent or cabin to do just that not to mention potential life threatening events. And, yes the forecasts can be wrong but our intent is always to err on the side of caution when it comes to your safety!

This is the last big weekend of the summer.  Still time for you to visit and enjoy spending some time at a Virginia State Park!   Like this young lady from Rocky Mount Virginia and her guide "The Shenandoah Rover" did at Shenandoah River State Park.



The park is 1,604 acres with 5.6 miles of river frontage along the south fork of the Shenandoah River. The rolling, mountainous land features steep slopes and is mostly wooded. In addition to meandering river frontage, the park offers scenic vistas overlooking Massanutten Mountain to the west and Shenandoah National Park to the east.

Park Size: 1,604 acres, 5.6 miles of river frontage along the south fork of the Shenandoah River. About 140 acres are pastoral.  There is no boat launch, but there is a canoe put in spot with ample parking.

Shenandoah River State Park has 11 brand new cabins, a primitive campground right beside the river, an incredible new RV campground with full hook ups and even camping cabins for you to enjoy!  You can reserve your spot on line today or call 1-800-933-PARK for your Virginia State Parks experience.


Other features at this amazing Virginia State Park is a brand new state-of-the-art visitor center with LEED certification, picnic shelters, hiking, biking and horseback trails and plenty of parking.  Don't miss the view from the lookout near the Visitor Center, especially at sunset or sunrise, it is spectacular!

There is so much to love at Virginia State Parks - I dare you to prove me wrong!

A visitor contributed blog by Vel Allard from Wakefield, Virginia

We were so happy. A whole two weeks of vacation coming up in our brand new, never been used pop-up Coleman camper. It was thrilling and exciting to be heading off for our very first trip with the new camper. We were gathering up everything we thought we'd need and heading from our home in Illinois to visit our kids who lived in Virginia. My husband, Chuck, was meticulous about getting everything done with getting the camper ready while I loaded up our clothes, sleeping bags, and everything I thought we may use. Then we started to load our food. "Well, I said, "we aren't going to be camping every night.. just one night on the road to get there for now, so I will just put one night's food in the camper." Ominous words! Chuck came in and pronounced, " ah no, we need to take more than that and began throwing cans of beans and beef stew and who knows what all in the camper." Under my breath I was thinking, why is he doing all that for one night on the road camping.

We finally had it all together and took off happily down the road toward Virginia. It was a long but happy trip as we hit the beautiful mountains of Virginia. We were so delighted to be in the state even though it was raining slightly and the radio was issuing heavy rain warnings. Well if you are going to camp in a camper, we thought , we'd be safe and dry and happy. Sleeping under the tent top would be nice sleeping weather. We entered the beautiful state park at Douthat and were instructed to turn left onto a little drive that went over this lovely little stream. Then to drive up the hill to our site. We had picked out the perfect site for us...on the topmost part of the hill and near the restrooms... :)


We set up the camper and fixed our evening meal and happily listened to the little pitter patter of the rain on the top of the camper. The smell of wet woods and new camper filled the air. Finally the exhaustion of the drive hit us and we decided to call it a night. Sometime late during the night I was awakened to loud popping, crashing noises. It was a little unnerving because I didn't have a clue what it was. It was still raining... heavily... and I was starting to wonder if anything would leak. The noises kept on.. loud popping noises and roaring water sounds. I woke my husband who probably could sleep through most any kind of storm and he said, "Aww it's nothing... go back to sleep." However when we awoke and he went to the bathhouse, he ran into a fellow camper who said, "Looks like we aren't going anywhere today!" Chuck took a deep breath wondering what he was talking about. "The stream flooded" our fellow camper said, "and the bridge is underwater!"... Chuck came back to the camper with this little tidbit of information and we just looked at each other. A bit of panic made its way to my voice as I said, "that little stream we crossed last night??" "Yes, let's go look at it."

We made our way down and were totally aghast at what we saw... that tiny little stream which so quietly had crept under the little bridge last night was an angry, muddy, swirling mass of floodwater. Trees had broken off in the night and were floating along with the water and there was no way in the world we were going to be leaving that day! Immediately we thought of getting word to our daughters that we were stranded at Douthat. We tried the cell phone... of course, no service! Then we walked back up to the camper. Just as we did, a ranger came walking by the bathhouse notifying campers of our dilemma. I was so glad to see him altho the campground was pretty full of campers so we were not alone. It was reassurance that there was some way to get out. Chuck asked him how he got here if all the roads were flooded. He told us that he had climbed the mountain and showed us the direction to climb out and get to a phone at the ranger's station. The campground was fine up on higher ground.. the lower levels where we met some fellow campers from Illinois were somewhat flooded. Getting in and out of their campers was a watery experience. It wasn't long though before the rangers had a backhoe down by the now raging river. They were going to put in a culvert to divert some of the water away from the bridge and then when the water receded, we would be able to leave.. But that wasn't going to happen today. It was going to take some time.


So we started thinking food... yes, thank you husband, you packed all that other stuff that I didn't think we were going to need. So I had to eat my words but thankfully, we had beans and beef stew.. So many of the campers were sharing food and willing to help out anyway possible. It was a great group of people and a great group trying to "rescue" us. Indeed we still had to notify daughters or the state police would have been on our trail. So we decided to climb that mountain to get out to make a phone call. It didn't look all that bad, I thought. :) So we started and it was a whole lot steeper than it looked. We started to hold on to little trees and pull our way up...It was some good exercise! At last we made it... called our daughter and told her the story. Her only request... call me back in a few hours and tell me how it's going. Sure, right...climb that mountain again.. I think not! So we assured her that as soon as we got out, we would call her. Then we climbed that mountain again to get back to the camper and took a nap. Diligently, that crew kept on working hard as they could. By the next day at lunchtime, a ranger had appeared again to tell us that they would have a window of time for us to get out that day and to be ready. It could be anytime. So we hooked up, packed up and decided to eat more beef stew. As soon as I got the pot hot and we were ready, they came around again and said, "Now, you need to come on down, now." We threw that hot pot of beef stew in the trunk..and started on down the road. You could still see a little layer of water coming across the bridge but it was down enough to cross. Crossing that bridge was a little scary as you could see the water still swirling but their culvert worked.

We still sing the praises of those workers who worked so diligently to get us out. We loved the adventure and the wonder of mother nature at her best and worst as we visited Douthat State Park. We plan to go back there again soon as we are now Virginians and guess what... this time, we will pack a lot of food! Happy Camping!

Editor's note: While it is still possible to get "stranded" in White Oak Campground, we have replaced the bridge since this story in 2000. Rest assured that in an emergency situation we would have been able to rescue stranded campers. This is most likely to happen in March or April with combination spring rains and runoff from snow at higher elevations.

I had one of those dream childhood experiences - I had my own horse. In my memories my horse, named King (yes, after the horse in the National Velvet TV series) looked like the TV King or Black Beauty or Flicka of some other beautiful stallon. In truth he was a little sway back and deathly afraid of tractors (I have the scars to prove that).

Back then, there was still lots of farmland in Williamsburg and even Hampton and we could find a farm (not a boarding stable) to keep my horse. My dad had lots of friends.

Today, people who own horses either have some land of their own or board their horses somewhere. And regardless, it is not easy to find places to go riding. The places in Williamsburg and Hampton where I used to ride on farms have long ago been turned into housing developments.

What many people may not know is that many Virginia State Parks offer multi-use trails that are suitable for horses. We also have several parks where you can bring your horse and camp overnight. We have one park where we operate a horse livery where you can take a horseback ride even if you don't own a horse.


If you use our cool amenity search tool on our website and click "Equestrian" under trails, you will get a list of all the parks by region in the state that offer horse trails or access to horse trails directly from the park. The Virginia Outdoors website lists the parks with equestrian trails and also lists other public lands that feature equestrian or multi-use trails through their partnership with the Virginia Horse Council. Before traveling a distance to visit a park for equestrian use, I recommend you call the park and verify that the trails are open. After significant rain, the trails may be too dangerous for equestrian use.

We have campsites that allow visitors to camp with their horses at Grayson Highlands, New River Trail (Cliffview), Occoneechee and James River state parks. New equestrian campgrounds are in the construction phase at Douthat, Fairy Stone, Staunton River, and James River state parks.


New River Trail State Park offers a horse livery so you can take a trail ride on one of the park's horses. The livery is open from the first weekend in April through the end of October. Call (276) 699-2460 for details.

So, if you have horse and will travel, be sure and check out riding and camping opportunities at Virginia's state parks. For camping reservations, call 800-933-7275.

There is so much to love at Virginia State Parks!

Virginia State Parks are all abuzz with recreational activities, from history, culture, outdoor competitions, to arts, crafts, fishing, natural history, geocaching, workshops and festivals!


There are 35 State Parks in the VA Department of Conservation & Recreation System.  There is something for everyone at a Virginia State Park, from the mountains to the seashore.   Here is an abbreviated list of activities currently happening at your Virginia State Parks:

1. Can you Canoe?
2. Camp Chat
3. Prim-Tech to Hi-Tech
4. Music from the day
5. Geocaching
6. Tracks and Scats - Signs of the Times
7. Astronomy with a NASA Space Embassador
8. Invert Alert
9. Birding by Boat
10. Marsh Madness Canoe Trip
11. Walk in the Woods
12. Fish Printing
13. Family Play Day
14. Make a Hiking Stick
15. Full Moon Canoe Trip
16. Tall Tales Campfire
17. Full Moon Kayak Trip
18. Hayrides
19. Wild about Wetlands Canoe Trip
20. Sunset Kayak Trip
21. Eagle Tours
22. Kayak with the Eagles
23. Owl Prowls Hayrides
24. Wagon Ride
25. Ask a Ranger
26. Let's Go Fishing
27. Jones-Stewart Mansion Tours
28. Fossil Walk
29. Evening Paddle
30. Junior Rangers
31. Drowned in the Past
32. Crayfish Crawl
33. Campground Scavenger Hunt
34. Going Batty
35. Night Hike
36. Skin and Bones
37. Tree Cookies
38. Snake, Rattle and Whoa
39. Quest for Cache
40. Animal Bites
41. Leave it to Beavers
42. Mystery Box
43. Frog Hop
44. Bat Kapers
45. Bear Kapers
46. Roost in Peace
47. Appalachian Antic
48. Flyfishing 101
49. The Scoop on Poop
50. Owle Pellet Adventure
51. Campfire Cookery
52. Toad Abodes
53. Basic Twionometry
54. Frog Slog
55. Butterfly Kapers
56. Railroad Tales
57. Pine Cone Bird Feeder
58. Sandy Shorts
59. Fairy Stone Hunt
60. Rock n Rockets
61. Canoeing with Ghosts
62. Salamander Meander
63. Quicksand!
64. Gnome Homes
65. Luma Plena: Full Moon
66. Swamp Stomp
67. Seaside Creatures
68. Staying Found
69. Night Hike
70. Crabbing
71. Young Naturalist
72. What's in the Nets?
73. Geoquest
74. Scales to Tales
75. Wonder Bugs
76. Moonlight Movies
77. Talons of Terror
78. Relay on the Beach
79. Touch of Nature
80. Predators and Prey
81. Owl Call Canoe Tour
82. Civil War Campfire
83. Nature's Nocturne Hike
84. Critter Crawl
85. Made in the Shade
86. Owl Wisdom
87. History Flows Through it
88. Feeding Frenzy
89. Panning for Gold
90. Storytime in the Woods
91. A Stitch in Time
92. Creepy Crawlies
93. Pond Play
94. Lovely Ladybugs
95. Make Tracks for Home
96. Majestic Eagles
97. Cherokee Run
98. 1175 Frontier Life
99. Fishing at the Falls
100. The Bear Facts
101. Aquatic Insects
102. Roving Reptiles
103. River Float
104. Gone Batty
105. Owl Prowl
106. Snakes Alive
107. Toad Abodes
108. Gyotaku (Fish Printing)
109. You too Can Canoe
110. Stump the Ranger
111. Civil War Kids
112. Mystery in the Mountains
113. Ugly Bug Contests
114. Natures Paint Brush
115. Corn Husk Dolls
116. Tree ID
117. Catch 'em in the Creel
118. Pirates, Privateers and Patriots Trip
119. Going N Seine
120. Roaming Ranger
121. Pick your Paddle

Do I have your attention yet? How do YOU spell Fun?  There is so much to love at Virginia State Parks.

Rent a cabin, rent a lodge, rent a tent site for a night or a week, or full hook-up site or a shelter for a family reunion or church picnic (you know how we all love Sunday chicken!)  Some Virginia State Parks even have conference centers available for your use.  Book the conference center and a "canoogle" of canoes, guaranteed you will have a blast! 

You can reserve online TODAY or see what is available here.  Search for specific amenities for the park that is just right for you or view a PDF amenities grid comparing all Virginia State Parks at once.

Virginia State Parks Rock!
I am tellin’ ya they roolly do!

A visitor contributed post by Kelli Wampler from Newport News, Virginia

Me, my husband and my 2 1/2 year old son spent this past (7/29/10-8/1/10) weekend at Pocanhontas Sate Park. It was our first time at the park and it exceeded our expectations! Great camping facilities, nice playground, clean bathroom & shower areas. But the best part was the awsome water park!! What a great idea and we loved that the park had different pool sizes according to age. My son (and many other little ones) thought he was a big guy in that 1'6" pool. We can't wait to come back : )

A visitor submitted post by Robin Plummer from Edinburg, VA

My husband and I spent July 18th, 19th, & 20th camping in the Douthat State Park. We had such a relaxing and incredible time there. I never expected everything that was there. The people there were very welcoming and helpful. I so enjoyed the dinner we had on Sunday at the restaurant. The lake was so refreshing and clean. We hiked everyday on the trails. Our campgound host David was also very helpful and keep the restrooms so very clean. But I think what we enhoyed the most was the peacefulness of the park. And we did something we've never done camping, we roasted marshmallows. I will recommend this park to our friends and will definitely be back.

By Megan France, Natural Tunnel State Park Chief Ranger Interpreter

Nature Trek 360˚ is a partnership with the Cove Ridge Center Foundation, Scott County Schools and Natural Tunnel State Park that offers a 3 day 2 night camp for middle school students with the goal of introducing the students to the natural and cultural history of their region. The program has been offered as part of Scott County’s summer school curriculum.

The program addresses standards of learning in science and social studies for students entering 5th – 8th grades, while also providing a framework to allow the students to discover the outdoors through exploration.


Over the past four years, results have been tremendously popular and generated a great deal of excitement in students, teachers, administrators and park staff.  Each day has a theme with a focus on different aspects of the natural or cultural history of the region.  The following sections offer a brief synopsis of the theme and programs offered each day.


Day One offers an overview of the park as well as focusing on technology and the natural history of the region. Students start their day off with a GPS activity that will allow them to explore several locations through out the park. Later in the day the students will spend time hiking through Natural Tunnel via Stock Creek, discussing the geological processes that formed the tunnel and an introduction to the karst topography of the region. While on the hike, students will have the opportunity to participate in an invertebrate study along Stock Creek. 


That evening the students will have the opportunity to view the night sky at an astronomy program.

Day Two focuses mainly on the cultural history of the region. During the morning students will have the opportunity to step back 200 years ago with a few programs at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse. There they will meet a couple of frontier women making clothing from wool and linen. Students will experience the steps that go into each process and the hard work that goes into each step.


In the afternoon students will learn how to canoe and snorkel. Snorkeling expedition introduces the students to the biological diversity and importance of the Clinch River to Southwest Virginia. That evening students will enjoy a hayride along Fincastle Road followed by a campfire at the Blockhouse.


Day Three will focus on Southwest Virginia’s natural environment. Students will spend a day at Falls of Little Stoney exploring sandstone bluffs, wildflowers, wildlife and the Falls.

    
The Nature Trek 360° program in 2010 ran three sessions serving 54 students. All program fees, supplies, meals and lodging were included in the fee paid by the school system.  One male and one female teacher are provided by the school system as overnight chaperons.  Students stay in the lodges at the Cove Ridge Center. The meals are cooked by Cove Ridge staff, and students are responsible for setting up meals and snacks, as well as cleaning up afterward and taking out trash.


The response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive over the past 4 years.  Students ask if they could come back the next summer, the superintendent has received calls from several parents to let him know how much their children enjoyed the program, and teachers told park staff they overheard the students talking about the program when school began in the fall.  One parent said her son came home from the park and immediately went to the creek on their property to see what animals he could find. Our goal is for the Nature Trek 360° program to provide a student’s first step towards the “nature medicine” needed to begin curing today’s children of Nature Deficit Disorder.

The conventional wisdom in tourism marketing is to appeal to potential customers' emotions. What could be more charming than happy, smiling kids floating down the James River  in brilliantly colored tubes, a beautiful deep blue sky overhead? Or perhaps a cheerful family enjoying a fresh picnic - and each other's company – in the great outdoors with, naturally, a rustic hand-hewn cabin or tidy campsite in the background?

Our park users, however, may be more practical than most folks. Our most popular web page, for example, is about prices and fees. While useful, the page isn't emotionally appealing. And on our Flickr site, the most commonly viewed photos are of cabins, campsites and lodges. In fact, 12 of the 14 most popular photos feature cabins. This photo of a cabin at First Landing State Park is the most viewed shot of DCR's State Parks Flickr collection.

So, evidently, state park guests are a sensible bunch. Let's face it - an interior shot of a cabin's kitchen isn't as evocative as is a picture of a beautiful sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay. Judging by web traffic statistics, however, it appears that state park customers are more interested in images of the camping facilities, cabins and lodges they've rented than shots of cute bunnies and fawns.

Go figure.

By Taylor Thorp, Cove Ridge Center Director, Natural Tunnel State Park

This past June, 7 students and 2 staff left the Cove Ridge Center at Natural Tunnel State Park, heading off on the annual Virginia Is For Students Tour 2010. It’s a trip that’s been done before, visiting sites such as coastal Virginia during the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, as well as Chincoteague, False Cape, touring Washington, D.C., and visiting 9 Virginia State Parks in 1 week! But this year marked something different … something that hasn’t been done before in the history of Virginia Is For Students.


This year, the students followed in the footsteps of the American Civil War, from events that helped trigger it, to the first major land battle, to the site of some of the most important moments, and to the site of the surrender of Confederate forces that marked the end of the war. This year, the Virginia Is For Students Tour was planned around the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War – the 150th Anniversary.


So what is the Virginia Is For Students Tour, you ask? That’s easy – it’s a multi-day, overnight, educational and adventure touring program that focuses on the recreational and historical opportunities that exist within Virginia, or have direct bearing on our state. Working with Virginia SOLs, it offers rising Sophomores and Juniors a chance to visit parts of the state they may have never seen, while allowing them to be immersed in activities that can make a lasting impression. The Tour is run by the Cove Ridge Center of Natural Tunnel State Park in conjunction with the school systems of Scott, Lee, and Wise counties, and the City of Norton. It is partially funded through gracious contributions from the Cove Ridge Foundation & Advisory Board, a non-profit group that works with the Cove Ridge Center.


This year, the Virginia Is For Students Tour took 5 students from Lee County High School and 2 students from Rye Cove High School (in Scott County) on a 8-day trip around our state. Beginning on Sunday, June 20th, the students traveled through more than half the state, and took in 3 State Parks, 1 National Battlefield, 1 National Military Park, 2 National Historical Parks, a large Ropes Course and Zip-Line, whitewater tubing, and canoeing – not to mention the sights, experiences, and friendships that occurred along the way! Two nights were spent in tree house shelters – yes, in real trees! – at Maple Tree Campground, while 2 nights each were spent at Lake Anna and James River state parks, and 1 night at Hemlock Overlook. The group returned to the Cove Ridge Center on Sunday. June 27th.


When it came to adventure and recreation, this year’s Tour made sure that the students kept active. From whitewater tubing on the Potomac River during their first full day out, to tackling an 8-mile canoe trip on the James near the end of the trip – this trip made full use of the outdoor activities throughout our state. In addition to the swimming and hiking offered at each State Park, the students spent an entire day in the middle of the week at the Adventure Links Hemlock Overlook, where they participated in various team building activities. From ground initiatives to low-ropes elements to soaring down a zip-line – the programs at Hemlock Overlook helped to raise group and individual confidence, self-esteem, and group dynamics and cohesion. And all the students agreed – it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip!


While adventure and recreation were an important part of the trip, some of the most unforgettable moments came from visiting the historical sites throughout the Tour. As the first stop on the trip, the students toured Harpers Ferry, WV, site of the infamous John Brown Raid on the federal armory, and one of many precursors to the American Civil War. The next historical stop centered on Manassas National Battlefield, where the students toured the sites of the first and second battles of Manassas (or Bull Run). It was here that they learned about spectators venturing out from nearby Washington, D.C. to watch the first battle – only to flee back to the city when the Confederate forces won. One student told the staff after visiting: “Manassas was heartbreaking. It’s sad to hear about the thousands of men dying and (us) actually being there.” It was also here the group saw firsthand the spot where General “Stonewall” Jackson earned his nickname.


Later in the week, the students toured the battlefields and sites around Fredericksburg, VA. They followed the Sunken Road and saw the wall that protected Confederate forces during the Marye’s Heights portion of the battle, where failed Union charges led to more 6,000 casualties. The group also visited the Stonewall Jackson Shrine, where they saw the bed in which he had died. One student commented, “It was awesome, yet very… creepy. The bed he passed away in still had the indentation of his body.”


The last place the students visited was Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park, the site of the last major battle of the Civil War. The group toured the McLean House, and saw firsthand the room and desks where Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant signed the surrender papers that ended the war. All the students mentioned that site and the house had a profound impact on them, and one student said, “We got to see ‘where our nation reunited.’”


Waging through “battles” of their own, the students fought heat and bugs and long days to follow in the footsteps of some of the most important parts of Virginia’s history. They witnessed and toured sites that marked the beginning, middle, and ending to a war that saw more battles fought in our state than in any other. And one thing all the students and staff could agree on was the fact that there was no information in any textbook that could compare to the impact of actually being there.


So, where will the Virginia Is For Students Tour go next year? When will it run? These are questions that the students are already asking! Not to worry – planning is already underway, with hopes that next year’s Tour will be better than ever!

An official Press Release from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation by Jim Meisner, Jr.

A statewide volunteer program, the Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps, has been named the Outstanding State Volunteer Program in the United States by the Take Pride in America program.

Virginia State Parks are operated by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Take Pride in America program is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The award was presented by Robert Stanton, senior advisor to Secretary Ken Salazar and a former director of the National Park Service, and Lisa Young, director of Take Pride America. “Virginia State Parks have received many accolades over the years, from awards honoring facilities and amenities to being recognized as the best managed state park system in the United States,” said DCR Director David Johnson. “This award recognizes the hard work and contributions of nearly 1,000 young people and staff who made this program so successful.”


Fashioned after the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, the YCC is a summer program for young volunteers between the ages of 14-17. Working in crews of approximately 10 volunteers and three college-age supervisors, the young people each contribute between 120 and 180 hours of service. Participants work in state parks across Virginia on a variety of conservation projects including trail and campground maintenance, construction, fence building, tree planting, noxious weed removal and fish habitat improvement. Program projects are designed to foster teamwork, self-esteem, social responsibility and respect for the environment, said Gaston Rouse, State Parks director of volunteer services.

“These youngsters are the future of the Commonwealth and the future of America,” Rouse said. “Volunteering is one of the most important facets of adult life, and we need to incorporate that into the lives of our children.”

In 2007, the YCC program received the Virginia Governor’s Best Youth Volunteer in Virginia award.


Since its creation in 2002, nearly 1,000 young people have participated in the YCC program. This year, YCC volunteers will work in 20 parks in two three-week sessions. Ten were completed earlier this summer, while the second session of YCC volunteers will work through Aug. 7 in nine state parks: Westmoreland, Holliday Lake, Leesylvania, York River, Belle Isle, Claytor Lake, Lake Anna, Sky Meadows and Wilderness Road state parks, as well as the Petersburg National Battlefield.

In 2009, 165 youths performed park development and maintenance projects, putting in 45,483 hours of work, valued at $933,765 in employee wages.

“The YCC program gives young people opportunities to serve their state and communities while learning important skills and it introduces natural resource and environmental fields as a possible career path,” said DCR State Parks Director Joe Elton. “The YCC embodies the core responsibility of the state parks system by fostering environmental awareness at a young age and connecting our volunteers to the awe and wonder of nature. YCC participants carry the memories of these experiences with them for the rest of their lives and they remain our partners in protecting state parks for future generations.”


This year, 246 are expected to participate in the program, logging an estimated 65,000 hours worth $1,360,450 in employee hours. The program attracted 447 applicants in 2010.

The YCC program was selected by a panel of judges from hundreds of qualified nominations representing outstanding examples of public lands stewardship from across the country. This year, there are 15 National Award winners, representing projects and events in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Take Pride in America is a nationwide partnership program authorized by Congress to promote the appreciation and stewardship of our nation’s public lands. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior for the benefit of all public lands at all levels of government nationwide.

A visitor contributed post by Elizabeth Murray from Springfield, Virginia

This past weekend we spent two nights and three days at the Shenandoah River State Park campground. It is a beautiful park with only 10 sites, and each is unique and remote enough that it feels like you are at your very own park. Each site had a huge area with picnic tables and a fire ring, and plenty of room for tents for a big family. There is ice cold water available a few steps away and a very clean and well maintained bathhouse near the parking lot.


Our kids, ages four and six, loved swimming in the clean and clear river when we were hot (which was frequent since it was about 100 degrees last weekend!), and we even participated in a few of the programs put on by the rangers, including a camp cooking class that was really fun! The park is about 8 miles from Front Royal, so it is a pretty quick drive when your camping air matresses spring a leak, or you run out of hot dogs.


They had a great farmer's market on Saturday that displayed the area's best in produce, baking and canning. Even though it was a hot weekend, no one wanted to leave come Sunday. We've already reserved another trip before the end of the summer and can not wait to return! Every beautiful morning we woke to find rabbits hopping around looking for breakfast and deer bounding away. We could have done without the industrious and chubby squirrel that fiqured out how to break into our kitchen rubbermaid container and chew through the plastic container that held our precious homemade granola--but who could resist homemade granola with cashews, cherries, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips?

An official Department of Conservation and Recreation Press release by Jim Meisner, Jr. Public Relations Specialist

Virginia State Parks continued the year-long trend of record attendance with an Independence Day weekend attendance of 266,739, a 22 percent increase over last year’s previous record-high of 218,889.

The record-high visitation follows another record setting holiday weekend when visitation increased 15.9 percent on Memorial Day weekend.


The 35 award-winning Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

DCR Director David Johnson attributes the significant increase to a number of factors. “The weather across Virginia was simply incredible all weekend long,” he said. “The warm dry weather made state parks, and state park swimming facilities, immensely popular. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a steady rise in attendance as we’ve responded to visitors' requests for more cabins, campsites, lodges and staff-led programs and activities. Simply put, more people are coming to Virginia State Parks because our parks are better than they have ever been.”

Tracking the first six months of 2010 compared to the same time last year, overall state park attendance is up 8 percent.


“Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia’s economy and Virginia State Parks are one of our best assets to attract visitors,” said Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Families from around the country, and especially from the East Coast, travel to Virginia to enjoy the pristine beauty of our state parks.”

The estimated economic impact of Virginia State Parks was $175 million in 2009.

The Independence Day weekend saw a 70 percent increase in swimming over last year. Other significant gains over 2009 included a 19 percent increase in camping deposits, a 6 percent increase in cabin rentals, and a 36 percent increase in food and beverage sales.

Overall sales for the weekend increased 27 percent over last year.

“We are excited to see Virginia State Parks continue their record setting year with another outstanding holiday weekend,” said DCR’s State Parks Director Joe Elton. “Visitors have come to our parks for nearly 75 years to find therapy for the mind, body and spirit as they enjoy our unspoiled natural resources. More than 266,000 people visited our parks over the holiday weekend, and they returned home with cherished family memories that will last a lifetime.”

Virginia State Parks offer dozens of festivals and concerts and thousands of seasonal nature and history programs across the state.

For more information about state park activities and amenities, or to make reservations in a campsite, cabin or family lodge, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at (800) 933-PARK or visit our website.

If you follow my posts you know that this has not been the best year for First Landing State Park's campground.

First there was flooding (there are still sites we can't open). Wheo n it was clear that the water just wasn't draining off the sites and we took action to block the sites from rental, we realized we had already booked more sites than might be available. We made it through Memorial Day thanks to the hot dry weather but despite some last minute site openings, we still had to cancel some customers for the 4th of July weekend. I guess you can imagine what it would be like on the customer end of that phone conversation: "Hello customer, we are calling to ruin your vacation." Trust me, it's not a lot of fun on our end either.


To top if off, two other things have created more confusion. First, the park renovated some of the sites over the winter. This would normally be a great thing since the sites were made larger. However, we have since realized that these changes caused some real problems for our customers. It seems that folks have favorite sites and have figured out what kind of sites they need to reserve so they have a chance at getting that favorite site. Well, out renovations messed all that up. Normally we would have warned everyone and swapped site types for them but again the flooding prevented that at least for the weekends so far.

Secondly, we have had some issues with our reservation software. There was a glitch that was creating overbookings through the web. Because of everything else that was going on the best solution was to temporaily disable on line reservations for the park. I hope that we will be able to reinstate web reservations soon.

The good news is that we are through the worst of it after this weekend. Below is the new campground map. If your favorite site has changed site types, contact the Reservation Center by calling 800-933-7275 (they are closed Monday July 5 for the State Holiday) and they will try to transfer your reservation to the site type you desire.

As most of our regular customers know, we do not reserve specific sites. But, if you have one you like, there is zero chance you will get it if you do not have a reservation for that type of site. Please beware though - you must always reserve a site that is large enough for your equipment. If you have a 30' RV, if your favorite site is a 20' site, you are just our of luck.

The other good news is that the new check-in policy means that you have some choices when you check in. You will be allowed to select any site in a particular campground that matches the site type you have reserved. This should be an improvement over our previous process.




Please call us at 800-933-7275 if you need some help trying to rearrange your reservations. I can't promise we can solve the problem, but we will promise to try.

After one of the hottest June’s on record the first couple of days of July have provided some much needed relief just in time for one of the biggest outdoor and camping weekends of the year.


I know that most families, mine included, look forward to evenings around the campfire. The stories, conversations and bonding that happen around the campfire are sure to create memories that last a lifetime. As I mentioned earlier, it was one of the hottest June’s on record across much of the Commonwealth and thus our beautiful forest are a little dry. Please take care and never leave a campfire unattended, fully extinguish them before leaving your site or going to bed. A big part of enjoying our parks is assuring they are preserved for future visitors and generations. Please do your part.  

One of my favorite activities when camping is star gazing, our great state parks offer some of the darkest skies in the Commonwealth, so whenever camping take a minute and look up. The moon will not rise until 11:30pm – 1am over the weekend so the early evening sky will be dark. One interesting thing of note this month is Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn will be lined up in the western sky after sunset, watch as they get closer together as the month of July progresses. If you are more of a night owl, like me, Jupiter will be rising in the east after midnight to dominate the night sky. A clear sky, lawn chair and a good pair of binoculars can provide countless hours of enjoyment!

Remember that each campground in Virginia’s State Parks offers different amenities ranging from primitive sites to some campgrounds offering electric and water. Proper planning and preparation is critical, so please take a little extra time to check what’s offered at the park you plan on visiting.

I sincerely hope everyone will set aside some time this weekend and get outdoors! If you do not have time to camp maybe visit a park and hike or just have a picnic. Virginia also has a rich history and considering it’s the 4th of July, why not discover some of the many places that played an important role in our country’s founding. Places like Jamestown, Williamsburg or Yorktown. The homes of some of our most influential founders like Washington, Jefferson and Madison. All these of these places are in Virginia and never more than an hour away from an award winning Virginia State Park.