National Parks in Virginia

Historical Painting Adorns Visitor Center

Friday, March 12, 2010 by Zoe Rogers

When you enter the new visitor center at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park you’ll have the opportunity to see a magnificent painting by Virginian, Sidney E. King. The painting depicts the moment that Union General Frank Wheaton troops descend the hill and prepare to cross Little Sailors Creek while Major Andrew Cowan’s twenty guns bombarded Confederate General Ewell’s position from the yard of the Hillsman farm house. The painting was once displayed in the yard of the Hillsman farm house until it was placed in storage to await restoration. A few weeks ago, it found its permanent home in the visitor center.

Mr. King painted nearly 200 historical murals for National Park Service properties. He lived in Caroline County until his death in 2002 at the age of 95.

Fight For Your Parks

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Tom Cervenak

With shrinking budgets across our nation, one of the first things that is thought of to be cut is our parks. What's interesting though, is that these cuts amount to only a tiny portion of the overall budgets' of cities, counties and states and the benefits that we lose when closing a park are in measurable. Think about your childhood and where you went to play; think about some of the tougher times in our life and where you went to clear your head or to have a quiet cry; think about where you took your children to plan on the playground equipment; think about where you took your son to fish for the first time or where you had a family reunion or picnic. I would bet most of your answers were a "park", whether a city, county, state or national park, I would bet we all have gone to one for memorable times in our lives. Today now more than ever we need places to go. In these tough times you may find the answers during a walk in the park, or at least, you had a break from the pressures of life. Our parks are tonics for the mind, body and spirit of America. So when you hear someone talking about closing parks to save money where you live, go ahead and fight!

New Cabins Go On Sale March 12

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Nancy Heltman

We are excited to announce that our brand new cabins at Shenandoah River State Park will be available for reservations starting March 12 at 9 a.m.

Since the cabins are still under construction, we will take reservations for July 15, 2010 forward. We hope they will be finished and ready for occupancy sooner and when we know a definite date we will back date the opening.

Shenandoah River State Park is located on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River approximately twenty minutes south of Front Royal, Virginia. The park will have a six-bedroom family lodge (sleeps 16), one three-bedroom cabin (sleep 8) and nine two-bedroom cabins (sleep 6). Cabins will offer a fantastic mountain view. Shenandoah River State Park is located near the start of the Skyline Drive, part of Shenandoah National Park.

See my previous posts, My Visit to Shenandoah River State Park (Parts One, Two and Three), or Cyndi's post Discover Shenandoah River State Park.

We are building new cabins at Natural Tunnel and Douthat state parks as well but the winter weather have set those projects back such that we do not have a comfortable date to use for future reservations.

These new cabins are part of the 2002 State Park and Natural Area Bond. While these cabins are not yet complete, they are our new cabin design. Bear Creek Lake, Claytor Lake, James River, Kiptopeke and Occoneechee state parks have similar cabins. The cabins also feature our Legacy Line of furniture designed in conjunction with Virginia Correctional Enterprises. Our goal was attractive, comfortable and long lasting furniture and comments from our guests indicate we were successful.

All Virginia State Park cabins have a two night minimum. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, we have a week stay requirement. If cabins are not booked for a week stay a month prior to the date of arrival, we allow the two night minimum. At this time you can only book for less than a week in the summer season through the reservation center.

Reservations will be accepted for these new facilities starting a 9 a.m. on March 12, 2010 through our Reservation and Information line at 800-933-7275 or on line.

Reservations Accepted for New Campgrounds Beginning March 12

Sunday, March 7, 2010 by Nancy Heltman

Thanks to the 2002 State Park and Natural Area Bond Referendum, we will be opening two new campgrounds this year. We will begin accepting reservations for these new campgrounds for future dates starting this Friday, March 12, at 9 a.m.

Natural Tunnel State Park is located in Duffield, Virginia in far southwest Virginia. The park is named for its naturally formed tunnel dubbed the Eighth Natural Wonder by William Jennings Bryant. A chair lift carries visitors down into the mouth of the tunnel in season. Natural Tunnel already has a campground but is getting ready to open it's second one. Lover's Leap Campground will open May 1, 2010. The park's existing campground will now be called Cove View. Lover's Leap Campground will have eighteen electric and water sites for equipment from tents to 50 foot RVs.

Shenandoah River State Park is located on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River approximately twenty minutes south of Front Royal, Virginia. Shenandoah River State Park is located near the start of the Skyline Drive, part of Shenandoah National Park. The park currently has hike-in and canoe-in campsites but their new campground will have thirty-two spacious water and electric sites for a variety of equipment from tents to 60 foot RVs. We will be opening this campground to reservations from July 15th and beyond. We hope to be able to open earlier dates as soon as we have a definite opening date in sight.

Reservations can be made starting 9 a.m. on Friday, March 12 by calling the Virginia State Parks reservation center at 800-933-7275 or by booking on line.

Future campground at Shenandoah River State Park

Star Spangled Banner Geotrail

Monday, March 1, 2010 by Sam Sweeney

Enjoy the outdoors and want to do something new? Now you can enjoy looking for treasures hidden within Kiptopeke State Park as part of the Star Spangled Banner Geotrail. Launched on February 27, 2010, the new Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail takes you on a unique journey through American history along the landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay commemorating the War of 1812. This multi-state initiative is sponsored by Friends of Chesapeake Gateways, the Maryland Geocaching Society, and the National Park Service. For more information on the Star Spangled Banner Geotrail, click here.

Friends Group Supports Sailor's Creek in a Big Way

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 by Nancy Heltman

Our Friends Groups are all about supporting our state parks. The Friends of Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park demonstrated their support for the park by donating funds they have raised in support of two important projects.

Historical re-enactments are one way we tell the story of the Battle fo Sailor's Creek

The Battle of Sailor's Creek was the last major battle of the Civil War before Appomattox and the battle that sealed the fate of the Confederacy marking the loss of 7,700 men including eight generals. Demonstrations and re-enactments are an important part of telling the history of the park. Being able to demonstrate the use of historic black powder weapons is an important component. The National Park Service offers training in historical weapons safety and program management but because of budget reductions and limits on out of state travel, we were not going to be able to send anyone to this important training. The Friends of Sailors Creek to the rescue - they are providing just under $1,000 to send Chief Ranger Christopher Joyner to this course.

Thanks to the 2002 State Park and Natural Area Bond, we now have a brand new LEED-certified Visitor Center on site to help us tell the story of the Battle. Unfortunately, there was not enough money in the project to cover the exhibits which will likely run in the neighborhood of $175,000. One piece of the exhibit will be a hologram virtual storyteller. The Friends have donated $9,000 toward the $30,000 cost of that piece. If you are interested in helping raise money for the exhibits, see information here. You can even donate through that link.

The LEED-certified Sailor's Creek Visitor Center

The commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War (150 years) officially runs between 2011 and 2015 although some kickoff events were held in 2009 to mark historical events leading up to the Civil War. The Friends and park staff are working to ready the park for visitors from around the world who will visit for the Sesquicentennial.

If you have a love for Civil War History and would like to support the park by becoming a member of the Friends organization, please contact Bobby Wilcox at (804) 598-2901.

Friends group member Chris Gowin (left) and President Bobby Wilcox (right) prepare luminaries for the "Ceremony on Hallowed Ground" program for Veteran's Day 2009

Outdoor Photography Workshop

Thursday, January 14, 2010 by Annette Bareford

Outdoor Photography Workshop

Volunteers are incredible people! Especially Virginia State Park Volunteers! They never cease to amaze me. One of those special people is Matt Asai. He has been photographing the State Parks for a while now. As a volunteer photographer, he has photographed events and facilities at seven state parks in the northeastern and northern half of Virginia. Matt also taught Outdoor Photography sessions for the Women’s Wellness Weekend at Westmoreland State Park. From there he offered to hold workshops for not only the public but staff. Classes will be first offered at the State Parks in the Northern Neck and later in Northern VA.

Matthew Asai has been an avid photographer for over 35 years. 35mm photography was his main medium until he switched to digital photography about five years ago. His passion is landscape photography. To hone his skills he attended the Andsel Adams Gallery Advanced Landscape Photography seminar in Yosemite National Park. He has also photographed numerous weddings throughout the years and enjoys doing portraits.

His work has been published in Virginia Wildlife, The Bay Journal, Free Lance Star and the Virginia State Park E-news. His photos can be viewed at www.mattasai.com

The first work shops will be held the last weekend in January:
The class will be a two-hour program for digital photography and will cover:
Your camera; composition & artistry; tools & settings. Techniques & shooting modes
In the field – advice and critique.

Bring your camera and something to take notes. Part of the class will be outside, weather permitting, please dress appropriately. The two-hour class is free but parking fees will apply and participants will be asked to share photos taken with the park. Also, donations to help support programming can be made to the “Friends” support organization of each park.

Reservations are required. Space is limited so please choose your location and make
reservations as soon as possible.

Westmoreland State Park – January 30th – 9-11am
Brad Ramsey, Chief Ranger – (804)493-8821
Brad.Ramsey@dcr.virginia.gov

Belle Isle State Park – January 30th - 1:30-3:30pm
Charlene Talcott, Chief Ranger Interpreter – (804) 462-0162
Charlene.Talcott@dcr.virginia.gov

Caledon Natural Area – January 31st – 1:30-3:30pm
Sammy Zambon, Chief Ranger – (540) 663-3861
Sammy.Zambon@dcr.virginia.gov

For directions visit www.virginiastateparks.gov

400,000 Acres Protected in Four Years

Saturday, January 9, 2010 by Nancy Heltman

Governor Kaine announced that his ambitious goal to conserve 400,000 acres in the Commonwealth was reached at the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center near Charlottesville on Friday, January 8th.

Governor Kaine talks to Virginia Association for Parks President Johnny Finch

Read the official press release of the event here.

This World Heritage site overlooks the Biscuit Run property recently acquired by the Commonwealth for a future state park near the end of the year. Preserving the view shed from this site was one of the considerations in acquiring the 1,200 acre tract of rolling hills, forest and the stream known as Biscuit Run. Located in Albemarle County, the property is within biking and hiking distance of Charlottesville.

Violinist Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band spoke at the event as a representative of the investors in the original Biscuit Run development who sold the property to the Commonwealth in a bargain sale.

State Parks Director Joe Elton and other State Park staff attended the announcement along with members of the Virginia Association for Parks. The VAFP is a statewide non-profit organization that supports State and National parks in Virginia.

From left to right, State Parks District VI Manager Forrest Gladden; Dave Summers State Parks Law Enforcement Manager; State Parks Assistant Director Warren Wahl; and State Parks Director Joe Elton

From left to right, Virginia Association for Parks members Tom Shaw, Herb Distefano and Jo Finch; State Parks Director Joe Elton; Virginia Association for Parks President Johnny Finch

A Fall Visit to Grayson Highlands State Park

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 by Steve Hawks

I called the staff at Grayson Highlands State Park in early September last year to find out when the foliage there peaks. My plan was to take fall photos for DCR’s website and publications. The staff said its peak usually occurs the first week of October. Having often visited Shenandoah National Park at about that time of year, that seemed early to me, but I figured the Grayson Highlands crew knew more than I did about it.

Trails in the park are a little steep but short. It's worth the effort.

As my wife and I neared the park, which is more than five hours from our home in Richmond, my concern grew. Trees in nearby Elk Creek were still green… could the park staff be wrong? Would this trip turn out to be pointless?

We drove onward on the curvy mountain roads. The trees in Independence were still mostly green, but at least there was a hint of color. As we continued our ascent, my worries began to ease. We passed through Mouth of Wilson, then Volney, and then we reached the park itself. The colors at the park, which has areas at altitudes above 5,000 feet, were stunning. The park also happens to be pretty close to Mount Rogers, Virginia’s highest elevation at 5,729 feet. One learns pretty quickly that the word “highlands” is fitting. It’s unlike anywhere else in Virginia.

Cabin Creek Trail offers some refreshing views.

This is true for reasons other than its height. The weather there, at least during the three days we visited, seemed to change by the hour. The first day was warm and a little hazy. The second day brought dense fog and drizzle, which meant I’d need the tripod more than usual. The wet weather turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, because the waterfalls on Cabin Creek Trail were strong and beautiful. The fog lifted later that day, so we visited the park’s tranquil and very photogenic wild ponies. And then the third day was crisp and clear. The view of the valley from Sugarland Overlook was perfect.

Grayson Highlands isn’t easy to reach, but it became my favorite that weekend anyway. And I’ve been to more than half of Virginia’s state parks. My stay at the park helped me understand that you can actually fall in love with a place. Or at least you can envy those lucky enough to live near it.

Wild pony at Grayson Highlands State Park

Fall Virginia Association for Parks Meeting Held at James River State Park

Monday, September 21, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

VAFP discuss issues on the deck of a family lodge at James River State Park. Left to right: Bill Kern, Friends of Smith Mountain Lake SP; Jeanne Fischer, Friends of Smith Mountain Lake SP; Walter Wright, Friends of Pocahontas SP; Bill and Alice Hurlebaus, Friends of Hungry Mother SP; Jim Fischer, Friends of Smith Mountain Lake SP.

I arrived at James River State Park late Thursday afternoon with my husband David, and dog Yoda in tow to attend the Fall Meeting of the Virginia Association for Parks (VAFP). David is a member of the VAFP but even if he wasn't, he would have been along since Thursday was his birthday and our 17th anniversary.

The weather was a little ominous. We had scheduled this meeting in mid-September so the weather would be warm enough still so as many people who wanted to get out on the river could. Generally Friday of the VAFP semi-annual meetings is for touring local state or national parks but this meeting the plan was to enjoy the amenities at James River State Park. Bad weather would not be good.

VAFP meetings start Thursday evening with snacks, pizza and what we call "conviviality." Attending members get together and share the activities of their Friends groups and discuss issues impacting parkland in Virginia. Members bring the snacks and Jo and Johnny Finch are usually successful at getting donations of the pizzas.

Canoe and kayak livery at James River State Park

Friday morning we started with a continental breakfast and Park Manager Mark Schuppin sharing some of the fascinating history of the park and the local area. After his introduction the members separated and headed to various pursuits around the park. The weather was still cloudy but there was a promise of sunshine in the afternoon. We had folks hiking (15 miles of trails), kayaking and canoeing on the majestic James River, or just relaxing and enjoying nature and the beautiful park facilities.

Tom Shaw from the Friends of Lake Anna turned his grilling expertise into a lunch of hamburgers helped out by Ann Johnson and Jo Finch, also of the Friends of Lake Anna State Park. Most of the members elected to take a wagon ride through the park and on the Cabell Trail to the Tye River Overlook, the signature view from the park.

VAFP President Johnny Finch (left) presents the Legislator of the Year Award to Delegate Watkins Abbitt, Jr. at the Fall VAFP conference

There was more conviviality before dinner. Delegate Watkins Abbitt, Jr., whose district encompasses four state parks: James River State Park, Bear Creek Lake State Park, Holliday Lake State Park, and High Bridge Trail State Park, our newest State Park, was the dinner speaker. After his speech, VAFP President Johnny Finch presented Delegate Abbitt with the VAFP Legislator of the Year Award. We always make the award a surprise to the recipient.

In the VAFP's twelve year history, the award has been presented only four times. The first was to now retired Delegate Jim Dillard. Senator Creigh Deeds and Senator Emmett Hanger have also been recipients. Delegate Abbitt was honored for his support of state parks in general, the parks in his district, and his successful work to get funding for High Bridge Trail State Park. Without Delegate Watkins' efforts, High Bridge Trail State Park would not be open. Delegate Abbitt joined the members for some socializing after the awards presentation.

State Parks Director Joe Elton gives his State of the State Parks Update to the VAFP membership

Saturday morning a heavy fog lifted to a beautiful sunny and cool morning in time for the start of the VAFP business meeting. Park Manager Mark Schuppin gave the group another welcome (since some members come in later Friday or Saturday morning). State Parks Director Joe Elton gave his State of the State Parks update. Officers presented their reports. Roy Dudley, chair of the elections committee, was unable to attend the meeting due to his recovery from open heart surgery, so Lynn Davis, National Parks Chair, filled in. The committee presented a slate of officers which represented the current incumbents: Johnny Finch for President, Ann Lipp for Treasurer and Jo Finch for Secretary. The membership voted to unanimously elect the slate to another term.

The big news of the conference was the new VAFP website and the Virginia Outdoors site. Technology did not cooperate to be able to show the members the new websites live but slides of the sites were shown. The new VAFP site will promote free associate memberships through an on line sign up. Potential members at other levels can sign up on line and pay their dues. Using their new Pay Pal account, visitors to the website will be able to make tax deductible contributions to support a number of projects that benefit Virginia's state parks. In particular, the VAFP is raising money for exhibits for nine new/remodeled visitor centers (including the one under construction at James River State Park; for toddler playground equipment with a railroad theme for nine parks with a link to railroads in their history; and a new initiative to install a spray ground at Belle Isle State Park. For prospective members or donors who prefer to mail a check, down-loadable forms are available on the site for that purpose. The new websites have been made possible by a dynamic partnership with Imperial Multimedia and a grant from Dominion Power.

Yours truly took a few minutes to talk about the social media marketing Virginia State Parks is using to reach more users: this blog, Facebook, and Twitter in addition to our website, e-news letter, Flickr and You Tube.

The Friends of James River State Park sponsored a lunch after the conclusion of the business meeting. This Friends group is new but clearly enthusiastic. They were great hosts for the meeting.

During the business meeting, several members were interviewed for podcasts that will be available for listening on the Virginia Outdoors site in the near future.

The conference was an unqualified success and members thoroughly enjoyed their stay at James River State Park. I for one hated to leave.

VAFP Executive Committee with Delegate Watkins Abbitt after his Legislator of the Year presentation. Left to right: Nancy Heltman, State Parks Operations Director, Jim Klakowicz, State Parks Chair; Ann Lipp, Treasurer; Delegate Abbitt; Johnny Finch, President; Jo Finch, Secretary; Ann Davis, National Parks Chair; Joe Elton, State Parks Director .

How the West Was Won - Part I

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 by Tom Cervenak

I just returned from a trip that took me to our 5 parks on the far Western side of the state, Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, Wilderness Road State Park, Natural Tunnel State Park, Grayson Highlands State Park and Hungry Mother State Park. It has been a while since I’ve been to any of them and for one of them my first visit ever. Over the next few weeks I’d like to take time to share highlights of my visits and some pictures I took while at each park in a 5 part series.

Wilderness Road State Park

In a career that has spanned 23 years and has taken me across the state to our state parks and national parks and even to state parks in other states, I had never been to Wilderness Road State Park until now. Wow, was it worth the wait, but I wish I would have made it there sooner.

It is located off of Route 58 in Ewing just minutes away from entering Kentucky. The drive getting there is quite scenic though and the roads weren’t as windy as I thought they would be. As you approach the entrance you see Karlan Mansion built 1877 and the new visitor center for the park. The two buildings jump out at you after miles of small farm houses, fields and mountains.

Karlan Mansion, Wilderness Road State Park

The visitor center is well done and the movie of Wilderness Road Trail and days of Daniel Boone is incredible. As you head out the backdoor of the visitor center you cross into the historical reproduction area. It is as if with just a few steps you go from the 21st century back to the 1700’s. The buildings were made with no modern tools, but only with what they would have had back in this time period, which makes what you are seeing that more amazing.

Visitor Center, Wilderness Road State Park

Martin’s Station as this fort was called, played a key roll in the settlement of the American West. It was a final staging area for many before venturing into the great unknown in search of a better life. As impressive as Martin’s Station was, I was overwhelmed by the historical interpreters working at the fort. I have never seen a more passionate group of people in my life, many volunteers that come out and willing give their time to show others what it was like here over 200 years ago. It was fascinating to see baskets being made from scratch, soap being made in a giant pot on fire, Kentucky long rifles being made from scratch, the blacksmith hard at work making nails, sheep wool be spun, a chicken dinner being made in the kitchen and so many other incredible and gifted skills.

I want to commend and thank the staff at Wilderness Road as you all our top notch. I was there for Community Appreciation Day as a guest speaker and everyone was great!

A special thanks to Park Manager Jon Tustin, Mike, Karen, Donna, David, John, Olivia, Tony (President of the Friends Group), Billy Heck (that’s Captain Titus to you) and the rest of the wonderful staff and volunteers too numerous to mention. You all should be extremely proud of what you have done to make this park one of our best and I encourage our readers to get out and see and hear the amazing story of Wilderness Road. Maybe it’s true that you often save the best for last…

Historic Martin's Station, Wilderness Road State Park

State Parks Director Elected to President of National Organization

Thursday, September 10, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

I am pleased to announce that Virginia State Parks Director Joe Elton has been elected the President of the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) at their annual meeting in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The mission of the NASPD is to promote and advance the state park systems of America for their own significance, as well as for their important contributions to the nation's environment, heritage, health and economy.

Before everyone gets cynical on me, no I am not just writing this post to curry favor with my boss. Part of the reason I love my job working for Virginia State Parks is because Joe Elton has inspired me by his leadership and vision for our system. In the 15 years he has been Director (only the 6th person to hold the position of Director in the 73 year history of Virginia State Parks), we have probably had more bad budget years than good. One famous Joe-ism is that we are the "most frugally operated state park system."

What Joe taught us proved the old maxim "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." We expanded programs, improved our facilities, developed partnerships, drew from the talents of thousands of volunteers, and found creative ways to do more with less. I believe that our operation is a shining model of what government can accomplish. We run a tight ship with dedicated and talented staff and volunteers working to make our Virginia State Parks exceptional outdoor recreation venues.

During Joe’s tenure Virginia State Parks were winners of the national gold medal award for “excellence in parks and recreation management” and he was honored in 2007 with the Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of State Park Directors “In recognition of many years of dedicated service and inspired leadership to the conservation,
interpretation and enhancement of our nation’s natural and cultural state park treasures.”

Joe is fond of saying that “Virginia’s State Parks are a therapeutic tonic for the mind, body and spirit of Virginians” and a critical part of a healthy lifestyle.

Joe graduated from the Ohio State University and the Commonwealth Management Institute and Virginia Executive Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. He lives in Powhatan, Virginia with his wife, Patty. They have two adult sons, Alex and Lance.

He will serve a two year term as NASPD President and he will be furthering his goal to promote "America's State Parks." Ken Burns in his new series celebrating the centennial of the national park system calls our national parks America's Best Idea. That series will be running this fall and the previews have been fantastic. If the national parks are America's Best Idea - then the state parks are not far behind. It's our state and national parks that create the National System of Parks dreamed of by Stephen Mather (founder of the NPS) and his contemporaries.

I have no doubt that the system of 50 state parks systems will benefit from Joe's leadership.

Ruth Coleman, California State Parks Director was elected Vice President and Priscilla Geigis, Massachusetts State Parks Director, Secretary-Treasurer.

My Visit to Shenandoah River State Park

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

This is the first installment of several posts chronicling my vacation at Shenandoah River State Park. At this writing the park has a small tent campground (only ten sites) but new cabins and a campground are scheduled to open in 2010.

My husband and I are blessed to live where nature is abundant. Our home is on a man made pond and our yard is a certified backyard habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Nonetheless, as David and I sat on the edge of the Shenandoah River last Friday we wished we could trade it all for this special place.

I asked David what made Shenandoah River State Park different and his answer was quick – because where we live the nature was developed, here it was created. I knew what he meant. Our little neighborhood has nature but Shenandoah River State Park, especially the part of the Cullers Tract where we were sitting, is pretty much untouched. Well, as much as anything that man visits or passes through can be untouched.

View North from the Bentonville Low Water Bridge

As I sat and watched the River flow lazily north I knew my enjoyment was more than the beauty of the nature but the very thought that I was sitting immersed in nature and away from work and the everyday responsibilities at home. I spend my days (and way too much overtime) helping other people enjoy their visits to Virginia State Parks in many indirect and some direct ways, and now I was getting to enjoy one myself. The “being away from it all” feeling was compounded by the fact that my Blackberry has not the faintest signal at this rural retreat.

We just finished our third day at the park – my husband David, dog Yoda, and I. We had a campfire on the river bank this evening after a special dinner off the grill but let me share the highlights so far. We arrived early evening on Friday, unpacked the car and left poor Yoda in a strange place while we went for dinner and some limited grocery shopping. We drove south on Rt. 340 to Luray and ended up at Brookside's a family restaurant on the outskirts of Shenandoah National Park on Rt. 211. I was disappointed that they had just sold their last slice of blueberry upside down cake. David enjoyed the blackberry cobbler.

Saturday we relaxed over breakfast. It was hard to pull myself away from the view of the river, but we finally got under way. We drove the rest of the length of the Cullers Tract to the edge of the construction area and back to Route 613. It was a beautiful day for the drive. We also crossed the low water bridge across the river, mainly so we could take pictures of the river from the bridge. Then we headed into Front Royal, visited the quaint historic area, had lunch, and found a grocery store. While David shopped I confess I booted up my laptop and checked my e-mail and Twitter. While online I scoped out the local wineries and found one just a few miles south of Front Royal on Rt. 522.

Chester Gap Cellars - view from the deck

Chester Gap Cellars affords a beautiful mountain view and their tasting room, which appeared relatively new, leads out to a great deck with a mountain and vineyard view. We tasted six wines. We bought two bottles. The winery cat and dog relaxed on the deck with the fabulous view. My husband is not that fond of wine but he humors my enjoyment of visiting wineries. Chester Gap Cellars is open weekends most of the year and is worth a stop.

Sunday we spent a lazy day. The highlight was a delightful afternoon wading in the river. David had procured a cheap pair of athletic shoes for the purpose and I had my pool shoes from the Y. Yoda seemed happy with his bare paws. The bottom is very rocky with some sand and the river not very deep here. I enjoyed watching folks in canoes, kayaks and tubes routinely get stuck on the rocks in this bend of the river. I enjoyed wading to my waist and staying close to the shore. David and Yoda ventured half way across. David found a rock ledge that made a nice chair in the water. Yoda enjoyed swimming and taking rests on the rocks. I managed a few pictures of the river while I was wading but had to put the camera away for its protection.

Monday, Labor Day, we headed into Front Royal and picked up brochures in the Visitor Information Center on Main Street. We had lunch next door in the Old Mill Restaurant/Main Street Tavern. We have eaten here before and always enjoy the food. Today was no exception. David did some more shopping. [Ok, we live one mile from the store at home and don’t do a very good job of picking up all we need in one trip]. I snuck in a few minutes on line.

The rest of the afternoon we enjoyed thirty miles of the Skyline Drive. We stopped at every overlook between the northern terminus in Front Royal to the exit at Thornton Gap on Rt. 211. It was not a clear day – lots of haze – but we both took many pictures. We chanced on a young man doing some rock climbing at one overlook and watched him take a variety of routes thirty to forty feet up a rock face. We have some nice pictures of his fun. I enjoyed the fact that it was Shenandoah National Park so I didn’t have to worry whether what he was doing was kosher or not. In spite of the haze we had a delightful drive. There is a $15 fee for a 7-day pass so we plan to go back and hopefully find some clearer views.

Dave and Yoda balance on some rocks formations mid river

We Owe It To Our Children

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

Children participate in a program at Caledon Natural Area

Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder created quite a stir among outdoor recreation professionals, naturalists and educators. Finally someone put into words what we knew for so long - children need to be exposed to the outdoors and free play. Even as adults, getting outside is an important stress reducer not to mention the physical benefits of exercise during outdoor activities.

Louv discusses how the world has changed. Kids no longer are turned out in the morning with the expectation that they will play outside all day and get home on time for supper. A variety of social changes have contibuted - the fear of "stranger danger," concern over dangers of unsupervised play, and our continued urbanization so that even suburban areas lack "wild" places for kids to explore.

What's happened though is not just with this generation of young people. We actually have a bigger problem. The parents of today's children were impacted by these changing social concerns so many 20-40 year old parents never developed a curiosity for, appreciation of, and love for nature and the natural world.

This means parents without a background in free play and the outdoors are uncomfortable exposing their children to those concepts. Their parents may have been camping and exploring in fields, meadows and woods, but they never did those things and nature is a scary unknown. So they never learned the basics that would help them feel comfortable introducing their kids to the outdoors. The last thing you want to do is look like an idiot in front of your children.

There are exceptions. While we have been working on the Children and Nature theme since the movement got underway and we knew what to call it, and I have blogged about it before, a few things coincided today to make me think about the issue. The first is that we have been working with Kaboom! (@KaboomPlay) to register our park programs and volunteer activities as part of their Play Day Campaign. I have been following Kaboom! on Twitter and the web along with the Children and Nature Network (@ChildrenNature), Nature Rocks (@NatureRocks), and Bethe Almeras (@balmeras) and her Grass Stain Guru blog. If you are a regular reader of my posts, you also know I follow Camping Blogger (@CampingBlogger) and his blog. Today his post really put it all in perspective.

Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Bill Crabtree, Jr., Va. Tourism Corp. Bear Creek Lake State Park

"All I Want for My Birthday is to Go Camping" is a great testament that Roy Scribner (Camping Blogger) has exposed his children to the outdoors and overcome the problems that have created nature deficit disorder. And that's what we owe all of our children. If we don't feel comfortable playing outdoors, we need to do what we can to get comfortable.

It isn't as hard as you think. Our parks offer Outdoors 101 programs to help get you started. Come out for the day, enjoy one of our nature programs with your children. Since you don't have to do the leading, you can learn while your child experiences the program without appearing not to know anything. I understand how important it is to maintain that mystique that parents know everything when the kids still believe it! Our Women's Wellness Weekends are also designed so that mothers can learn basic outdoor skills too. Who says only the man in the family can take the kids fishing and camping?

Why not get started this Fall. The Kaboom! Play Day campaign is a nationwide program from September 19 through September 27 that will help you find somewhere near where you live to have some fun outdoors. Use their easy search feature to find a convenient location and an event that appeaks to you. You can find out more information in this blog post by National Geographic.

If you don't live in Virginia, check out a state park in your state. National Parks (@NatlParkService) offer these introduction to the outdoors programs too as well as local and regional parks. That's not all either - commercial outdoor equipment providers have a vested interest in getting adults comfortable recreating in the outdoors and offer programs. Locally we have Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (@BlueRidgeXP). Whether it be an outdoor equipment super store (like Bass Pro Shops) or a small town mom and pop operation, they will be happy to teach you what they can to make you feel comfortable. If they want to keep you as a customer, a reliable retailer won't push you to buy something you don't need.

And hey, we're part of the technological age - so even a quick web search will help give you some ideas on what you can do to get your family outdoors. Start with a picnic. Plan a short walk through a local park. Try camping in your back yard. Check out the Children and Nature Network for local groups that promote this theme.

We owe it to our children to introduce them to the wonderful world outdoors and I promise you that you will find benefits as well!

Note: for those of you that do not follow Twitter, the @xxxx references are Twitter handles.

NPS Civil War Historians Visit Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park

Friday, August 21, 2009 by Zoe Rogers

National Park Service Civil War historians emerged onto Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park on Thursday, August 13th to tour the park and meet with park manager Chris Calkins. The tour was part of a series of informational field trips that NPS Civil War historians took this summer. The purpose of the field trip was to get orientated with the park and the history of the battle of Sailor’s Creek.

"With our aim being to develop Sailor’s Creek Battlefield into a first-class historical state park, tying ourselves into the knowledge of our sister battlefields helps our visitors understand the seamless stories we convey between us,” said Calkins.

During their visit, historians toured the visitor center and Hillsman Farm House Museum, attended a presentation by Calkins on the park’s exhibits and development plans, and took a caravan tour of Lee’s Retreat. Historians taking part in the tour were from the national parks of Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Manassas, Appomattox, Richmond and Antietam.

Fort Belvoir Children Discover Mason Neck State Park

Monday, August 17, 2009 by Cyndi Juarez

Just last week there was another article about the stress of war taking a toll on military children. Along with the usual lifestyle challenges, military children are also coping with parents being deployed at an increased rate to support two wars. At Virginia State Parks we believe our parks are a tonic for the mind, body and spirit. This is one of the reasons we were very happy to partner with the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network to create an exciting adventure camp for children who's parents are stationed at Fort Belvoir.

Captain John Smith Explorers Camp provided an opportunity for military children to get outside and connect with northern Virginia history, northern Virginia outdoors and have some fun.
Fort Belvoir children got to know Captain John Smith and the local area he first explored more than 400 years ago.

Learning about Capt. John Smith's travels

Through hands-on activities, hiking, and exploring, children are learning what it must have been like for Captain John Smith and his crew when they first arrived on the shores of Mason Neck in 1608. Captain Smith kept a journal with detailed descriptions of his surroundings. He and his crew spent several weeks in the Mason Neck area searching for gold and dodging Indian arrows.

Children that participated in this project spent one week learning about that experience and making important connections with the past.

Through a cooperative agreement between the state and national parks the program was free and camp size was limited to ensure a high quality program.

While having fun was one of the main objectives, the program was also intended to create lifelong stewards of the Chesapeake Bay and the area’s cultural and historical heritage. Teachers Kelly Evans and Paige Hutchinson designed a curriculum to meet program goals while engaging children in actively discovering the natural world around them.

Some of the activities included: nature journaling, plant and animal identification, water testing and canoeing. Children were given a Mason Neck hat and a certificate upon graduation. Camp sessions were July 5th through August 14th.

Kelly, Page, Kelsey and Frank -Camp Leaders

The camp staff was outstanding. We were so fortunate to have such dedicated, knowledgeable and caring teachers leading the program.

It's all over now, the children have their memories and they also have an increased understanding of the place they call home while stationed at Fort Belvoir.

Mason Neck State Park is in Fairfax County on High Point Road. The park is located 7 miles northeast of Woodbridge. Take US Route 1, then turn east on State Route 242 (Gunston Road) for about 4 miles. Park Entrance is on the right.

Governor Kaine Shares His Key to Happiness at Pocahontas State Parks Event

Friday, July 24, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

Hopefully you have already seen my first post on Governor Tim Kaine's visit to Pocahontas State Park on July 21st. It was a terrific day and we had an incredible amount of work done by the Governor, his Fellows, our Pocahontas Youth Service Corps, and the Westmoreland Youth Conservation Corps crews.

The Department of Social Services oversees the State Office on Volunteerism and they prepared a video that includes the Governor's speech from the event.

Also, click here to see pictures from the Governor's photographer on the event.

If you would like to find happiness in your life we have 35 Virginia State Parks that would love your support through volunteering and advocacy, you can sign up to volunteer on line. Another way to get involved is to join the Friends Group of your favorite park. If you go to our web page and select your park, if there is a Friends Group, it will be listed there. Or, join the Virginia Association for Parks, a statewide group that supports state and national parks in Virginia.

We begin recruiting for Supervisors and Crew Members for our Youth Conservation Corps around the beginning of the year. Our website provides the program details as well as an on line process to sign up.

Thank a Ranger Day - July 29th

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

Staunton River State Park Manager Josh Ellington talks to a school group about resource management

Some of you who read my blog posts may be aware that I am the official Virginia State Parks Twitter-er. In fact, I am a self-admitted Twitter addict. I work in our Parks' central office and not at a park but most of my job beyond blogging and tweeting supports the work of our park staff who work in the trenches in our parks.

Two recent tweets led me to this post. On July 4th I saw a rather clever tweet the gist of which was if we go to parks and nature to relax and de-stress what do park rangers do? Since it was the 4th of July and I have a good idea what parks are like on major summer holidays, I started thinking about what it is like to have a career in State Parks. Certainly not the first time I have thought about it but it's been tickling my brain off and on.

I'm a little bit of an introvert so after working at one of our parks on a holiday weekend, I'd need a few hours in a dark room, all alone.

I'm sure you have heard the term "Jack of All Trades." Years ago, that was probably a good description for what career park field staff were. From our Park Rangers to Park Managers, the daily work has always been diverse. Most senior staff in our parks are also Law Enforcement. So one minute you may be dealing with a customer who is making too much noise in the campground, the next you might be snaking out a toilet, and following that you could be dealing with a customer who might challenge every ounce of customer service skill you possess. Oh, and since our senior staff live on the park, odds are you were called out of your bed to do those those things.

Chief Ranger Mike Lambert from Belle Isle State Park assists customers in decorating their hiking sticks as part of a park program. Mike is our resident State Park artist.

Park staff are handymen/women, customer service representatives, police, water and waste water treatment specialists, business managers, accountants, computer technicians, wildlife relocators, educators, natural resource managers, project managers, facility managers, human resource specialists, volunteer managers and trust me, that's not all.

But "Jack of All Trades" hasn't been accurate for more than ten years. More and more our staff are expected to be experts in all those fields. Running a park is like running a small town and a handful of full time people with the help of valuable seasonal and year round non salaried people fill all the roles required to keep the park going. Meeting federal and state laws and requirements, completing paperwork with unreasonable deadlines, and doing all those tasks I listed above while protecting the safety and welfare of every park visitor is an incredible responsibility. For the most part, our staff could probably get paid better doing any one of those tasks. Most law enforcement professionals are paid better than our park staff who are also sworn officers. Many of our parks have visitors in the park 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day.

Assistant Park Manager Nate Clark from Smith Mountain Lake State Park is a sworn law enforcement officer like most of our senior field staff

When you think about what the staff have to do, you begin to realize what special people they are. To be dedicated to preserving our natural resources and making them available for other people to enjoy is more of a calling than a job. It's a way of life. They have to be doing it because they love it.

That brings me to the tweet from today that made me decide to write this post: @RMNP4MS (Rocky Mountain National Park Forums) tweeted today about "Thank a Ranger Day." Since 2006 their community has been celebrating "Thank a Ranger Day" to show appreciation for the hard working staff at Rocky Mountain National Park. Their tweet today suggested that we all show our appreciation on July 29th. The date has a special significance because Jeff Christensen, a Rocky Mountain National Park Ranger died that day in 2005 while on a back country patrol. Their post can be found by clicking here.

So I suggest we expand the event to all Park Rangers and staff that work in our National, State and local Parks helping all of us recharge our batteries through outdoor recreation. Drop by a park and thank the staff on July 29th or post a comment at the end of this blog post to express your appreciation. Feel free to mention a specific park and I will pass on your comments to the staff.

One other thing. We have a wonderful customer service program in Virginia State Parks and we recognize staff that receive kudos from customers and other staff with focus cards. Next time you stay or visit one of our Virginia State Parks, look for the cards to recognize staff. Or, download one by clicking here.

Pocahontas Park Ranger Caroline Garmon works with members of the Youth Service Corps

Shenandoah River State Park's Youth Corps Work and Play Hard

Friday, July 10, 2009 by Nancy Heltman

Because of the limited size of our volunteer housing, the Youth Conservation Corps program at Shenandoah River State Park has always been limited to a maximum of 7 kids and two supervisors. This year's group may be small but park staff have been impressed with the trail work they have accomplished in just under three weeks.

The youth live in the Brown Cabin. It's not suitable for rental to the public but it sits right on the banks of the south fork of the Shenandoah River. It is on the edge of the park and accessed by a fifteen minute drive down a rough gravel road. So it's isolated. When I first saw the Brown Cabin, I thought it was named after someone named Brown that had lived on the property that is now the state park. Later I learned it's called the Brown Cabin because it's brown.

The youth have done lots of trail work. The park has several construction projects currently underway - a visitor center that is designed to be a Leeds Certified building, rental cabins, and a new full service campground. Some of the park's best trails, including the equestrian trails, were closed and obliterated. The Youth Corps has been doing trail restoration. They also worked at the land that will someday be Seven Bends State Park.

As I mentioned, the youth have had fun as well. They visited Luray Caverns, the Luray Zoo, climbed Old Rag Mountain and visited Shenandoah National Park. Today Gaston Rouse and I joined the crew for a late lunch at the Soul Mountain Restaurant in Front Royal. Gaston (born in Jamaica) was thrilled by the Carribean menu. We also stopped at another local eatery, Spelunkers, for ice custard desserts.

The first session of the Youth Conservation Corps ends Saturday with graduation at 11 a.m.

Discover Shenandoah River State Park

Thursday, July 2, 2009 by Cyndi Juarez

Poor Shenandoah River State Park, it's like the Jan Brady of Shenandoah parks only instead of "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" its "Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah National Park." It's not easy being just down the mountain from one of the most well known and popular National Parks in Virginia.

Shenandoah River State Park is often discovered by accident by folks looking for the National Park. However, a quick drive through our beautiful state park quickly convinces them that it was a happy mistake. Located just outside of Front Royal, the Canoe Capital of Virginia this park is a true treasure.

The park encompasses 1,604 acres with 5.6 miles of river frontage along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Legendary for its canoeing excellence, theSouth Fork of the Shenandoah River is a flowing mountain river. As it flows between the Massanutten Mountains to west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east, the river meanders through forest and fields.

The unique location of the park offers an enticing variety of terrain as well as breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities on safe, well marked trails.

Hikers can choose from 15 different Virginia hiking trails at the park. From the relatively flat and easy one mile Paw-Paw trail with river and fishing access to the challenging climb up Wildcat Ledge, hikers of all levels will enjoy the wide range of topography.

Scenery from the many trails is equally diverse. Incredible views of the river, lush hard wood forests or peaceful rolling pastures will vary according to the trail route but each is sure to delight trail travelers.

Wildlife hikers are likely to see during their trip to Shenandoah River State Park may include wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, raccoons, foxes, beavers and skunks just to name a few. In addition, hikers will find there are many types of birds, insects, snakes, trees and plants sharing the trail and making hiking at Shenandoah River State Park both interesting and enjoyable for the entire family.

The park includes what I think is some of the best camping in Virginia. The camping sites are private, secluded and right on the shores of the river.

Right now the park is under some construction as the finishing touches are put on a brand new Visitor Center and RV camp sites. Also on ridge overlooking the river we are putting in what promises to be some of the best cabins in Virginia.

You may think I'm exaggerating when I say this is one of the best state parks in Virginia. But, I know you won't be disappointed when you discover it for yourself!