Overlooking the New River, Shot Tower was built more than 150 years ago to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers.

Just an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., Sky Meadows State Park in Clarke and Fauquier counties, offers a peaceful getaway on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With rolling pastures and woodlands, the park boasts beautiful vistas of the foothills and access to the Appalachian Trail. Its rich history is shaped by the development of agriculture and the impact of the Civil War. Activities include hiking, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding, primitive camping, and nature and history programs. Please click here to view a short video of the park.

Although situated on the second largest body of freshwater in the state, Smith Mountain Lake State Park is not just for water enthusiasts. In addition to a full range of water related activities, including swimming, fishing and boating, the park offers miles of hiking trails, housekeeping cabins, camping, picnicking, a visitor center and interpretive programs.

The museum is housed in a mansion built in the 1880s by Rufus Ayers, a Virginia attorney general. The museum was bequeathed to the commonwealth in 1946 by C. Bascom Slemp, private secretary to President Calvin Coolidge and a member of the U. S. Congress. The museum was officially dedicated by the state in 1948. It features a collection comprised of more than 20,000 pieces, about one third of which is on display at any given time. The museum chronicles the exploration and development of the region during the 1890s coal boom, as well as the pioneer period. It offers activities for kids, scout and school programs, workshops, an annual Festival of Trees program, a quilt show, a music festival and outdoor exhibits. The museum sells archival supplies and offers the opportunity to have pictures of collection pieces copied, as well as copies of reference files. A gift shop at the museum features Victorian-era and pioneer items, local crafts, a large selection of books and Virginia State Parks itmes. The Victorian Parlor there is available for rent for business and social occasions. Click here to download a PDF document (360k) that further describes the museum.

The park was recognized in 2007 as a National Historic Landmark and a Virginia Historic Landmark. Many structures in the park, including the cabins, pool-house and picnic shelters, are little changed from when they were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s. Tucked away in south central Virginia, the park lies between the Dan and Staunton Rivers at the threshold of Buggs Island Lake (also known as Kerr Reservoir). The largest lake in Virginia is only one of the park’s many attractions, which include an Olympic size pool with a 70-foot waterslide, a smaller log slide and the Pollywog Pond, which is a water playground for children (there is a size limit on this pool). The shaded campgrounds, rustic cabins, picturesque picnic shelters, well-maintained nature trails, and plenty of exciting outdoor opportunities for the whole family make Staunton River State Park the perfect place for your vacation.

At this historic site, a ragtag group of Confederate old men and young boys beat the odds and held off an assault by 5,000 Union cavalry soldiers on a bridge of strategic importance to General Lee’s army, then under siege in Petersburg.

Father John Bannister Tabb was born in Amelia County in 1845 to one of Virginia’s wealthiest families. He served in the Confederate Navy on the blockade runner, the Robert E. Lee, and was one of the period’s finest Southern poets. His work was published in such renowned periodicals as Harpers, Cosmopolitan and The Atlantic.

Twin Lakes State Park, centrally located in Virginia's Piedmont region, provides visitors from all over the Commonwealth with a variety of lakefront activities in a secluded setting. Swimming, camping, fishing, canoeing and hiking are popular activities. The park is home to Cedar Crest Conference Center, a perfect facility for group meetings, family reunions, wedding receptions and company picnics. The park also offers catering services for on-site events.

Westmoreland State Park lies within Westmoreland County, from which it takes its name. The park extends about one and a half miles along the Potomac River, and its 1,311 acres neighbor the former homes of both George Washington and Robert E. Lee. The park’s Horsehead Cliffs provide visitors with a spectacular view of the Potomac River. In addition to the scenic beauty at Westmoreland, the park offers hiking, camping, cabins, fishing, boating and swimming. Visitors can enjoy the park’s vacation cabins as well. The visitor center, open during summer, gives an informative historical and ecological perspective to an important natural area on the coastal plain. Westmoreland also offers the Murphy Hall Conference Center and the Potomac River Retreat, which is an upscale overnight accommodation.

Wilderness Road State Park was purchased in 1993. The park is about 310 acres that lie astride the Wilderness Road, a route carved by Daniel Boone in 1775. The route, which followed a buffalo trace, opened America’s first western frontier. Most notable in the park are the Karlan Mansion built in the 1877, a state-of-the-art visitor center and Martin's Station, a replica of a colonial frontier fort that was near this site in 1775. Click here to visit the Friends of Wilderness Road's website, which provides details about the fort.

Eleven miles west of Williamsburg, York River State Park offers visitors an opportunity to experience the environment of a coastal estuary. This park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life. The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of York River frontage and its related marshes while providing an area for passive day-use recreation for visitors. York River State Park served as a role model for all of Virginia’s state parks in developing resource management plans. The park’s natural resources make it a significant place for environmental education at all levels.