Virginia State Parks provide comfortable and economical overnight accommodations, with 260 climate-controlled cabins and more than 1,700 campsites, ranging from primitive sites to developed sites with electric and water hookups. Many cabins are available year round. While most campgrounds are open from March 1 through the end of the first week of December, primitive campsites are available year-round.
Climate-controlled cabins are available at Bear Creek Lake, Chippokes Plantation,
Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, First Landing, Hungry Mother, James River,
Lake Anna, Occoneechee, Staunton River, Smith Mountain Lake, Twin Lakes and
Westmoreland state parks. Cabin sizes and sleeping arrangements vary by park.
Click here to see a few photos of Virginia State Park cabins. You'll see that cabins vary greatly from one park to the next. Note that not all of the cabins pictured on Flickr may be rented. Many are historical features.
All cabins have kitchens and bathrooms. Furnishings and equipment include rustic furniture, microwave, refrigerator, oven, dishes, cooking utensils, silverware, kitchen towels and glassware. Bath towels and bedroom linens, including mattress covers, pillows, blankets, sheets and pillow cases, also are included.
All cabins except those at Chippokes Plantation State Park and Twin Lakes State Park's Hill Lodge and Martin Cottage have fireplaces. Cabins at Smith Mountain Lake have wood stoves.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the standard cabin rental period is one week. Rentals for less than a week during this period can be made no more than 30 days prior to desired occupancy based on availability. There is a two-night minimum stay. (Note: During the summer season, cabin rentals for less than a week's stay within the 30-day window cannot be reserved online. Please call the
For larger family groups and retreats, family lodges are available at Bear
Creek Lake, Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone,
Hungry Mother, James River, Kiptopeke, Occoneechee and Westmoreland.
The lodges are rented only as single units, and individual rooms are not available.
Check-in time is 3 p.m.; check-out time is 10 a.m. Check-in days during the week-long requirement vary, so contact the Reservation Center. All reservations are subject to availability. Cabins cannot be reserved for more than 14 days in a row.
In addition to cabins and family lodges, special facilities include:
Bel Air Mansion and Guest House - These two upscale, overnight facilities in Belle Isle State Park are perfect for family reunions or picturesque weddings. Furnished with antique reproductions, the mansion comfortably sleeps six, and the simply furnished guest house sleeps eight.
Cove Ridge Center at Natural Tunnel State Park - Available for reunions, conferences or business meetings, the two attached dormitories can accommodate up to 30 each. Overnight guests have free use of adjacent swimming pool during normal operating hours. Reservations are handled by the park at (276) 940-2696.
Poplar Hill Cottage at the Southwest Virginia Museum - This quaint, garden-themed cottage is the perfect getaway in the mountains. Furnished with reproduction furniture, the charming cottage is in the historic Poplar Hill neighborhood, adjacent to other fine homes. The cottage comfortably sleeps six and two full baths. Pets are not allowed. Reservations are handled by the park at (276) 523-1322.
Click here to see typical floor plans of some Virginia State Park cabins. Cabins vary greatly from park to park and their floor plans vary greatly as well. These illustrations are meant only as a guide.
Campgrounds: Twenty-four state parks have campgrounds (click here for park rates). Site sizes and configurations vary. Some parks provide sites with electric and water hook-ups, which tend to be larger to accommodate recreational vehicles and campers. Kiptopeke and Hungry Mother campgrounds offer sewer hook-ups. Most campgrounds are open from March 1 through the first Monday in December; primitive sites are available year-round.
All equipment must remain within the confines of the campsite without impacting the natural vegetation. Developed campsites can accommodate six people per site or all members of a household. Designated group camping areas are available, but all parks can accommodate groups.
Developed and group campsites have picnic tables, grills and access to bathhouses. Primitive campsites generally have fire grills, picnic tables, pit toilets and non-potable water. Primitive hike-in camping is available at False Cape and Sky Meadows. Primitive drive-in camping is available at James River, and hike-in and canoe-in sites are available at New River Trail and Shenandoah River Raymond R. ”Andy” Guest Jr. state parks. Equestrian camping sites are available at Grayson Highlands, James River, New River Trail and Occoneechee state parks.
The maximum camping period is 14 days. While campers cannot be assured of access to their reserved sites before the reservation start time of 4 p.m. arrive early to avoid lines at check-in and enjoy the park until your site is ready. Check-out is 3 p.m.
Reservations should be made as early as possible. With the exception of False Cape, New River Trail and Sky Meadows, specific campsites are assigned upon arrival at the park based on the site type reserved, not when the reservation is made. Unreserved campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but reservations are strongly recommended.
Note: False Cape State Park doesn’t allow motor vehicles and is accessible only by tram (campers may not use the tram), foot, bicycle or boat. False Cape is reached by land via a six-mile path through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Between Nov. 1 and May 31 access through the refuge may be restricted to the beach. High tides and soft sands make hiking and bicycling extremely difficult. Reservations are required for False Cape State Park and a refuge fee may be charged.
Reservations: Reservations for camping, cabins and picnic shelters can be made by calling the Virginia State Park Reservation Center weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1-800-933-PARK (7275). Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. We do not generally accept same-day reservations. Payments must be made in full to the Reservation Center within 14 days after the reservation is made or prior to the arrival, whichever is soonest. The Reservation Counselor will give the payment due date at the time the reservation is made. Reservations can also be made online. Each park’s Web page has a “Reserve Now” button on the right side of the page. Clicking it takes you to Web reservation page for that park. There's a $4 service fee for Web reservations, and they require credit card payment at time of the reservation.
Payments can by made by American Express, Discover, MasterCard orVISA over the phone (by the card-holder only) or by check or money order (online reservations are by credit card only). Checks and money orders should be made payable to Virginia State Parks and mailed to: Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia State Parks Reservation Center, P.O. Box 29865, Richmond, VA 23242. (For a check from a foreign country, please show “U.S. Funds” after the amount.) Payments can also be made in person at the State Parks Reservation Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 100, Richmond, Va., Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No cash, please.
Cancellation policy: Campsite cancellations may be made by calling the Reservation Center during operating hours or calling the park when the Reservation Center is closed. A $10 per site cancellation fee will be deducted from fees paid. This includes horse stall rentals. There is a $30 fee for group campsite reservation cancellations. A penalty of one night is charged to those who depart early. Any departure made after the camping check-in time of 4 p.m. is considered a full night’s stay. Prior to check-in or 4 p.m., whichever is earlier, customers may reduce the number of night in their stay at no charge.
Cabin cancellations may be made by calling the Reservation Center during operating hours or calling the park when the center is closed. A flat $20 fee is charged for cabin cancellations made at least a month prior to the scheduled arrival date. The fee for cancellations made less than a month before the scheduled arrival date is $20 per night. Cancellation fees also apply to early departures and reductions in the number of nights of the cabin rental. Because cabins require a minimum two-night stay, the charge for an early departure or reduction will be two nights’ rental plus $20 per additional night. Any departure made after the cabin check-in time of 3 p.m. is considered a full night’s stay.
Lodge cancellations may be made by calling the Reservation Center during operating hours or calling the park when the center is closed. A flat $50 cancellation fee is charged for lodge cancellations made at least a month prior to the scheduled arrival date. The fee for cancellations made less than a month before the scheduled arrival date is $50 per night. Cancellation fees also apply to early departures and reductions in the number of nights of a lodge rental. Because lodges require a minimum two-night stay, the charge for an early departure or reduction will be two nights’ rental plus $50 per additional night. Any departure made after the lodge check-in time of 3 p.m. is considered a full night’s stay.
Transfer policy: For cabin, lodge, camping lodge (bunkhouse), camping cabin, RV trailer and yurt reservations, transfers must be made through the Reservation Center by 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to your scheduled arrival. If the given Monday is a state holiday, the deadline is Tuesday by 5 p.m. After that time, you must use the rental or cancel the reservation, and cancellation fees will be charged.
Camping reservation transfers must be made through the Reservation Center, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., before the start of the reservation. After that time, you must use the rental or cancel the reservation, and cancellation fees will be charged.
Contact the Reservation Center at 1-800-933-PARK (7275) for a complete description of the refund recalculation policy as well as for specific cancellation and transfer policies for day-use facilities such as picnic shelters, meeting facilities, etc.
