Camping with Kids

Virginia State Parks provide children of all ages with some of the best camping opportunities the state has to offer. Camping can be a great way to introduce young ones to the wonders of nature. By planning successful, enjoyable camping trips when they're young, you'll set your children on the path to a lifetime of outdoor adventures.

Designed with a full range of outdoor family activities in a safe and natural setting, Virginia State Parks feature fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling and more. Campgrounds range from primitive, with tent-only sites, pit toilets and no hook-ups, to fully developed ones, with water, electric and sewer hookups and full-service bathhouses. Whether your family members are seasoned campers or enjoying a night under the stars for the first time, Virginia State Parks offer a rewarding and safe camping experiences from one corner of the state to the other.

  

Programs and Activities

Education: Through programming and educational opportunities Virginia State Parks staff and volunteers help visitors develop a better understanding and appreciation of the outdoors, as well as the history and culture of the region. Interpretive programs covering topics from wildlife habitats to farm life in the 1850s go beyond merely relaying facts. Park staff and volunteers involve visitors through imaginative presentations and hands-on activities. Many parks also have visitor centers, which serve to further educate and entertain park visitors through carefully designed exhibits, slide shows and more.

Virginia even has state parks that are designated as International Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association. Kids and aspiring astronomers can enjoy stargazing at these parks with minimized light pollution.

Kids Programs: A variety of programs for children are offered at most Virginia State Parks. Evening campfires and flashlight walks, nature hikes, canoe tours, animal tracking andJunior Ranger programs are just a few examples. Check the park kiosk or ask one of the rangers for a schedule.

Additionally, holidays and national days of celebration can bring excitement and enhance the camping experience for kids. National Kids to Parks Day takes place annually on the third Saturday of May and Virginia State Parks have special events planned to celebrate this day of outdoor play.

Kids Activities: If a ranger-led program does not fit into your schedule or if your family prefers to explore on their own, check with the park office for pre-printed materials. Or, you can download these self-guided activity sheets before you go. Additionally, several parks have Adventure Backpacks that can be borrowed from the visitor center for free. These backpacks contain items for exploring topics, such as birding, insects and more.

Many of the state parks offer playgrounds for year-round fun, including a unique Children’s Discovery Area at Sky Meadows State Park. Seasonal beach and pool swimming is a summer highlight at several of the state parks. Check the park amenities page as well as the individual park pages for a schedule and more details.

Volunteer Programs: A great way to involve children in the outdoors and foster a sense of environmental stewardship that will last a lifetime is to volunteer at a state park. You and your family can volunteer for a specific project, adopt a trail, which you help maintain periodically, become campground hosts, which allows you to camp for free for 30 - 90 days, and more. Learn more about volunteer opportunities for your family.

Helpful Reminders

• Pack some favorite books to read at the beach or before going to bed. Why not bring a book about the animals and plants you may encounter during your visit? Then you and your family can go on a nature hike and try to find some of the wildlife you read about.
• Take along plenty of bug spray and sunscreen.
• Bring a pair of sandals for the shower and beach. Invaluable for around the campsite, they can easily be slipped off every time your child enters the tent to prevent soil and debris from getting in your sleeping area.
• Hammering or tying anything to a tree is damaging to the tree and prohibited. For drying wet towels and bathing suits, bring along a small collapsible clothes drying rack. A plastic tablecloth for the picnic table is a good idea, too.
• Children get cold faster than adults. The key to comfortable camping is to dress them in several layers, which can be peeled off as they get warm and layered back on as they cool off.
• Kids love flashlights. Make sure each of yours has one to prevent any arguments. Flashlights are also handy when making trips to the restroom, for making shadow puppets on tent walls and for reading before bed.
• If there is a family game you like to play at home, bring it along. Playing it outdoors with a lantern or flashlights will add to the fun.
• Teach your kids to treat the outdoors kindly. Make sure all waste is disposed of properly when camping or hiking along the trails.
• Bring a playmate along. Two or more children will stay entertained longer than one child.
• Make your cookout a family activity. Bring along food that the whole family can participate in cooking like hotdogs on a sharpened stick or even potatoes that the kids can help peel. And don't forget the marshmallows and s'mores.
• Most bookstores, libraries and camping stores carry an assortment of books describing how to involve children in the outdoors. Check your local stores and websites for expert advie and books on hiking with children, camping with kids, backpacking with babies and small children, and more.

First-Time Campers

State parks are great places for first-time campers. Through the Let’s Go Adventures program, participants can learn the basics of camping in a Let’s Go Camping course offered at several of the parks. Rest assured, if it's your first time camping, friendly staff and volunteers are there to get you started on the right foot.

Learn more about state park campgrounds seasons of operation, amenities and reservations.

reservations

Safety

Park rangers with law enforcement authority remain on the park grounds 24 hours a day. In fact, many rangers and their families live right there at the park. Volunteer campground hosts at many parks provide additional security and hospitality. Emergency numbers are posted throughout the park and telephones are in or near each campground.

Safety tips:

• Stay on the trails. Hiking off trails is unsafe, damages vegetation and causes erosion. Always plan where to meet should one of your family members get separated.
• Young children should be taught to stay within eyesight and older children within earshot. Teach children to stay where they are if they discover they are lost. Instruct them to find a nearby tree and stay with it until they are found. Children over the age of four can also carry a whistle around their neck to call for help when lost. The standard distress signal is three blows to indicate "I'm lost" or "I need help."
• To avoid tick bites, stay on trails and avoid grassy, brushy areas and wear light-colored clothing, so ticks can be seen. Tuck shirts into pants and pant legs into socks. Do not wear shorts on the trails. If a tick is attached to your skin, grab it with tweezers and remove it. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If you think part of the tick has remained in the skin, or if you think the tick has been attached for longer than 48 hours, seek medical attention.
• Observe posted speed limits in the parks while driving, and watch for small children and bicyclists, especially around campgrounds.
• Protect your property. Lock your car and lock your valuables in the trunk.
• Do not attract animals to your campsite by leaving food out. Keep your campsite clean and free of food smells by disposing of all food waste in the park trash receptacles. Lock all opened food in plastic containers or in your car.