We have come to the state park before and enjoyed it. We are in cabin 11. when we got here we were pleasantly surprised with the upgrades and a new fireplace. Lots of walking trails. The staff are friendly. read more

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I stay here frequently for tent camping but decided to try a cabin during off season which only required a 2 night stay. We had a 2 bedroom which can sleep 6/bunk beds at site 10. The lake view cabins go very very quickly. Since we are all adult we can appreciate the quiet. Open plan with a lovely fireplace and outdoor fire pit. They provided a bundle of wood - but there is wood for sale at specific hours near the camp store. About the wood..... it's a cross between tree cut and saw mill. I paid $7.00 a bundle. Our cabin had a lovely wrap around porch/deck with both a front and back door. Great view as every room had a window including the bathroom. A slight "ick" factor is that the bed had crumbs. They offer everything you could want minus the linen. Side note I have allergies so be aware that a past guest may have had pets. We used sheets as couch covers. We are planning on staying there again. Standing shower, furnished kitchen. No WiFi. I would come back again but only strictly doing off season as it's much quieter. read more

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Had a great stay in the cabins! The friendly light show at night was lovely and peaceful. I enjoyed a race of weather from sunny and hot to overcast and windy all the way to a lighting storm, and it was all lovely here. There's a swim beach and hiking trails, but this is also a great place to go is to just need a break from the busy pace of day to day life. read more

Bear Creek Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Cumberland, Virginia

Nestled in the heart of the Cumberland State Forest in central Virginia, activities in this park (which is managed by Virginia State Parks) are centered around the 40-acre lake. We camped in this park for three nights in late April 2022; our stay included two weekday and one Friday night. There are three campgrounds in the park ... the Acorn Loop, which is lakeside and intended more for tent camping and Black Oak and Chestnut Loops, which are for larger RVs. Both of the latter campgrounds were closed for construction activities. Being lakeside, sites on the Acorn Loop, were very peaceful and relaxing though they are quite close to each other. Each site had a picnic table, fire ring, and a pole for a lantern. Only two sites were occupied during our Wednesday and Thursday night stay; there was about 70% occupancy on the Friday night but it was still relatively quiet. The bathhouse/showers were well-maintained. There is access to park trails directly from the campground. There are also a lodge and cabins available to rent. The park offers a boat launch, fishing pier, boat rentals, beach area/(unguarded) swimming, a snack bar, picnic shelter, playground, and an archery range. Some of these activities are seasonal. For instance, the snack bar and boat rentals were closed in late April. The park is also a great place to do some hikes. The Trail Guide is available at the Contact Station or online. There are a number of hiking trails in the park that are rated easy or moderate. We did the Lakeside Trail (easy, 1.52 miles), the Channel Cat Loop (moderate 1.78 miles), and some shorter connector trails. There are two short trails, Otter (0.16 mi) and Coyote (0.07 mi), which are handicap accessible. The park is also adjacent to state forest, which offers the 14-mile Cumberland Multi-use Trail, which is shared by hikers, bikers, and equestrians. Finally, there is some wi-fi availability in the park, primarily in the beach and campground areas. read more

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We really enjoyed Bear Creek Lake State Park. Not a bad drive from Richmond, at all. It was very easy to navigate and to find our main area of interest, which was renting kayaks. The staff were super friendly, it is a very clean and relaxing environment. We rented two kayaks, we were a little disappointed at the rentals, the equipment were definitely showing their age and wear. Also, these are not really great for larger people. We found the kayak rentals at Twin Lakes state park to be better quality and more user friendly for ALL bodies. My kayak was just about right for me, but Mike is 6 ft 3 and a big guy, he did not feel stable or safe and the people working there should have recognized that BEFORE he got on his kayak. They did offer a canoe after he turned in his kayak early, but he declined. After we finished up with that, we wandered around bit, and then we took a drive into the Cumberland State Forest. This is a beautiful area and we definitely look forward to going back and taking our own kayaks. They also have archery, trails, picnic tables. read more

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Many years later, I have a newfound appreciation for this place. There has clearly been some effort put into the Virginia State Park system, and Bear Creek is an awfully nice place to hang out with your family. read more

Great park with a lot of great sight seeing points. Walking trails and riding trails all easy access. read more

Bear Creek Lake State Park - Riding trail - Parks Near Me - Cumberland, Virginia

This Va State Park is perfect for families with kids under 12. The sand beach is similar to Va State Park Lake Anna but smaller. I would have brought my kids here for sure. Its back country and quiet. This Va State Park is so perfect for families that like to camp and fish. You can probs throw out your line from the front if your tent in some of these spots! Amazing camping sites. The lake is packed with lots of different fish. Crappie, couple kinds of Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Walleye and more! Paddlebiats on site, a snack shop and of course some hiking trails. *Bear Creek Lake State Park also has cabins and sits right on Cumberland State Forest so there Great Bike Trails! 14 miles. And a Willis River Hike thats 16 miles. Check out all the mushrooms on Channel Cat Loop Trail! read more

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An excellent state park not too far from Richmond .... Bear Creek Lake State Park is a nice facility located about an hour drive west of Richmond. It is adjacent to Cumberland State Park, which is a gem in itself. There is a nominal $5 entrance fee and the public facilities are clean and well maintained. Park rangers patrol the area regularly and the place feels very safe. There are small and large cabins that you can reserve in advance online and the prices are very reasonable. There are also camp sites for RVs, although it might be tad tight for larger vehicles. The lake has a beach area where people can swim, as well as picnic areas next to it and a playground for kids. The hiking trails are short but they seem to connect with one another. Adjacent Cumberland Park has longer trails if that's your thing. The trails are clean and well marked. Fishing is popular here and the lake seems well stocked with variety of freshwater species. Overall, this is a great place for a day trip as well as a longer weekend stay. read more

Perfect place for the family. There's something for everyone. Archery, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boat, sup ( stand up paddle board), swimming at the beach, hiking on the trails, and playing at the playgrounds. The water view campsites are amazing . We stayed at site A09 and it was perfectly shaded and had view of the water. We have a toddler and didn't want her to wander into the water alone and this was the perfect location to keep the view but safe enough distance where she couldn't get up and run to the water. This park is a true hidden gem. Not crowded at all. read more

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BCLSP is one of my favorite VA State Parks. The staff very friendly and helpful. The grounds and facilities are always clean and I working order. The scenery is breathtaking, serene and very calming. I have tent camped and cabin glamped. Both experiences were awesome. read more

Bear Creek Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Cumberland, Virginia

Love this place great for getting out into nature. Great walking and hiking. Live not to far from the area and it's so beautiful here.

Beautiful park! Fresh air, beautiful foliage and tucked away for a quiet visit. Would definitely return!

Nice place. I would call this a Mini-Smith Mountain Lake State Park. The place is nice. Sites are very nice, but close. Some too close if you know what I mean. You need to know what sites to ask for, as the map doesn't do it justice. We had site 14 in Loop A which was nice. They are pretty strict here on the rules. Quiet hours were enforced and we were told to remove our clothes line from the tree (we had towels drying). The lake is nice. Not as clear as other lakes that we've been to in VA, but nice. The snack bar serves good hamburgers. You can rent paddle boats and canoes for cheap. Fishing is sub-par for the course. We also visited the State Forest next to this park. They have a nice rope bridge that you can check out. It's pretty cool. Could I see myself spending a week here. No, but a weekend yes. We camped for one night which was prefect. Would I go back, probably, but not anytime soon. read more

This is a excellent day trip spot! I've been going to the lake since I was a kid and I recently went back because of the amazing weather. For two adult day passes it was $10 for the weekend price. The beach is small but when we went there where not alot of people out on a Friday. We rented a paddle boat for an hour and it was only $6. It was so much fun and could of sat 6. It was so much fun exploring the lake. The snack shack has VEGGIE BURGERS! They also have fries and cheese pizza. Its all Frozen and warmed up but still good after a day of swimming. They had a bunch of ice cream flavors. My tip is to pack a picnic! The snack shack was the most experience thing about the day trip. Don't forget your floats! There is an air pump so you don't have to dive there with them in your back seat. I can definitely tell that they are trying to "Instagram" the experience but for what they have it's worth a peaceful day. read more

We're from out of state and we camped here for the first time a few days ago. We stayed for 4 days and 3 nights, it was amazing. I booked this trip months ago and I got to reserve the best site on the Acorn Loop, A11. We were right next to the lake and it was beautiful and relaxing. We had such a wonderful time, we had the bathroom to ourselves since we were the only ones there for that part of the week. The bathrooms are okay, but it's camping so I wasn't expecting much. Showers were okay, the water pressure was perfect as well as the temperature. Some camps hot water runs out during your shower and gets cold fast, but not this one! We never got a chance to explore the whole campground because we planned a lot of stuff to do all around Virginia, but we will be returning and we'll explore more next time! read more

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We very much enjoyed our cabin getaway. The cabins were comfortable and well equipped. We enjoyed sitting on the rocking chairs and sipping coffee. Used the grill and fire pit to cook our food. Went hiking. The only bad part was the stuff falling from the trees. Most of us were allergic to it. But we will be back just closer to the fall than the spring. read more

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We camped 3 nights here and we're pleasantly surprised how nice and clean it was. The park staff was friendly and helpful, they also have a surprising amount of beginner programs for people that are new to camping or to the area. My big gripe and the reason for the 3 stars is the bath house. The men's urinal STINKS. I asked a staff person if they could clean it up and nothing happened. I mean this is the kind of stunk that sticks to your clothes. All they needed was bleach. Otherwise the "beach" and other areas are nice. The snack bar and canoe/ kayak rentals were nice too. We'll be back there but there are other camp grounds around that serve the purpose as well. read more

Bear Creek Lake State Park - Typical camp site for small campers/ tents. - Parks Near Me - Cumberland, Virginia

The park is quiet, peaceful, and well-maintained. Very pretty, large lake, encircled by a 3.5 mile trail. Swimming beach is open during the summer season, as are rentals of paddle boats, rowboats, canoes, and kayaks. I really appreciate that these are available DAILY, rather than just weekends, during the "shoulder season" before Memorial Day. We rented a 14' rowboat and comfortably fit 3 people and 3 dogs (two 30lbs and one 11lbs), and spent a happy 3 hours putting around the lake. It's great that an electric trolling motor does not cost any extra, which allowed us to just kick back and relax on the water. First visit here was a three-night stay in cabin 4, a two-bedroom lake view. This also happened to be my first overnight stay in a VA State Park--what a delight! Our cabin offered almost every amenity; cutlery, plates, knives (in need of a good sharpening), coffeemaker, ice maker, pans, baking dishes, dish soap, towels, tiny shampoos/soaps, paper towels, cooking utensils (even a potato masher!). I do recommend bringing your own pillow, as the ones provided are pretty pathetic; mine ended up being thin and hard on one half, and thin and mushy on the other. :-/ Also the shower curtain was about 2" too narrow, so fully closing the shower was difficult. Otherwise had a very comfortable stay. Free wifi is available at the park office, but spotty AT&T/Cricket cellphone reception comes through to the deck of cabin 4--stronger if you walk closer to the lake--but the comfy rocking chairs make for a good place to feed your technology obsession. It was perfect because you could check your messages, but it wasn't convenient so you weren't constantly staring at your phone. The cabins on either side of us were somewhat close--I was glad that we visited early in the year and during the week because I can see feeling crowded by your neighbors if both adjoining cabins had been occupied. Every staff member we interacted with was extremely nice and welcoming. Over all, a very good experience and I would definitely come back again and my party is already discussing staying at another VA State Park cabin. read more

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Wonderful people, clean and friendly staff. Best state park in VA!!! Worth the drive!

Pretty area, not a far drive from Richmond, lots of good, relatively easy hikes plus camping and a swimming area with a kids' playground read more

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A camp that has everything you need! Water front views, affordability, hiking,biking,trails,kayaking, canoeing and fishing. My family and I love it here. We spent a weekend here and didn't want to leave. It was safe, clean and fun. They have daily activities for the kids and the beach was beautiful. If you not the GO HARD, tent type like we are, you can rent a cabin. They offer electric and non electric sites. all with water hook up for the tents as well. The bathrooms are well lit, clean and free. You don't have to pay to shower like a campsite we went to in Pennsylvania. We laugh about spending $.50 for a shower to this day. My family enjoyed learning about the forest while walking on the trails. Self guided and guided walks along Bear Creek Lake. At the beach, there was a table full of local animal skins,fur,bones and teeth. The kids thought it was so cool to hold an actual squirrels tail and a beavers tooth, a bats wing, petrified paws and snakes skin. I plan on returning to this campground with friends and family as long as BCLSP continues to do what they are doing to maintain the park, the lake, the trails and the grounds. This family will always return. There is a gas station/store for anything you may have forgotten or have a craving for. They sale Ice and firewood too so don't worry. it's just down the road for the campground. read more

We stayed over Columbus Day weekend and had a great spot right on the lake. We had fun in a rental paddleboats and hiking around. Everything was in great shape. I look forward to going back. read more

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Bear Creek Lake State Park is a wonderful place to visit if you are looking for a relaxing camping getaway! Tons of people love coming to camp here after hiking on the Virginia Creeper Trail! There are great camp sites to choose from, beautiful views, wonderful fishing, and it is pet friendly!! This place makes for the perfect weekend getaway. Visiting in the Fall would be a beautiful time! read more

I have been camping my entire life and have been to countless campgrounds. We usually stay at Lake Anna State Park but waited too long to make reservations this year and had to try another place. We saw good reviews for this park and decided to try it. First let me say that all the good reviews are either from people who stayed in private cabins across the lake or came just for the day without pets. Anyone who camps here or comes here with pets will never come here again. I was really excited to come here. The pictures looked nice. First let me tell you that the pictures of campsites and the map are very misleading. The pictures are taken very strategically with a wide angle lenses. This is the smallest tightest "campground" I have ever seen. It would be better to call it a numbered parking lot. It's like camping at a Walmart parking lot where you get two spaces. One for your tent/camper and one for your picnic table with no spaces in between sites. There is no privacy or space whatsoever! We also brought our service dog with us and we were very excited about how pet friendly they claimed to be. Though it is nice that they have a very small "pet swimming area" their policies make it unusable. The pet swimming area is the only place that they allow pets to swim in the entire lake but they require them to remained leashed even when they swim. I saw many dogs like ours today panic when their wet leash was getting wound up in their legs, choking and drowning them. Forcing dogs to swim leashed is animal cruelty. I've never been to another state park that had this policy. Out of the water sure, but swimming leashed is inhumane. It's like forcing people to swim in a straight jacket. The moral of the story is to ignore the other reviews and camp elsewhere, preferably one that values the welfare of animals. read more

IMMACULATE cabins! Everything you could need for a weekend away is provided- just bring food and extra hygiene items. Beautiful park with well-maintained roads, plenty of greenery, and friendly staff. Can't give five stars because the weekend we were there, the lake had a thin, greasy sheen on the surface and whatever was in the water was clinging to our body hair and turning it brown. It wiped away easily, but came right back while swimming. I'm assuming it was sediment from all the recent rain, but we've been to plenty of other lakes to swim after heavy rains and have never had the same experience. The lake also had weird hot/cold spots. Just walking or swimming through the water, one spot would feel as hot as a bathtub and the next would be freezing cold, back and forth. A little off-putting to say the least. read more

We booked several cabins for my daughter's wedding this past weekend they were all very nice and roomy,had many amenities to it. The staff and the Rangers went out of their way to help us through a very windy weekend. read more

My wife and I are novice campers and chose BCLP as our maiden voyage. The camp sites are very clean and well maintained. Very friendly staff and beautiful setting. They provide fire wood for a nominal fee, ours was a little damp but it was a very humid labor day weekend. Most the sites we saw had access to water and electric (you need to specify when making reservations). The wash rooms were very clean. It is a smaller campground with a quiet family friendly environment. read more

Soooo rustics and unkept. We pulled into a planned 2 night stay with our 24 foot travel trailer. After 5 minutes of seeing this gross park I tried to cancel and of course it was 4:02 pm. We did pull out early the next morn and went down the road to another campground. We can't afford to lose that kind of money but our site was a dried up dirt patch with poison ivy. The wood for sale was pieces of rotted oak cut up from the park. This state park received a 1 star because it did come with wi fi to plan our escape. read more

Small but very nice and well kept park. Trails were better marked then most National Park trails and rangers were most helpful. Swimming, canoeing, picnic tables, cabins, small restaurant. Very nice place to go and spend a day with family or friends. read more

We rented a 2 bedroom lake view cabin for Memorial Day Weekend. The cabin is lovely, newer and well maintained. You can barely see the lake because of the trees. Day 1 - we hiked the 2.5 mile trail around the lake - within a few minutes we found ticks all over us. We decided to go back to the cabin and spend some time indoors reading. Day 2 - spent some time kayaking, hanging out at the little beach and met another family leaving the park because of the ticks. Day 3 - happy to go home as soon as we got up! We woke up and found mouse droppings all over the kitchen countertops. The park staff is friendly and they gave us all kinds of materials about protecting the park, lake, etc. Nothing at all about the tick infestation and mice problem. I am very disappointed. read more

My kids love camping and this has been the best park ever for them. Our tent area was surrounded by trees, so cosy and spacious. Is a short trail to the lake area and the view is beautiful! They have daily activities for the kids; archery, fishing, GPS Treasure Hunt, hiking tour, nature explore, scary campfire where you exchange scary story and they provide huge marshmallows! The beach is so beautiful and they even have a playground inside the water. The kids had fun doing canoeing and playing on the beautiful playgrounds areas they have. They also have many picnic areas. The place is amazing. Never had problems with insects or ticks, I was always carrying OFF and problem solved. By the way, it gets a little chilli during the night. The wash rooms were very clean. My family and I love it here. We spent a weekend and didn't want to leave. It was safe, clean and fun. We are planing in going back before school starts. Oh! The staff if wonderful! Specially Ms. Melissa, my kids loved her! read more

In our cabin. It's clean and set up perfectly. Haven't seen any critters yet but are excited too. Rangers are very helpful and pleasant Beds area bit hard but it's a beautiful area and there is so much to do!!! read more