This strange park includes some modern facilities, some abandoned ruins, and some trails. Anyone…read morereading the name and expecting to end up on the river is going to find that the bluffs here are prohibitively steep, and if you fell down off the largely unfenced rim trail and somehow survived, you'd be on train tracks. The trains are periodically audible through the greenery but are hard to see. Nonetheless, the park has some nice vistas and handy facilities, and it is free.

Came here not expecting much, but was surprised with the beautiful views, large parking space, and…read moregreat hiking trails. During our hike, we spotted quite a few deer walking past us (in close proximity), so that was exciting. The trails weren't difficult, but be prepared to walk up some sketchy spots if it's wet out. Probably the coolest view was seeing the old train tracks and river from afar! I highly encourage anyone to visit this park if you're in the area.

I was a tad confused as it is both a national historic landmark and NPS labeling is seen, but is…read moreactually a state park. Which is fine by me. There is no charge to enter regardless of which park passes you do or don't have. The history of the site revolves around the confederacy in retreat in its dying stages. The contemporary site is a visitor center and is otherwise largely rolling hills surrounded by farms. Some trails were in evidence, some a tad overgrown and I steered clear of those due to tick concerns. But you can certainly have a nice time here getting in both some history and some nature.

Soooo much history. Unfortunately the visitors center was closed when we made it to town. Loved…read morewalking around and reading about everything! Sayler's Creek Battlefield near Farmville, VA April 6, 1865 (the Black Thursday of the Confederacy) The battle was composed of 3 separate engagements: Battle of Hillsman's Farm, Battle of Marshall's Cross Roads (or Battle of Harper's Farm), and Battle of Lockett's Farm (or Battle of Double Bridges). Robert E. Lee's army was retreating from the Richmond to the Petersburg line. Here, on April 6, 1865, Union General Philip Sheridan cut off and beat back about a 1/4th of Lee's army. Eight Confederate generals surrendered, and 7,700 men were lost. Confederate Major General George Washington Custis Lee, eldest son of Robert E. Lee, was forcibly captured on the battlefield. This was the last major engagement in Virginia; Lee's surrender at Appomattox occurred 3 days later. The Hillsman House, which was owned by Capt. James Hillsman, served as a hospital for both Confederate and Union troops. Bloodstains still remain on the floor. The land was originally named in the 18th century for a farmer named Saylor. During the Civil War, the name was changed to Sayler. Some official records called it Sailor, which is what the Commonwealth of Virginia uses in its name for the related park.

This place has a couple of lakes, at least one of which is dedicated to swimming. It is a strange…read morevibe to me because Virginia feels like the south, and if you go much farther south, the lakes have alligators in them. But not here. The main wildlife that I saw were profligate baby toads. It's not the kind of place with amazing memorable views, but a valuable outside activities space to have.

Had a fantastic weekend stay here at Twin Lakes! We had cabin 11, right on the water, and it was…read morelovely. Cabins are spaced so that you feel privacy, but not isolation. We built a fire with the wood provided, there were games and puzzles in the room, and we were close enough to take in some local sites all within a 20 minute drive! High Bridge Trail is near here, and it was definitely a must see if you are around! Staff was lovely and helpful, and the park was just so quiet and peaceful, which was exactly what I needed!!

My friend & I located this place without knowing what to expect. We were so excited when we found…read morethis beautiful waterfall with a mill. If it hadn't been 37°F we would have stayed longer. This would be a fun place to visit in the spring or summer!

Oh my goodness, what a fabulous place. I want to live here. Sandy river does it right. The tipis…read moreare gorgeous, so comfy and cozy. The people are very friendly and make you feel right at home. My husband and I came for a one night stay in moon dance tipi and we loved it so much we stayed a second night in sun dance. We just couldn't leave. Both tipis were immaculate and perfect. We will be back with all our friends! Thank you Sandy River for a perfectly relaxing stay.

A wonderful evening of glamping! This is just what my husband and I needed! A nice getaway to…read moreappreciate the peace and tranquility of nature. But, not too far to access restaurants and other conveniences ;-) Everything is exactly as it appears on their website! The luxury tipis allow you to reconnect with nature without the complete sacrifice of comfort. If you're like me and want the creature comforts of a soft bed to lay your head and clean private facilities to freshen up or do your business, the luxury tipi is for you! There are six luxury tipis on site with different layouts that accommodate mainly up to four people. However, if you have a larger family or group there are two other tipis that can hold up to six, maybe eight people total?. We chose the Shining Star tipi as it fit our needs and was the furtherest from the rest of the tipis. It is very spacious,with 650 square feet of space. Inside is decorated beautifully with rustic furniture and well equipped with kitchenware and utensils and toiletries. If campfire cooking isn't your thing, fear not-the tipi contains a mini fridge, with a toaster oven, microwave, and coffee maker. The tipi is well designed and the owners truly thought of everything you would need! Foil, campfire cooking ware, dishes, cups, utensils, spices, skewers, dishwashing liquid and paper towels to boot! Although it has heated floors and a heater/AC unit, ceiling fan and a regular table fan, be mindful of when you book your tipi. It can still get really cold or hot dependent upon how low the temperature drops or rises because the tipi isn't insulated. Remember, you're still (glamorous/glorified) camping, but with way more convenience! They do provide extra blankets inside the weaved basket inside the tipi. If you need more you can just ask. We also prepared for the temperature drop that night which dipped into the 30's by layering up. The heating unit and heated floors definitely make a difference, but when the temps go into the extremes you may notice it as well. We could tell how warm it was from the outside when we first checked in and when we came In from cooking dinner on the campfire. Each tipi has its own fire pit with a cooking grate and at least four chairs with cupholders. A full sized picnic table is located near your tipi as well. It was nice to relax and enjoy the serenity. We even had a surprise visitor! A cat from one of the neighboring properties joined us. She's super friendly and cute as can be! She greeted us in the morning, when we were leaving. Too cute! There is plenty to do, or not do if you just want to relax. We were able to visit with the adorable animals on site (albino turkeys, lambs and sheep, a quarter horse, two mini donkeys and chickens! If any eggs are available from the chicken coop you are welcome to gather some for breakfast or one of your meals. The adventure course/zipline course onsite is available as well for additional fees. In addition, you can rent (for additional fees) various types of bikes, canoes, kayaks and SUPs. The latter wasn't available until the day we checked out. But we were still eligible for 20% off the aforementioned activities. If you are an overnight guest, they provide you with a discount code. They also have an outdoor pool. Just keep in mind that all these activities aren't available all year. Most of them close for the winter and reopen in the spring ( seems Mid March? Clarify with the company first). We had a great time! Morgan was pleasant and friendly. She showed us the chicken coop prior to taking us to our tipi. If staying in a tipi they will lead you to your designated parking spot in a golf cart. If you need assistance with luggage etc they transport it for you via the golf cart as vehicles aren't allowed to be driven on the areas in front of the tipis. If you choose, you can purchase a bundle of wood, lighter fluid, s'mores kit or a pint of ice cream if you wish from them. Which is convenient if you want to travel light or don't want to bother running to the store nearby. If you don't make it to Richlands creamery, I highly suggest you buy a pint from Sandy RIver, as it's from RIchlands. It's soo good! Everything was well organized from start of booking to check out. Sarah, had contacted me via phone a couple days prior to our check-in to answer any questions we had and our estimated time of arrival. The day we arrived, check in was smooth and our wood etc we ordered were already available and set out for us! They also checked on us before the evening closed out. My only suggestion is a place to set your bath soap/shampoo in the shower and maybe a curtain near the bathroom, in case you have four people instead of two who aren't related to you in during your stay ;-) Although,The bathroom is configured so no one can really see you if someone should walk into the tipi.

None of the outlets work,cute park love the signs and they do try to do things there to keep…read moreeveryone entertained not the best park there is but it's not the worst

We were out for a fall drive and saw there was an Autumn Days Festival happening in Victoria at…read moreRailroad Park, so we decided to take a look see. Having never been to the town we didn't know what to expect, plus we didn't get there until mid afternoon. There were numerous activities, vendors, a few food tents, a band playing and in every direction lots of smiling faces, especially the children. The park used to house a railroad repair shop (roundhouse and turntable) way back when, who's boundaries are evident and somewhat preserved. All is gone now, but where the railroad tracks used to come into the maintenance yard is now part of the Tobacco Heritage Trail for walking/biking. There is a restored caboose on site and other equipment that is explained at the website. The park itself is now an open space (21 acres) that has a variety of playground equipment, a covered pavilion, restrooms and more right in the middle of downtown.

This park sits at a confluence of rivers. It appears that the main activities are camping and…read moreboating. On the hot summer day that I visited the still air and ample insects, made it a bit of a rough experience. A short walk yielded some decent views, but it was not my favorite park. It appeared to me that large part of the attraction based on the signage that was displayed around the park was that this is a good place for nighttime observations due to limited artificial light in the area. That sounds nice. The place does require a Virginia parking pass or fee.

Staunton River State Park has a fabulous visitors center! It's large, it's roomy, and it has a…read moresmall "reptile" room. So many things to look at. They also have snacks and coffee as you walk in. I wish I remembered the Rangers name working the VC. She was awesome. They had some weather boards and N.A.S.A. items available, I had to ask why? Well it seems this park is so far out (And it sure is!), that astronomers come to look at the stars. There is a very large yard where hundreds of people could set up and look into the skies. I was so excited to hear that. I want to do that too! She said they also rent telescopes at the VC.! Too cool. She said they also get a lot of serious Big Foot hunters out there as well due to the sightings that have been announced. Well I was good and reeled in by that point. I bought a couple things for the family and headed into the "reptile room" because I forgot what they called it. They had about 4 snakes and a couple turtles in there. Really nice with geat animal decor on the walls as well. The Ranger suggested a hiking trail that over looks Buggs Island and 360 view of tje Staunton River. I saw more than 10 white herons. They always seem to be just out of camera shot though! LOL. I tried. They have a pool with water slides and a playground. Campground, picnic area right on the water. Very nice!!! I saw 3 other cars. It's literally way out there. :) Oh! One of the things I bought was a Big Foot Mood Ring! I love it! I know I posted a lot of pictures :)

Great paved path, well maintained, that runs along the river. Couple of notes that they have some…read moreoff leash areas for dogs and many owners allowed their dogs to approach our without recall. Additionally there are some homeless encampments along the path.

Fabulous trail! Quite busy even on Thanksgiving but we found parking quickly! The wonderful part is…read morethat it rained heavily the evening and morning for our hike. The trail is made of asphalt so easy assess for handicap and no muddy paws

Love this Park!!! So beautiful and unspoiled!! Nature's prescription for weary souls!! The rangers…read moreand staff on hand were so friendly and welcoming! We did the hike on the Big Oak Trail and found Sasquatch! So we took a pic with him and collected our keychains at the Visitor Center!! Great day to do a quick morning hike on our way to Wilde Manor!! So scenic and peaceful!! It will calm your spirits and relax your mind! Highly recommend this park!!

Recommend this state park. The pictures you see here are C 32. It's right on the water. If you want…read moreto see the sunset get a camping site on the other side from this view you see the sunrise it's close to the restrooms and firewood. just a word to the wise when you're asleep at night and you hear things scrambling around outside it's probably only a squirrel or raccoon. Put your food up, but it's unavoidable. Don't try to convince yourself that it is a bear.

We entered the trail in Farmville which was a great access point. We brought ebikes and rode 17…read moremiles the first day and 21 miles the second day. The trail is nice and flat, well manicured, and wide enough to ride side by side or have others pass without a problem. We stopped at the High Bridge to take in the scene and also at Three Roads Brewery which is along the trail. The next day we stopped at The Virginia Tasting Cellar which is just off of the trail in Farmville. There are restrooms along the trail and plenty of shade for when you want to take a break. Bring your own water.

High Bridge Trail is such an asset to the local area and I miss walking, running, and hiking in the…read moreareas around it! I'm originally from the area and whenever I visit home, I find myself running or walking with my family on the trail. In high school, we used to do cross country runs here! High Bridge Trail is a rail trail and the main portion is flat, which is perfect for gentle walking or fast running. I also recently learned that there are plenty of offshoots from the trail that have some elevation gains and make for nice hikes! While you're there, try and check out the Smyth Trail and the Camp Paradise trail. I really enjoyed seeing the old bridges and being near the river. Don't forget your bug spray! When I go, I usually park in two places: 1) public free parking in Farmville, and take the trail portion going back towards the river, or 2) park at the River Road parking lot, which is $2 self-pay/honor system, or free if you have the Virginia Adventure Pass. What I love about this trail is that there is something for everyone. I always see families with people of all ages (including babies in strollers), dog walkers, and people cycling! As the main trail is a bit gravelly, you will need a bigger tire for this trail. Side note: I would love to see is a small investment to make some of the trail wheelchair accessible. It's such a lovely park and would be wonderful if truly everybody could enjoy it. I will definitely be back to High Bridge and I really look forward to my next visit there.