We enjoyed a visit to the campground this week. Many activities to enjoy. Campground facilities…read morewere well maintained. Camp Host Patrick and Amy could not have been more helpful and friendly. They definitely made everyone feel at home. Hope to visit this park again

Hungry Mother State Park is more than a 5 star review for me. It's beautiful. It's also my 30th VA…read moreState Park Visit! Hidden away in the mountains of southern VA, is a great lake with water that looked crystal clear! You can paddleboat, kayak, canoe and swim! The swim spot is more than twice the size of Lake Anna State Park. And surrounded by the beautiful mountains. I hiked the 6 miles around the lake with the stop off ay Molly's Knob. It's gorgeous! I had preplanned this trip to see these parks down here many months ago. While, I camped in a tent at Claytor Lake, I rented a Yurt for two nights here at Hungary Mother. I've never stayed in a Yurt before and I loved it! It was hot though, don't get me wrong. That Yurt was like a volcano tube all day and 1/2 the night. Luckily I was gone during the daytime and due to location, around 3am to 6am it wasn't very hot at all. LoL. Mountains make the difference! The Yurt was spacious and lovely. I'll rent again in the future. Employees were nice. Gift shop was amazing. Unlike most other state parks, this one had long trails. Like I said, one was 6 miles..usually, at other parks, they have .5 and .9 mile trails that you peice together to make a 6 mile trail. Those who've been, know what I mean. My favorite VA State Park is Sky Meadows. Perfect for me and only 25 min from my house. Hungry Mother is second place winner for me!! Love it!

We needed some time in the mountains. I had visited here before but mostly for shorter trails. This…read moretime we needed some Appalachian Trail in our lives. We did a couple of short trails but the monster was the Appalachian Trail to Mount Rogers Loop. It's logged at 14.3 miles but we ended up logging around 15.2 miles with various trips off trail to check out. The first part of this trail is fine. You walk through areas where some of the wild ponies hangout. Sometimes you can catch wild cattle too(which we did, but not until we were on our way out). The off trail to Mount Rogers is also fairly easy. If you're coming down from Mount Rogers and taking the loop around the mountain, make sure you have plenty of water and maybe some kind of snack for energy. There is a little section from mile 8-12 that almost put me down. It reminded me of a dehydration episode I had in Montana a few years ago. This time I had all the water I needed, but I'm so glad I had food for energy. There's a little section where you gain so much elevation in such a short amount of time... those types of sections always make my legs want to give up. I powered through with some breaks, but it'd help if that section were at the beginning instead of near the end. If I ever do that loop again, I'll take it counter-clockwise. Grayson Highlands is an amazing place that stands on its own in the area. The AT runs through it, but the ponies and cattle and any other animal you might run into make the place magical. Being at the top is also nice. You can see mountains and landscape for miles. It's also a decent place to camp in my opinion since it's so wide open. It can be a bit windy at the top, though. On our trail, there was a fair bit of downed trees, so be aware that you might have to climb, walk around, or whack your way through portions if any storms have rolled through. Watch the weather because it can change fast, but honestly, just prepare for it. You're going to have a unique experience, whether you have to battle fog early in the morning or once the sun comes out. We also hit a patch of drizzly rain, but it didn't last long. We were able to see it coming and adjust our speed to let it pass. Grayson is a state park, so it doesn't have all the amenities that a national park has, but it does connect to some national forests/parks, and it's a beautiful/well-maintained place. Good job Virginia for keeping this place pristine. I realize that not everyone seeks out the long trails. The good thing about Grayson is that there are various trails. You can find 2-5 mile trails, 5-9 mile trails, 10-15 mile trails, and I think there are 1 or 2 that are even longer! There's something for everyone here.

What an incredible experience! I won't even comment on the pics because they speak for themselves!…read moreThis park has several hiking trails, some more challenging than others, mainly due to all the loose rock and gravel, but it made for a great workout on a gorgeous day! They also host overnight camping and are part of the Appalachian Trail as well. $10 to park isn't bad, but there wasn't an attendant when we first got there. I doubled back after we did the first trail so I wouldn't get fined or anything. We heard parking fills up fast so we got there early, but there were actually still plenty of spots by the time we were ready to leave in the early afternoon (we arrived at like 8am).

The New River is apparently quite long, because this is nowhere near the more reputed New River…read moreGorge National Park. However, even in Virginia it is quite majestic. The main park office lies in a historic hamlet surrounded by farms. A parking charge applied, and if you parked somewhere else along the extensive trail perhaps you could get by without it, but the sights were certainly well worth seeing. I made it maybe a mile down the trail to a riverbend overlooked by a bluff ideally suited for sunsets, but there was a lot more to explore. Some boating was available, and a horse seemed interested to meet me as I departed.

See my Review for Shot Tower. It's the same. I wish I was a cyclist. But I am a hiker and I can't…read morehike a gravel road for miles. All good. Beautiful area!! River is so nice.

Area is amazing. Views are spectacular.read more

Beautiful and Serene Park…read more This park is located in the Cherokee National Forest. My Harley-Loving husband takes us here all the time, he has a ride he calls the Watuaga Lake Loop. It is a great ride in the hotter months because of the higher elevations. For him, it is a great ride through both the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests just getting to this lake. I love the ride because I love the water views with the mountains in the background at this lake. I have posted a couple of photos. There are actually a few parks around this lake however this particular one seems especially nice. I have seen small boats on this lake but never noticed any water sports such has water skiing. I imagine the water is probably too cold for that even in the summer. So that being said, it is a very quiet lake. We love boating also and are considering a pontoon for this lake. The park has the basics -- restrooms and picnic tables. We generally just stop for a picnic lunch. Cannot beat the views for lunch. I recommend this park for a picnic, or a solitary quiet time, or a romantic day trip to just name a few suggestions.

Love riding the Virginia Creeper Trail. Most people ride it from Whitetop Mountain down to…read moreDamascus, but it's just as enjoyable riding the section from Abingdon to Damascus, and back. Both routes offer beautiful scenery and make for a great ride. ‍

April, 2025. We visited Abington, Virginia quite a few years ago. After discovering the Virginia…read moreCreeper Trail at that time, we promised that we'd return "someday" to bike at least part of the trail. This trail is a nationally-acclaimed Rails-to-Trails that extends for 34 miles and over 47 trestle bridges. While best known as a biking trail, it's actually a multi-use trail with bikers, walkers, stroller pushers, runners, equestrians, and more, especially near the access points. In the past, the trail started near Whitetop, went about 18 miles to the center point near Damascus, and ended in the charming town of Abingdon (or vice versa). Unfortunately, Damascus was hard hit by Hurricane Helene, and 18 trestle bridges were destroyed as well as many portions of the trail so the Whitetop to Damascus portion of the trail is currently closed. The 18-mile stretch from Damascus to Abington IS open. While there are bike rental companies, as well as shuttle services to take you to the trail's start, we brought our own bikes. We decided to ride the 8.5 mile segment from Abingdon (elevation: 2,020' to Alvarado Station (the old train stop at 1,750') and back. This "lower" section is considered a relatively easy to moderate stretch through rolling farmland and forests and over beautiful trestle bridges. As mentioned, our turning point was Alvarado Station, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch on a bench river-side. The stop also had drinks and snacks available for sale, a water refill station, restrooms, and a big, friendly dog eyeing our lunches! The trail is wide in most areas, and is very well-maintained. There are multiple access points with parking lots, information kiosks, regular mileage markers, benches, photo ops, and some restrooms. In a relatively recent development, e-bikes are now allowed on the trail. With its restaurants, breweries, shops, local theater, and more, make some extra time to visit Abingdon!

This is a beautiful trail that leads to a 250 ft waterfall, with some easy hiking, some steep…read morefootsteps. Was easy to moderate for little kids and adults alike. The total hike is 30 mins (to and fro) and has nice marked trees for identification, streams, creeks and bridges. There is some beautiful foliage and trees along the way. There are two sites (start of waterfall and midway) each making for a beautiful photo opportunity.

Paved, with packed gravel surface part of the way, then many steps to get to lower viewing area of…read morecascade falls. Some incline and decline (out and back trail).

Favorite place in Virginia to fish and as of last weekend camp too!! Everyone is super friendly and…read morefishing is always great. Little shout out to Josh behind the counter. He was checking a guy in, answering all my fishing questions all while helping someone book a site over the phone. Pro!! Can't wait to head back that way for a fun relaxing quiet day!!

A very good place for family and friends. It is well maintained. Swings. Slides. Picnic tables and…read moregrills. Paddle boats. Fishing. Camping. Lots of space to enjoy. Great views.

Tony Vanoy and I went hiking today at Cascade Falls in Pembroke, VA. Started out really great, we…read morethought it was 1.5 or 2 mile loop hike but OMG it turned out to be 5.57 miles roundtrip!! It cost a $3 per car to park and if you have America the Beautiful Card its free!! It was a beautiful day, but it was so long and so many stairs!! Over 1,000 stairs!!

The provenance of this site is somewhat unclear, but I think it falls under the federal government…read moreand putting up my national parks pass was successful in getting me through a visit without paying any additional parking fee. The main falls are two miles uphill from the parking lot, but the entire journey is a series of eminently worthwhile sights and sounds. Signs warned of challenging currents for anyone taking a dip in the water, which some people did. I would note that when I arrived a rescue operation was underway and emergency services did drive someone by me with what thankfully appeared okay. There are trails on one elevated bank and one closer to the water, as well as some offshoots and extensions. It's a great stretch of forest where you could easily spend more time than the couple of hours I did.

Easy to get to playground when you're on the road traveling - close to hotels & fast food…read more We stopped here before getting back on the road after a 1 night stay near by. It served its purpose - getting energy out before the next leg of the drive. There's a small area for younger toddlers and bigger playgrounds for older kids. My 2 year loved the taller playgrounds. Many features to run around and play on. There is some wear and tear to the playground. It's muddy when wet out but overall a good park. There is also a free little library - there wasn't much in it while we were there. Easy parking

They have 2 dog parks. Limited seating and NO WATER for dogs, bring your own. Always clean, people…read morefriendly.