Virginia's Best State Parks
Douthat State Park
A National Historic Landmark, Douthat is recognized for the role its design
played in the development of parks nationwide. It was built by the Civilian
Conservation Corps and opened on June 15, 1936. It has been recognized as one of
the top 10 family vacation parks in America and was awarded the Centennial
Medallion by the American Society of Landscape Architects. This 4,493 acre park
is nested in the Allegheny Mountains and features outstanding scenery and
trails. Its 50-acre lake offers swimming, boating and trout fishing. This is a
traditional park in a fantastic setting that has maintained the architectural
integrity of the CCC design.
Grayson Highlands State Park
High amid the Appalachian Mountains, this park offers rugged alpine scenery
and panoramic views of the valleys below. The park is adjacent to Mount Rogers
National Recreation Area, a part of the George Washington and Jefferson National
Forest. The Appalachian Trail winds
through the northwest corner of the park before crossing Mount Rogers, the
highest point in Virginia at 5,729 feet. Grayson Highlands takes its visitors
back to a bygone era of mountain traditions, folklore and crafts. The park has
nine hiking trails and more than two miles of bridle paths that connect to many
miles of bridle trails in the national forest. This is one of America's best
mountain parks.
Kiptopeke State Park
Located on the Eastern Shore, Kiptopeke's newly renovated fishing pier, boat
launch and half mile swimming beach offers recreational access to the Chesapeake
Bay and the chance to explore a unique coastal habitat featuring a major flyway
for migratory birds. The park provides easy access to some of the prime sport fishing
in the Chesapeake Bay. Home to the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory,
volunteers capture, examine, weigh, band and release resident and migratory
songbirds and raptors. In the Raptor Research Area, hawks, kestrels, osprey and
other birds of prey are observed and banded from September to early November.
The Chesapeake Bay is a national natural treasure and Kiptopeke is one of the
best locations on the Atlantic coast for birders.
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