4.5Skyline Drive(2.749 reviews) - Amazing Hiking & Views, Disappointing Visitors Center Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water • Scenic Drives
105-mile Scenic Drive Built In The 1930's Goes Through The Entire Length Of The Park.See more..
4.5Great Falls Park(1.351 reviews) - Great option for local, shaded, hike Thursday: 7:00 AM - 7:30 PM Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water • National Parks • Parks
An 800 acre park located just off the Potomac river.See more..
4.5James River(394 reviews) - Tubing Bodies of Water
This river running right through downtown Richmond offers sightseeing rides on an antique paddlewheel steamer or on a raft with a trained guide, as well as wading, fishing, rafting, kayaking or simply relaxing on the river banks and gazing out at the city.See more..
4.5Smith Mountain Lake(331 reviews) - Crystal Clear Water State Parks • Bodies of Water
This lake is so clean and clear. We went paddleboarding and swam. It is a huge lake so you need to plan where you want to go and what activities you want to do- beach, jet ski, boat, paddleboard, kayak, swim, etc. It is a very peaceful area making it easy to relax. Air BnB has some amazing places on the lake to stay that are worth the money.See more..
4.5Burke Lake Park(223 reviews) - Fabulous park Thursday: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM Bodies of Water • Parks
This park is absolutely wonderful. There is a 4.5 mile loop trail that helps you disconnect with the city life and reconnect with nature. The lake itself is gorgeous and you can do a variety of water activities, including fishing. There are numerous places to picnic and lots of green space to gather with friends. There are camping sites. There is even disc-golf (or Frisbee golf) as well as a driving range and gold course. There is an ice cream parlor, mini-golf, and even a little train for children to enjoy.See more..
4.5Belle Isle(181 reviews) - Everyone’s favorite spot Spent 1-2 hours Bodies of Water • Parks
This is a park unlike any other in VA. You get to walk an excellent suspension bridge across the James River to get to the island that bisects the city of Richmond. There is so much to do: walk on the dry rocks, rock climb on the routes in the quarry, run the trails, swim/hang out along the water, even ride bikes on the bike/BMX obstacle course. GREAT for an outdoor date or family day. Parking IS difficult to find.See more..
4.5Claytor Lake State Park(166 reviews) - Great overnight stay Thursday: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM State Parks • Bodies of Water
Beautiful park, well maintained & clean. Friendly camp host, clean shower house, plenty of hot water. Nice swim beach with pretty view and clear water. Easy to access from the interstate. The only downside of the campground is the spacing of the sites in the D loop. Very close together, with zero privacy between sites.See more..
4.5Lake Accotink Park(156 reviews) - Beautiful and tranquil Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM Bodies of Water • Parks
Outside D.C. in Northern Virginia. Tour boat rides, pedal boat rentals, carousel, beach front, playground equipment, hiking trails, snack bar, etc.See more..
Now OPEN owned as Lake Phoenix SCUBA Park & Family Campgrounds. Open by reservation during winter season, see website. SCUBA, snorkeling, swimming, camping, RV sites amd more. Summer hours start 1 May.See more..
4.5Philpott Lake(57 reviews) - Camping at Goose Point Bodies of Water
We were fortunate enough to get a great spot over the weekend at Goose Point. We had such a great weekend! Very quiet, relaxing weekend. We were in Loop C-spot 13, not a lot of shade in that spot, but was right on the Lake and we had a beautiful view for the weekend. We will definitely go back as soon as we can. Beach area was very nice, Bath house was very clean.See more..
4.0Lake Moomaw(49 reviews) - Very beautiful Bodies of Water
There's something for everyone at Lake Moomaw, from hiking and swimming to fishing.See more..
4.0Lake Laura(46 reviews) - Lovely little lake Bodies of Water
Sweet little lake with lots of very nice people visiting it. We used the boat ramp on the opposite side of the lake from the beach. Wonderful for all non-motorized boats! We rowed in our scull most mornings of the week we visited. Quiet, peaceful, lovely. We were testing out a new scull, so the little lake was great. It would get tedious to row back and forth day after day, however. Nice trail around that offered different views of the lake and its surroundings.See more..
4.5Goshen Pass(30 reviews) - Amazing Spent 1-2 hours Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
This is an amazingly beautiful pass along the Maury River. The mix of texture from the trees to the water to the boulders to the stacked stone, it is a combination of delight at every turn.See more..
4.5Lake Gaston(25 reviews) - Best lake in South East Bodies of Water
I highly recommend vacationing at Lake Gaston. 35 miles and 350 miles of shoreline to explore. Spans 5-counties and 2 states. This peaceful area is only 90-minutes from Raleigh, NC, and Richmond, VA alike. Water is very clean, great for all lake activities. We recommend staying at an amazing vacation property called the "MacDaddy"...amazing!See more..
Close view of the John H. Kerr Dam and powerplant facilities. Numerous outstanding fishing access areas. Picnic and recreation areas. Wildlife viewing including numerous nesting bald eagles and osprey. New (2013) handicap access kayak and canoe launch. Facilities available: public boat launching, picnic area and shelter, fishing access, trails, wildlife viewing platform, restrooms.See more..
4.5Jackson River(23 reviews) - Beautiful river drive Bodies of Water
We drove from the Homestead to Lake Moomaw. A beautiful, 30 minute drive along the Jackson River. A wonderful little river that opens up to become a large river emptying into Lake Moomaw. We visited the National Park there and walked around some. It is very pretty. NIce campsites.See more..
4.5Lake Drummond(16 reviews) - This was a nice drive to take into the heart of the Great Dismal Swamp. Bodies of Water
The origins of the largest natural lake in Virginia still remain a mystery.See more..
4.5Widewater State Park(10 reviews) - Great outdoor spaces Spent More than 3 hours State Parks • Bodies of Water
On a peninsula where Aquia Creek and the Potomac River meet, Widewater provides access to both bodies of water. The park lies on non-contiguous parcels surrounded by private property. Two parcels are open for access. The park has a visitor center, picnic shelters, playgrounds, restrooms, canoe-kayak launches and a hiking trail.See more..
4.5Swift Creek Lake(5 reviews) - Beautiful Lake Bodies of Water I live near the Swift Creek Reservoir, better known as the Brandermill Lake. Public access is very limited because it is surrounded by Brandermill and Woodlake neighborhoods. However there are several places on bridges that provide public access. No gasoline or diesel motors allowed - only electric motors, or paddles or oars. This is a main source of drinking water for Chesterfield County so it is policed and violaters will be prosecuted.See more..
3.5Lawrence Lewis, Jr. Park(5 reviews) - A County Park, Primarily for Fishing and Boating Spent 1-2 hours Bodies of Water • Parks
Although there is a trail into the woods, the primary activity here seems to be fishing and boating. There is one concrete boat ramp. There is a fairly long walk out to the end of the fishing pier (lots of folks there the day we visited).See more..
3.5Lake Monocan(4 reviews) - Expensive but fun place to swim when at Wintergreen Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water
Lake Monocan is a small lake in the Wintergreen Resort area. The main attraction at the lake is the big trampoline in the middle of the lake. Kids have a ton of fun jumping on it. There is also a tall inflated structure that you climb and then go down like a slide. Life jackets are required and provided to go on the tramp and slide. There is a sandy beach with lounge chairs provided. One can also rent paddle boards and paddle boats. It is NOT cheap - adults are $14 and kids 6-12 are $9, so plan to spend some time there. You can buy food at a small snack stand. There are also places to picnic. If you are at Wintergreen in the hot summer months it is worth a day spent there.See more..
4.5Machicomoco State Park(3 reviews) - Machicomoco State Park State Parks • Bodies of Water • Hiking Trails
Beautiful site with a great outdoor interpretive area. The displays and timeline walkway have plenty of information for a history lesson. The trails are well maintained, and there’s plenty of beautiful natural scenery to take in. I recommend walking down to the river’s edge and sitting on the dock, just to imagine what it might have been like for the native tribes living in such a peaceful place for so many centuries.See more..
The Rappahannock River is beautiful, it is tidal and fairly wide in Essex county. A great place to boat and fishSee more..
3.5Monacan Park(3 reviews) - Love to stop by the river Spent < 1 hour Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks Enjoy stopping here to fish, or just sit and watch the water. Sometimes we catch the trin going pass.See more..
This 26 acre park/boat landing is in eastern Henrico County on the James River. There is a huge parking lot for cars and their trailers. There are 6 boat ramps (3 double ramps). There are a couple of picnic shelters, with restrooms "attached." Near one of these is a very large playground. There is a handicapped accessible fishing pier. And, there are a number of paved walking trails (I wouldn't say they were hiking trails). We were there on a very pretty day in May; sat on a bench and watched people fish and also an osprey "fishing the river." A really nice park to launch a boat, fish, picnic, and/or enjoy some quiet.See more..
5.0Lake Pelham Adventures Park(2 reviews) - Best Value for your Lake activities! Thursday: 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM Bodies of Water Ever want to "try" kayaking or paddleboarding? Here's your place! Very inexpensive and lots of quality kept equipment to "try" your lake adventures.See more..
5.0Amelia Lake(1 review) - A Really Nice Lake for Boating Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
The sign says, "your fishing, hunting, and boating dollars at work." This place is a good example of that. Administered by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, we were there on a beautiful spring day just to paddle our canoe around the lake. The lake is not large (only 100 acres), so for canoes and kayaks, it is probably ideal. There were folks fishing from the bank and from small boats (outboard motors are restricted) and kayaks. I'm not sure what they were catching, but the sign indicated either size and/or creel limits for largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappies, and sunfish. Just down from a handicappted parking spot is a ramp that leads to a handicapped accessible fishing spot. When we tied up for lunch, we were serenaded by Prothonotary warblers and bullfrogs. And, a beautiful dragonfly just hovered near us the while time. This all made for a nice lunch in the "outdoors."See more..
5.0Dragon Flats Preserve(1 review) - A Very Special Place Spent 2-3 hours Bodies of Water
2015 was my second visit to Dragon Run Waterway and Dragon Flats Preserve. Thankfully, the Friends of Dragon Run (FODR) and Nature Conservancy have made it their mission to preserve and protect Dragon Run. FODR offers guided kayak trips of the Dragon in April and May. A donation of $40 is suggested and it's a bargain. Kayak, paddle, life jacket, etc are provided and FODR members paddle the 3-4 miles over 3 hours with you. The water is calm, quite shallow, easy enough for anyone and help is there if needed. The trip guide is Teta Kain, she knows every inch of Dragon Run. She informs you via a small speaker given to each paddler of the flora and fauna you are seeing along the paddle. Teta is knowledgeable, quick witted, and keeps you informed and entertained. Dragon Run is a spring fed 40 mile waterway. Plants are unique, wildlife is unaccustomed to people so it is often difficult to get a glimpse of them. Dragon and damsel flies are plentiful and often hitch a ride on your hand or paddle. Beavers handiwork is everywhere from dams, lodges and work on trees. We saw an eagle on a nest and other waterfowl. Dragon Flats Preserve is a special place.See more..
5.0Overall Run Swimming Hole(1 review) - VERY EASY hike with BIG reward at the end .Not to be confused with Overall Run Falls Thursday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water • Waterfalls
My family of 3 (two adults and one 8-year old child) were in search of a swimming hole in Shenandoah National park. We did not see this in Trip advisor as most of the review were describing Overall Run falls which was 2 miles away from the Swimming Hole. I feel that this place should have its own review and listing to help travelers distinguish it from the Falls. It is often listed as part of the Overall Run Loop trail in other sites which is rated Difficult or Hard. However, the Swimming Hole starts at Thompson Hollow Trail head. Take route 340 to get to Bentonville VA, Turn east to route 613, and then south at route 630. This road will end in 2 miles. Park here then walk the rest of the gravel path about 0.2 miles. do not be confused with many private property signs. Stay on the gravel path until you see well worn foot path off to the right. this will bring you to the boundary of the Shenandoah National park. The trail is well marked with NP signs at the beginning with blue trail blaze on the trees. Follow trail to Overall Run and you should see the swimming holes in about a mile. There are 3 swimming holes in the area formed by the cascades of the Overall Run. There is a natural slide formed by the cascades which makes for a fun slide for kids and kids at heart. it does get busy on weekends and holidays and litter can be a problem. our family enjoyed it so much that we went back on a weekday and it was almost empty. I hope tripadvisor list this place separate from Overall Run Falls.See more..
5.0Tuckahoe Creek Park(1 review) - An Oasis Smack in the Middle of Suburbia Bodies of Water • Parks
This small park consists of an ADA accessible boardwalk, a pavilion with picnic tables, and a fishing dock. Thee are several benches for taking in the scenic view of Tuckahoe Creek. Not that hard to find, Tuckahoe Creek Park is at the very western end of Ridgefield Parkway. Once you cross Lauderdale Drive, Ridgefield literally dead ends at the park. We went there on a recent sunny spring afternoon. You can't hear the traffic of Lauderdale Drive, which is only one block away. Tons of turtles surface at the fishing dock, presumably to be fed.See more..
