What a great experience. This was my first time zip lining and Riley and Preston were professional,…read moreengaging, upbeat, and thorough. We went ziplining during their moonlight 9pm tour and it was a great adventure. They went above and beyond to make sure we felt confident and empowered when transitioning to each zip line or bridge. It even rained during our night tour and they remained professional and kept everyone's spirts up. We also heard a bear roar during our tour which was a bit scary, but also cool at the same time. It did help with the fear that we were several feet off the ground. We were provided with gear, glow lights for our helmets and the hands on training exercises before we embarked were priceless. Everyone wore their masks and it was a nice outing to experience durning COVID-19. Heads up this activity is hosted by a third party on the Salamander resort (which is a beautiful property) but is pretty deep in the woods.

My wife's sister got us two tickets to this as a Christmas present. We took off for a day in June…read more2022 and did the Treetop Zip Line adventure. We were on time and got carted to the course but they were expecting three people to join us. As it turns out, those three people thought they had signed up for a different time so my wife and I got to do this with just us and our two guides. Our guides were Tim N. and Gwen. We had done a Zip Line adventure with our kids in Williamsburg but this was completely different than that. After a very brief training and test on how to stop yourself on the zip line, we headed for the course. In total, there were five zip lines on the course and the guides gave us some history and fun facts between each zip line. After going down the first two, I was very confident in my braking and making sure I got to the platform at the end. My wife had some issues braking throughout all five zip lines. Since there were only two of us doing the adventure, the owner said we could go through the course again. Our guides said this does not normally happen. I was excited to go through the course a second time and my wife got way more comfortable braking during this second trip through. Our guides were friendly and very helpful. They had to pull my wife in a couple of times and they were great at walking her through it and were very patient. Based on this experience, we will definitely come back when the kids are old enough to join us.

Nice peaceful well kept State Park. Nice lake to swim in as well as a very clean beach. Camp sites…read moreare nice and clean lots of amenities etc. Plenty of walking trails and stuff to do or just relax

Such a cute little area with the natural bridge. There is a Virginia state fee for adult to enter,…read moreit's nine dollars per person. If you've actually bought something from REI, the receipt concern as a free admission to the park. You'll have to check the fine print. I don't know if there's a minimum spin, but I know that last I went to REI one of the front desk workers told me that the receipt would serve as my admission. And indeed covered it so I paid $0 more entrance to the park To get to the start, you have to go down some stairs, but I did over here a couple of groups at depending on if you need, they can drive you to the start. Natural Bridge had a couple of chairs so I'm assuming that a tour or they are just spots for people to rest. If you continue walking down the trail, you'll also find some other school spots like the saltwater cave, the ghost river, and Lace Falls. When I went a couple days ago, there has been a drought which has caused lace falls to be a bit smaller than normal. The ghost River was a surprisingly cool attraction. As soon as you start walking close to the hole, you can feel the cool breeze and hear the gush of the water. Where the river starts and where the river hint, we have no idea but it's a cool thing to check out.

Natural Bridge is an awesome stop! The gift shop is huge and has food and exhibits, there is a…read morehistoric hotel nearby, and the walk to the bridge is an easy hike, though you do have some stairs to contend with. Walking along the creek past the bridge is a saltpeter cave, worth the stop to cool down, a lost river, and some waterfalls. If you make it at Christmas, the bridge is lit up with spotlights and luminaries, and horse drawn carriage rides walk down the bridge trail. There are also caverns and other trails nearby, so grab a map and spend the day!!

James River State Park is my 34th park and a great one, but let me tell you, you do not camp on…read moreriverside. Some of the pictures one the website look like the are on the water or have a view of the water. They don't. That turned out OK for me. Probably saving lives by having campgrounds far from the actual River. Access can be reached by hiking to it or driving .5 miles to a landing. - When seeing the river on my hike, it looked so relieving! I was a hot, sweaty and stinky mess. I wanted to jump right in. The water was swiftly moving and I loved hearing the rapids AND the Osprey, overhead! What a great sight!, but that's not all! A turkey also walked out on the trail to say hello the turned around and walked away! That's what I'm here for! The adventure of Nature and wildlife. Speaking of the adventure for wildlife...remember the fish I boxed up from Ruby Tuesday's lunch? Ants got in it on the picnic table in mere seconds! So I tied the bag to the top of the water pump. Not too high but it wasnt on the ground or the table. In the middle of the night I heard clawing and snarling.. I unzipped my tent window and beamed my flashlight on a skunk! Oh..I'm in trouble..he must not have liked the flashlight because he started walking right at me to the tent! I was a little scared at 1am! I zipped up tight and shook my key chain, thought it was gone but he was back over there now fighting with a squirrel! The were screaming and hissing. A small stinch of the skunk was sprayed as a warning and I was frozen in my tent. Lol. In the morning I took it down and put it in the dumpster. Second night I slept in the car. About 3am I drove the campsite to the bathrooms and as soon as I pull out of my site, he crossed the road, right in front of me! I had to laugh. But be aware of skunks! They are vicious!! - Here, I used my iron skillet to make a bacon (canadian) and egg sandwich fire toasted sourdough. Delicious!

Cabins are clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Trails galore and a stargazing area! We will…read morereturn! Quiet. Beautiful. Close to historic areas for a day trip.

This campsite is always a 5 star. There is swimming, boating, hiking and (other than all the target…read morepractice that goes on daily somewhere, which makes you a bit jumpy) the perfect week/weekend. We have a dog and rather than chain him as he is a trained service dog, we bring a couple rolls of safety fencing. This assures us and everyone else he is staying in our campsite but free to roam. One of the prettiest parks for amenities, close to Richmond.

What a hidden gem! The lane was beautiful, and the trail was so pretty! I walked along the lake and…read morethen did the Dogwood Loop to as a little extra. There was signs of bear activity as the trash had been recently rooted through along the trail, but no sightings of any wildlife to speak of. There's a swim beach and lots of places to fish. Nice playground area and a snack bar!

Douthat is my 35th Virginia State park visit. Saturday I hiked 13 miles, just under 30,000 steps! I…read moreended up on trails that still had fog coverage! I started at Stony run and linked some trails together so I would circle back to the car. The trail started with ground rock, and after 7 creek crossings and some elevation, it turned into rocks and roots. Once I got up higher to the switchbacks, I'd been hiking two hours. It just kept going! At some places (Tuscarora point and Blue Suck) the path is on the edge of the mountain. If you trip, you're gone! I was happy to see each Route Marker Helped me to know my plan was working. Im going the right way. At one junction I asked Gemini the elevation I've claimed from Stony run trail head to the sign Im at right now. The answer was 1,740 feet. They had 2 waterfalls. I saw one on my way up and another on my way down. It was a tricke of water but it helped notate where I was on the map. From there, it was only were big large rocks to navigate for a good mile. Takes your energy away. I was so happy to see my car at the end! What an adventure. I did drive through the park before hiking and stopped at the camp store for a t-shirt for my grandson. I walked in shouted good morning. No response. Maybe she didn't hear me. I looked around and her younger, co worker came in. This woman started massive gossip about the girl who finally just quit. She dogged this girl the whole time I was there. Checked me out when buying my shirt and never said a word. I asked the younger girl if there was still a restaurant here and she was answering to say yes but its take out but that other woman snapped, "Its closed!" She needs to find happiness. Clearly she's not a happy person, at least, at work. I thanked the young girl and left. Super awesome park! I loved it!

How beautiful! You really can't find hidden gems like this anymore. Just nature, no cell signal, no…read moreemails, just for real peace and quiet. I stayed in Cabin 12, a two bedroom cabin on a little hill. It was far enough away from the other cabins to feel private, but within sight enough to feel safe. There were trails to hike or bike all over, strolled a few, but the frigid weather kept it 3 miles or less, so glad there were plenty of loop options. As we (the dog came along as usual) were there in winter, a lot was shut down for the season, but there was a restaurant, camp store, marina, and swim beach that I bet are pretty busy come summer! The lake is beautiful against the rolling mountains. Town is close by for groceries, and the Falling Spring Falls are a must see! Hit up Covington and Clifton Forge for supplies and other random things to do if you are interested in a low-key vacay!

This is a sweet and relaxing little park near to Monticello. It is 89 acres and comes complete with…read morea nice hiking trail complex, a pond, some great paved and wooden walkways, an arboretum, a woodland theater, and even a "secluded farm." Walk off all the fried chicken at Michie's Tavern by coming here. It will totally make your visit to Charlottesville greener, healthier, and more refreshing. Also, you will meet lots of locals, their kids, and their dogs. This place has a lot to offer those who just need to stretch their legs, fill up the memory cards on their cameras, or really pound out the miles on the trails. Highly recommended to tourists and longer-term residents alike!

Park here and walk multiple trails up the mountain for lookouts or over a boardwalk to Monticello…read more(you can reach the new visitors center / gift shop and restrooms without an admission ticket). Beautiful area. Nice for running, although it was absolutely freezing the day we went. Monticello stop was a nice warm up before heading back to Kemper.

Our second try... the first was in March, we missed the ski season, so we came back for summer…read more Seriously disappointed that the water park was $370 for a family of 4! That's more than Hershey Park, Kings Dominion, and Water Park USA. Which all have better water parks. However.... We loved the recreation water park and just did that 4 days, the kids love it, indoor and outdoor. Zip lining, summer tubing, go karts etc... we had fun.

I waited a week to see if my attitude towards vacation has changed and I'm sorry to say it hasn't…read more If your going to this resort becuase your thinking it's like the hotel in dirty dancing - your in for a BIG shock. This is a HUGE complex spanning MILKED of mountainous territory. We stayed at the summit condos. This location was about 3 miles away from anything else on the property. Due to this anytime anyone had something scheduled to do we had to arrange how to get people from point a to b with only one car. This proved to be a HUGE hassle. The rooms - well ours needed a BIG update. The furniture was horrid. The couch cushions flattened into nothing and you sunk in the couch anytime you tried to sit. The best thing that could have happened to any of the living room furniture was to throw it off the deck. The bed was a giant non supportive marshmallow that caused me GREAT back pain. You could literally feel the dents from where people slept on it. It was awful. The kitchen was ok as passable at best. It had the world's loudest ice maker and dishwasher I've ever heard. Both looked like they belonged in the 90s. Onto the activities. Beware you will be nickled and dimed for EVERYTHING and that is so not a joke. The one class that cost $15 was for the kids to make a gnome home. They used an old milk carton and about $2 in crafting items. I'm probably being generous saying it was $2 of crafting material total. The escape rooms didn't work right and actually broke while we were there. On and beware things shut down on Thursdays for whatever reasons. So literally we went into town and spent time there cuz there was nothing to do on the resort. The pools are ok sized but have little to no shade. What shade that was there was quickly gobbled up by seat hogs that refused to move. I'm convinced people walked in saved their seats and left. The amount of stuff on chairs did not match the number of people who were there. This made the pool extremely hot and uncomfortable on the extremely hot days when we were there. Overall we traveled with 6 kids ranging in ages from 15-22. All were bored by day 3 and looking for things in town to do. Beware of the super strong timeshare pitch that you will be contacted about. While the tour they gave was nice there's no way I'd buy a timeshare there. Would not do again.