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    James River State Park

    4.7 (13 reviews)

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    Riverview
    Skip R.

    big large river location in mountains surrounding the river bottom and valley area. Space to do canoeing and kayaking.

    Lodge 16 at James River State Park
    Joanna D.

    Amazing place to stay. We stayed in lodge number 16 and were so impressed with the accommodation, the river, trails, staff...everything. Wonderful, wonderful getaway. The lodge was clean and had a gas log fireplace. So open and cozy. Rocking chairs and picnic table on the back porch overlooking the forest. A trail right out our back door that connected with other very well marked trails. The river was so cool. Wide and shallow. Would love to come back in the summer and tube it with the kids. The kitchen was well stocked. Everything was wonderful.

    Beautiful place for camping, outdoors activity . RV campground it's nice and clean.Nice trails for biking, hiking. At night beautiful sky with the stars. Really nice place for vacation.

    Deck view from Cabin 15.  August 2015.

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

    Was a great place to camp, had incredible sites. Not a bad site in the whole campground.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Beautiful hiking trails with lots of wildlife. Campsites are spaced nicely, bath houses clean and functional.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Review Highlights - James River State Park

    So much to do here from renting a kayak or tube to float the James River, bike, hike or horseback ride.

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    Betsy Bell Park - View from my dashboard

    Betsy Bell Park

    5.0(1 review)
    38.0 mi

    This is the best spot I have found for beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley. However, a word…read moreof caution- it is an extremely steep, narrow, gravel road with sharp curves and scary edges. And calling it a road is generous: it is actually rocky, bumpy, and has many holes. My SUV would have been fine but I happened to be driving a rental car with low ground clearance. There is a cautionary sign as you enter that says "Narrow 2 Lane Road." TWO LANE? I have seen goat paths that were wider. Twice I came upon cars going the opposite direction. and one of us had to pull way over to the mountain side, and the other had to hug the scary drop off edge (hint: it wasn't Indiana girl who pulled over toward the edge, I was perfectly happy getting as close as possible to the mountain side while the other driver inched around my car) The next time I come here I will definitely park at the bottom and walk up. Besides the difficult navigating, there were some places I would have liked to take pictures but there weren't any safe places to park. The views are simply spectacular, and my photos don't come close to capturing the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. It is very definitely worth the inconvenience of driving or hiking up the mountain. The only amenities I saw were two trash cans, one at the bottom and one at the top, near the observation deck. I wanted to watch the sunset, so it was nearly dark when I drove back down. I'm planning to return soon, and I will get here earlier in the day so I will have more time to explore.

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    Betsy Bell Park - Two way traffic?  And bicycles?  Scary thought.

    Two way traffic? And bicycles? Scary thought.

    Betsy Bell Park
    Betsy Bell Park

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    Preddy Creek Trails Park - We didn't see any horses, but barely avoided stepping on what they left behind!

    Preddy Creek Trails Park

    4.8(5 reviews)
    44.6 mi

    This is a substantial preserve that is free to enter. Some facilities without running water are…read moreavailable at the entrance. The topography varies, and the meadow near the parking lot is markedly distinct from the valley in which the actual creek lies. One suspension bridge crosses the creek and it was in quite good condition, but it could also be crossed on foot, or on hoof as this is a horse area. There were several miles of trails and I was worn out enough that I did only a fraction of them, but they were quite pleasant. Various signage suggested this parking lot was a spot for thieves despite the rural location; I suppose it is a highbrow crowd that would be parking here. It also suggests that anytime your shoe leaves a mark the trail is too wet to walk, which if taken literally is kind of ridiculous. Fortunately, if you lock your car and make your own decisions about mud, you can have a good experiences.

    This is a great park we happen to find in the area. After spending the previous day at the winery,…read morewe needed to do a small hike. Unfortunately, it was extremely cold and windy and we didn't have bug spray, so we didn't get didn't get too adventurous. For these reasons, we tried the easiest trail--the Meadow Loop Trail. It was an easy loop around a grassy area, took maybe less than 10 minutes. There was a very detailed map at the entrance of the trails. This included all the available trails, the level of difficulty for each trail, basic etiquette, friendly reminders, etc. There was also a reminder that everyone needs to watch out for each other --hikers, bikers and horse riders. We didn't see any horses, but we did try to dodge the "presents" they left behind. We did see some bikers returning from the trail. There was a large parking lot, which most likely fills up when the weather is nicer. Cameras are watching the parking lot, but it's always best to lock cars and hide valuables :). There were bathrooms available, but not the type with running water....if you get what I mean! Would I return? Can't say for sure since it's pretty far.

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    Preddy Creek Trails Park - We chose to do the easy meadow trails for the sake of time .....and because of the insane wind and cold!

    We chose to do the easy meadow trails for the sake of time .....and because of the insane wind and cold!

    Preddy Creek Trails Park - Bathrooms and map

    Bathrooms and map

    Preddy Creek Trails Park - Book library/donation

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    Book library/donation

    Ridgeview Park - Tennis and Pickleball courts

    Ridgeview Park

    4.5(4 reviews)
    31.1 mi

    I can't believe that this amazing park has never been added to Yelp before. Ridgeview Park (RP) is…read more85-acres full of wonderful amenities. When I climbed out of my van the other day, all I could see was green everywhere. Kids could run around the grassy fields forever and not get bored. The hills were extremely tempting to my youngest son who had to run up them and then roll down. Beautiful trees, lovely flowers, a gorgeous view of the mountains--but the best part was the river. You are able to walk up to the water's edge and play with the rocks. Here are some features: * Amphitheater * Baseball/Softball Diamond * Basketball Court * Soccer Field * Tennis Courts * Trails (there are supposed to be trails in the woods, but I didn't get a chance to check them out) * Playground * Picnic tables and grills * Restrooms * Serenity Garden * Swimming Pool * Fishing in the South River throughout the park (trout, bass, perch, bluegill, and catfish) * Handicap-Accessible Fishing Pier I was here for vacation and I always try to look for parks. I found RP online and it was way better than I ever imagined it would be. In fact, I kind of started to fall in love with it and Waynesboro. My boys and I greatly enjoyed our short time at RP and I highly recommend you visit. I wish RP was closer to my house.

    This is, I think, one of the better parks in the Waynesboro and Charlottesville area. Plenty of…read moreplayground equipment for the kids to play on. Lots of fields and area to run. You can stop down at the river and feed the ducks and geese. The kids love it here. My only issue from our most recent visit was the garbage all over the park. All of the trash cans were completely filled and overflowing. Trash around the picnic tables. Yuck. Let's keep our parks beautiful, people!

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    Ridgeview Park - Main entrance

    Main entrance

    Ridgeview Park - Early morning Tennis and Pickleball

    Early morning Tennis and Pickleball

    Ridgeview Park

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    James River State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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