I just love Blacksburg, and the dog park is one of the reasons. It is large, beautiful, and easy to…read moreget to. The Town maintains the park with the help of local citizens and donations from local pet service companies. The people who take their pets are always respectful. There are two areas of the dog park, one for large dogs and one for small dogs. People regularly donate bags to clean up after your pet, as well as tennis balls, frisbees, and more. There are multiple sitting areas and trees that provide ample shade on hot days. There is also a small pool and running water so the dogs never over heat. I am very thankful that the town of Blacksburg provides this park!

I don't think this dog park is maintained anymore. The grass is taller than my dog. I had not been…read morethere for a few years and recently got a new dog. I could hardly get in as so much dirt had drained from the dog area. There was a couple from out of town for graduation and it was embarrassing.

I moved to Virginia from the San Francisco Bay Area, where I had visited numerous dog parks with my…read morepup. I have to say, this is one of the nicest, in part because there is such an active community of dog lovers invested in making and keeping this an outstanding site for doggy adventures. The site has fenced areas for small and large dogs, both of which have grass (a rarity in the Bay Area). The large dog side recently had new sod placed after the grass had been decimated by a year of four pawed madness; unfortunately it did not take particularly well, but it is certainly better than a dust bowl. There are several trees offering plenty of shade on those sweltering summer days with fireflys dancing around the grounds on warm summer nights keeping the human and canine patrons entertained alike. It is generally very well attended, particularly in the evening and on weekends of the spring and summer months. Of course, only the hardcore enthusiasts partake on those cold winter days. There is also plenty of seating for those that are weary after chasing their canine companion, who refuses to leave its favorite location, around the park. The only down sides from my perspective are: 1) One will regularly run across unclaimed piles of dog excrement , probably because the park is large and on a hill which can make keeping a track of a dog challenging. 2) When the grass dies (and I'm sure it will again) the dust and mud (when raining) become problematic. 3) There is a silly fake fire hydrant that only serves to butcher playing dogs as they careen into the object while gallivanting around the park. All around it is one of the best dog parks I have attended, and the number is considerable.

I suppose if it is impossible or unable to walk a dog this is a nice solution. Tried to take mine,…read morebut felt it smelled, was dirty, with people not cleaning up after their dogs. The gravel seems dusty on dry days and smelly on wet days. Not worth the time. There is not a place for a medium sized dog, either tiny or big dogs seemed to be there. I have two dogs that are right in the middle.

AMAZING TIME and I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting that wants to float on the river…read more Now, you float for about an hour and then they pick u up and take u back to the beginning where u can do it all over again. They never once complained, and the driver even thanked me for coming- after I've soaked in the river and am now wet and sitting in HIS vehicle getting a ride back. THANK YOU! We had a great time - went down river 3 times for only $10 and that included the shuttle ride

Great setup if you're interested in tubing without all the hassle that other tubing businesses…read morerequire such as safety classes or life jackets, etc. $ cash to park, but accepts credit cards/debit cards to pay for tubing. Reasonable prices to tube and they offer a tube for cooler's. They have a small store where you can buy soda's, ice cream, and snacks. You can leave your cooler at the landing spot and they have grills set up there where they'll provide the charcoal and light the grill for you. Park, pay the tubing fee, take your receipt to pick up your tube's. They'll hold your driver's license and you can hang your keys at the gate. The River is clean and clear! It can take a good hour to get down to the landing spot or you can hang out in the river and relax. There's two landing spots. The first one is before the small rapids and that's where the grills are located. The second landing is shortly after the rapids. If you get out after the rapids you'll have to walk a short distance to the first landing where you can enjoy a picnic or grill out before boarding the buses to return to home base. Staff are professional and friendly! There's two bathrooms and a shower at home base where you can cleanup or change clothes. I've been three times and I've enjoyed each time. When the River is low the water depth is up to your knee in most place's and can go up to your waist in a few places. The depth of the River after the rapids is what I'd say requires swimming in some areas. If you can't swim or aren't wearing a life jacket I wouldn't go down the rapids. Their season goes until the end of September and during September they're only open on the weekends. They open at 10:00 a.m.

My husband and I have lived here for a year now and I cannot believe that it took us that long to…read morevisit this dog park. It has two areas (small and big) with secure gates so no pups are able to escape (two gate entrance). Most of the area is covered with wood chips but there is an area of Bermuda grass. There's also a few concrete tunnels, a small obstacle, benches, shaded area, a proper refillable water dish and a hose (love that even though our dog isn't a fan--great for water loving pups and cleaning off muddy paws). There were a few people with their fur babies and everybody was so nice and kept a watchful eye on their dogs. The entire place was free of poop (there are poop bags and proper can for waste). They do ask that no treats or toys are brought into the park so maybe not a great place to play fetch but that wasn't an issue for us. We can't wait to go back.

Very nice big clean park. My boys enjoyed a good run and playing. Great fencing and water large…read morewater bowls.

Don't let all my NJ posts fool you. I was born and raised in southwest Virginia and most of my…read morefamily still lives there. Although I am forever grateful that my parents moved us out of the area when we were younger - especially when I get a peek at the local electoral maps - my heart remains in the mountains. Can't say my brains remain here though because it took until today to realize Claytor Lake was 1) a state park and 2) gorgeous and amazing. All these years I just thought it was nowhere special that my cousins would go fishing. And to think I road trip all the way to NH and Maine every year and could have just driven 7 miles from my grandmother's for an equally rewarding experience. I had cabin fever today at my granny's and caught the local Outdoors magazine write up about Claytor Lake. There's camping?? Swimming?? Trails?? I watched a few videos on YouTube then got in the car to see for myself. Need to know: -There's a booth at the entrance - closed after 4pm. $7 parking fee for most paid by the honor system with cash or check or by card through the QR code during after hours. There are 4 campgrounds - I only saw Campground D open and it was overwhelmingly being used by those with RVs, teardrops, and campers. These are NOT wooded lots, rather gravel pull-ins and you'll likely be very close to your neighbor. A lil too close for me but I can see it not being a huge deal since everyone had campers to sleep in. I took a drive through this campground to see if I would feel comfortable and I didn't see any displays that would make me think I wouldn't (you picking up what I'm putting down?) Trails and paved paths galore. I saw one trail today but didn't get to explore much. Apparently the only shoes I packed for this trip were Crocs. Paved paths snake through the park and are accessible for those with mobility devices. The "lake" was created by damming the river. The water is clear by the shore. We love clean river water! Tons of shelters, grills, benches. There is something for everyone! Not sure if shelters are first come first serve or if you need to book them in high season - check the website. There's a gift shop but it was closed. I was bummed because you know I love stickers! I am counting down the days until I can return in the warmer weather. I would not be opposed to camping here or swimming once they reopen the beach for the season. I also look forward to exploring the trails. Fantastic solo outing. What a gem in my little country corner of the world.

I came to this campground after I looked on line to see if I could fish during the night for…read morecatfish. The answer came back that registered campers could but not general public. Park day use areas close down at 10 PM. According to the Internet, they only close these fishing areas at 10 PM for daytime visitors but last registered campers fish all night. At 10PM, we were asked to leave the fishing pier. I mentioned what the Internet said and the ranger seemed baffled and said that it's not true so we had to leave. He did say he would look into it because it was important to him that people had the right info. Problem is, during the summer, in this part of the country, the water gets hot and the fish go deep. Being a bank angler, it's impossible to catch any catfish during the day, they only come shallow at night. The bass fishing is the same. Fishermen and hunters pay for the bulk of what it costs to keep these parks operational yet when we would like to use them, we get the shaft. This quote is from the VA Outdoors Management : A lot of our funding to help conserve wildlife and habitat comes from public spending on things like fishing and hunting licenses, tags, or stamps, boat registrations, and via a federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Those sources of financial support have helped us protect hundreds of species and their habitat for over 100 years, but there's always more we can do for Virginia's wildlife. That's where you come in. You too can become a steward of the outdoors by supporting our work or working with us -- whether you hunt, fish, and boat or simply enjoy the outdoors. So, you can see what I'm saying. It is not right or fair that everyone else gets to do what they want but we flip the bill for it. Then our rights keep getting tanked. They put hiking trails and bike trails and beaches for swimming, but keep taking away hunting and fishing rights and they keep raising the prices. Hunters and fishermen are always on the bottom of the list of whom these people cater to. It's not fair or just. At the very least, we should be able to fish when we want especially when that is the only time those fish will bite!!!

An open space that is in Roanoke county, rather than the city or in Salem. It offers impressive…read moreviews of the mountains and the water. A short greenway trail is not linked in with the rest of the river greenway. However, at least this is an area that really feels like a park and the people here feel like they're going to the park. There are some significant sporting facilities, equestrian buildings, and a lot of people brought dogs as well. There's no charge to get in.

Plenty of room, this is a HUGE park!! More than enough parking! People are generally easy to get…read morealong with, no matter which part of the park you're using. Nice place to bring your dogs or kids to play and unwind.

Fairystone, VA State Park is my 32nd VA State Park. This is…read moreone of my favorites! I booked a really nice Yurt for two nights. Has outside electrical and outside water pump. Restroom is a short walk away. The whole backside was open land. The whole left side was wooded. There was a picnic table, fire ring and another water source there as well as a small 4 seat wooden table on my wrap around porch! It was perfect. The trails were quite strenuous at times. Its rocky and steep! I took a 9 mile trail, linking trails together to tackle the Little Mountain Falls Trail. Beautiful views. Sunday morning I was on top of the mountain by 10am! Wooo. My pictures won't show the beauty that it was...but I was in love. Sitting on the porch with my binoculars.. I spotted a big, red headed wood pecker just having a blast out there pecking around. So many birds out there. It was very relaxing. - I brought my iron skillet and cooked up some salmon, zucchini and the $0.97 small cup of mac and cheese from Walmart! Fabulous dinner the first night. - I didn't, however go the "beach" or kayak. The roped off beach section, isn't the same w/o kids but I should have gone kayaking. So much to do. This VA State Park is one of my top 4, so far.

No obvious etymology for this fancifully named park appeared during my visit. It isn't among the…read moretop VA state parks in terms of natural splendor, but it has several trails, a lake, abundant camping facilities, and plenty to offer for one who is in the area. Like most VA state parks, they do a cash self-pay entrance, so you would either want to have an annual pass or some small bills. Cell reception was quite limited for me in this remote area, which may be what you want out of coming to a park.

This park is located behind the area where there is a McDonalds and Hampton Inn. It was nice to…read moretake a break here. There is a walking trail that I did not go on. I parked by a stream and watched some bluebirds. There are sports areas. I like the Halloween decorations.

Best park in the area, it's clean well-maintained and has bathrooms. It's got a creek to play in…read morethat shallow and safe. It's got outside exercise equipment. Plenty of parking and very nice covered picnic area. The Play ground it's self is very large and has something for kids of all ages. If you're in this area and looking for a playground this is the one you want to go to.

Wonderful location in downtown Lenoir to bring your sweet fur baby to play. They have a selection…read moreof beer (and other non-alcoholic beverages) to enjoy while you watch your dog enjoy their play time indoor (as well as outdoor) with other patrons and their dogs. They are also part of the social district which means you can take your drinks with you! They have an agility course for dogs, even a ball pit, and pools are located outside. Everyone is super friendly and they also have a few other dog related items for sale such as buddy budder, lick mats and even a dog beer called Tailwaggers. How cute is that!?!?! They offer training, dog nail trims and do fun crafts. Give them a visit, you won't be disappointed when you see how much your dog enjoys running around.

From the owner: Barks and Rec Play Park specializes in: Dog Park, Dog Socialization, Dog Training, Pet Photography,…read moreDog Bar, Dog Obstacle Course, agility, Dog Beer, Dog Products

State parks are close to our hearts ! Love the incredible chill ! It rained all weekend but was…read moresuch a great place to relax !

Came back again and stayed in a waterfront cabin this time, and it's well worth the upgrade! The…read moreview was great and the bedroom faced the water with a picturesque double window complete with blinds to limit or highlight the scene! Osprey were nesting, which was amazing!! Trails were beautiful, and since we were just weeks from peak season, it was still quiet and peaceful, but with gorgeous spring weather!