sky meadows state park

Love this park. The walk-in campsites are a great middle ground between backpacking and car camping. It's also amazingly pretty here. One warning, though, that, if your hike takes you beyond the state park boundary (as mine did), the trails become badly marked.

Remarkable treasure just 1 hr west of Washington DC or 1hrs east of several Civil war battle /historical sites> truely breath taking view,wonderful hikes. A camping dream with so much close by to see and do. easy drives from the park shows the beauitful ,rural Virginia countryside.as we walked the trails we would turn a corner and felt like we should burst out in song!Awesome doesn't even come close to the spectacular views.

I spent an enjoyable Saturday hiking the trails and taking in the views of the surrounding countryside. You could spend an entire day in the park hiking the all the routes. Bring a snack and enjoy a picnic in the park as well. An old farm that has been converted over to a park and one can even visit the old homestead on the property as well as the gift shop.A very enjoyable place for a day of hiking or being in the countryside.

Great drive out. Nice scenery. When you arrive (if camping, with a reservation) tell the Ranger at the gate you are camping and you will be directed up the hill (no need to pay to park). Go all the way up to the house and check it out. Nice little gift shop, too. You will get your 'packet' there, which tells you the rules, map to your site, and other info (not on their website). 'Must be that you have to actually visit before you're 'in the club' and are given the rest of the information you will need to camp there. You will drive back down the hill, secret gate combination now in hand, and park in the overnight lot, to the left of the entrance gate. Once there, you will notice a stand of large black, plastic two-wheeled garden carts (pneumatic tires). If you don't pack very light you WILL need one! Pay the Ranger at the gate (10yds away) $10 (cash) to rent one for the night. Once loaded-up, walk to the trail head, up the hill from the gate about 30yds on the left. From there, it's about a mile walk, mostly flat, but rocky (watch your step) until the last 1/4 mile - which will leave most folks carrying gear well-winded. It's a 10% grade. At first glance, it will make you sad.. Take a break on that last stretch. At the top, you'll pass a nice-looking building on the left. That's the 'pit toilet' (as they call it), which is conundrum as it's very well made; even on the inside. But.., well. You'll see. If you're lucky, you won't need to use it. Your site will be assigned to you at the gift shop, and there are posts to guide you. The Rangers really do a nice job. Wood is provided a few yards from your site on an honor system ($5 for ten split pieces). Good deal. Use your garden cart (if you rent one). Sites include fire pits and/or very nice hardwood grills, both with cooking grates. We were at Camp Slater, group site for 24. We had three nice picnic tables, four tent pads, and a ground-level fire pit and a party-sized table-height grill. Tent pads have small pea gravel, good for drainage and keeping mud off your tent. No need for tarps or footprints under your expensive tent floor. Lots of lantern hangers, too. In all, nice place to camp. Just remember.. it's not car camping. That mile-walk is not as easy as it sounds when walking up hill, carrying gear. Rangers will also stop by your site at least once, so do mind the rules. The walk out is much easier. Not much out there, so pack everything you'll need.

Really enjoyed our visit this weekend as much as the last time we were here with friends. The temperature was perfect for hiking, but our time was limited after we toured the house and listened to the French and Iandian War reinactments.

The park is about an hour and a half from Washington. Very easy to get to. Once there, there is a great deal to do besides walking the trails. The trails are great. They range from easy to difficult. The views are spectacular as you can see in the picture below. Most of the trails start and end at or near the visitor's center. Main parking is small but there is ample overflow spaces. So very nice trails with levels of difficulty but what the park offers doesn't end there. There were all sorts of other activities going on. It's October so there's a pumpkin patch for the kids. There was a blacksmith demonstration. There was a Civil War and Revolutionary War camp there. Also some local folk singers. In all a really great experience.

Step into a place of heavenly vistas that will wrap you in a feeling of peace and serenity. This is a very special park whose rolling green meadows will enchant you and atmosphere will refresh your spirits. Autumn is my very favorite time of year at Sky Meadows. Pack a picnic with cold drinks or avail yourself of the simple but tasty snacks available (cold drinks, hot dogs, hamburgers). Bring a few lightweight foldable chairs if you like. The cooler temperatures of the fall and spring provide the most inviting climates in which to enjoy this park. Each weekend in October the park sponsors a fun fall festival. While it does not offer big corn mazes and hayrides, what you'll find it is the splendor of Autumn. The kids will enjoy walking through the pumpkin patch and participating in other activities. You'll often hear the strumming of guitars as local musicians sit on a front porch and make music. Be sure to check out the gift store. There are a variety of pumpkins and gourds available for sale too. What makes Sky Meadows stand out is its gorgeous location and ability to help you transcend from the stress of daily life. Sky Meadows is located just a little over an hour outside of Washington, D.C. It is a straightforward ride on Route 50 West to reach the park. Go with family, friends or yourself on a Saturday or Sunday and plan to spend a few hours soaking up the scenery. Though this park is also well known for hiking, that's not why I go there. I go there to revel in the magic of Autumn's wonder and the splendor of Spring. For a mere $5.00 entrance fee, you too can savor the charm of a slower, gentler time surrounded by heavenly beauty.

great hiking with great views, came through here while i was on the appalachian trail. i would recommend this place. they also have astronomy club meet ups here and view the skies at night. very cool!

Nice views offered over relatively gentle terrain for hiking. Just beware of the cow dung (and cows!) in the open pasturelands!

We went there to do a bit of hiking and sight seeing. What a nice experience. There are many trails that can match your hiking skill level or plans. The views were great. Our favorite was at the Piedmont Overlook. One of the trails also has access to a part of the Appalachhian Trail. The Park surrounds the old farmstead that is well preserved. There are picnic tables close to the Park Office if you bring your lunch to spend the day.

Yeah last nights full moon was awsome sat on the porch of Mt. Bleak and took pictures.It was so nice.!There were some rodwy drunk reenacters up on the porch. They raised hell and acted like they owned the place.One of them treatened me...So I'd be careful who the park system invites to stay the night. These drunken sots should not be allowed to come back.A woman alone in the Park for just a few minutes who is a frequent park visitor. Gets yelled out by some jerk when she just wants to take pictures and chill.I don;t know but the state park system should really rethink who they let stay on their property as an invited guest!!!My Park Take!! LOL

My friends and I really enjoyed our hike here last weekend. It was beautiful, even in the mist! Lucky for us it was drizzly and misty off and on, so we didn't worry too much about bugs, but definitely bring your bug spray under regular circumstances!

Sky Meadows is like a hidden gem for DC people - about an hour away (well, without traffic - it took us nearly three to get there last weekend) it's a quiet rural oasis. What's more, the camping there is wonderful! There are only a handful of sites and you have to hike 1-1.5 miles to get to them, which means NO RVs!!! Perfect for tent camping, and very quiet and verdant. The trails are very well marked and clear. If you do the whole outer loop, it's close to 10 miles I believe, but it's way less traveled so very nice to get away from people. That trail gives you great views, meadows, and forested paths, so it's got the best of all worlds. Your pooch will love it there! The biggest downside is the massive amount of ticks you will deal with afterwards. We found two on us, and so far 11 on the dog (and counting now that we've been back two days). The check-in process for camping leaves something to be desired if you arrive after 4pm. The directions are enough to confuse anyone, and if you have no clue where you're going, good luck! We were lucky to find another person staying there that could tell us where to go. Once you know the set up, it's no problem... but for first timers, it's a bit nerve racking. Virtually all of the sites in the Red area (individual campsites versus group sites) are great. Some are a bit better than others, but you can't go wrong. You can buy $5 of logs there which will be more than enough, and the pit latrines are clean enough. No potable water is here, so you must pack it all in. No showers, either.

Pretty views, great location. Perfect for a short walk or longer hike. However, the walk to get up to the trails is a tiny bit steep and might be strenuous if you aren't in shape.

I reviewed Sky Meadows State Park website today (26May2014), and did NOT find any closure notices or problems noted. Then I, and my family, drove 50-miles (at great expense and time) to Sky Meadows State Park just to have a BBQ Picnic. We made arrangements with other family and friends to join us there.However, upon arrival at the Entrance, we were informed that...despite this State Park being funded by Virginia Taxpayers...Sky Meadows Management had sold Reservation to a Strawberry Festival charity organizers, and completely closed all Public Entrance to the Park. They demanded (attempted to extort) $25 Entrance Fee just to enter the State Park and refused entry to anyone that would not pay their foolishly-high price. The Festival Personnel, and also the State Park Entrance Gate Personnel (wardens) were rude, condescending, and unhelpful in answering our questions. They all stated that if we did not want to pay their $25 Entrance Fee, then we should turn our car around and get out of their Park and go somewhere else. When we reminded the Park Ranger/Management that it was a State Park that is governed by State Law and Regulations (that should be open to all Public) and reminded them that they did NOT inform anyone the public that the entire Park was closed for their private functions...they had no explanation. Thus, my family and hundreds of other Virginia Residents were denied access to our lawful rights to usage of the State Park...and had to turn around and depart.Additionally, when we asked if the State Park offered any kind of Military Discount for entrance, particularly in light of the fact that this is the Memorial Day Weekend (celebrating the sacrifices of Military Personnel who have served, and in many cases died, protecting them)...we were told that the Virginia Governor was so tightwad (spendthrift) that he sees no reason to demonstrate thankfulness to Military by giving them a Discount on State Park Entry. We were told that Military Veterans get no benefits from Virginia (and government agencies like the Parks) for having served our country and the State.Sky Meadows Park Rangers, Park Administrators/Managers, and the Festival Organizers should be totally ASHAMED of themselves for their rudeness, their unprofessionalism, for their inconvenience upon hundreds (maybe thousands) of Virginia Residents looking to use the Park this weekend; and ashamed of their attempts to extort $25/entry from already poor families adversely impacted by the terrible Virginia economy.You had NO right to surrender our Access Rights to a Festival Charity event, on a uniquely-important Veterans Day Holiday. How dare you give favored treatment to Strawberry Festival organization, and screw the entire Public that wanted to use your Park !!!If the Virginia Governor had any empathy for Veterans and for the Commonwealth's Residents, he would immediately terminate the employment of all these unprofessional agents of the Virginia Government who were manning the Sky Meadows State Park Entrance, and make a full and unqualified public apology for the State Park causing so much harm to visiting families. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU.