james river state park

Our family stayed here with our best friends family. The campsites were large, flat and had a sense of privacy. Bathhouse was nice and clean. We took the kids to the numerous fishing spots which were overall well maintained. The river was gorgeous and not too rough for the kids to play. Most everything is driving distance so bring your bike, walking shoes and your own food.

We took the kids there. Very nice staff. VERY very clean bathrooms. Nice beautiful cabins. You can relax next, in or on the river (float down 8, 6 or 2 miles). They used to offer bike rentals. They do not do that anymore. But you can take your own bikes. Make sure to look for the Tye river over look.

Stayed with some friends in one of the cabins for a weekend. Cabins are clean , comfortable and well equipped. The cabin has a nice deck with rocking chairs, a picnic table and a great view. The park has some nice hiking trails , an interesting museum/visitor center and lots of activities.

We biked in (which I don't recommend if you're taking spears mtn road--5 miles of gravel hills) but upon finally arriving, the park was just perfect. Great camping spots, lots to do on the river, very peaceful and quiet. If you are doing primitive camping, try to get a spot down by the river. The other location (branch creek or something) is down in the woods and far from everything else. There's a few small amenities like paper towels and some small snacks, but be sure to remember all your major food items! The closest store is 14 miles away. The staff and rangers are all very nice and helpful. Exactly what you would expect from park rangers. Definitely worth the trip!

Our stay in cabin #10 was peaceful and relaxing. This cabin has a nice sunset view and a buffer of trees on one side. The butterfly garden is just across the road. Cabins 11-16 have great mountain views and Cabins 1-3 would have lots of shade on the porch (but no real view). We were treated to an unbelievable nightly firefly and star show and birdsong every morning!The cabin was very clean with a well stocked kitchen. We enjoyed the picnic table and rocking chairs on the porch. We enjoyed the well marked trails - especially the Branch Pond Trail and Cabell Trail to the Tye River Overlook - a must-see view! We were surprised to have great cell phone service (Verizon). No wi-fi in the park. Threatening weather kept us from canoeing the river so we hope to return sometime to get on the water.

Very nice park; great size for children and families — all hikes are under three or four miles; tons of riverfront views and access to swimming, wading, tubing, kayaking; great varied terrain of pine, mixed hardwood, grassland and wetland; good variety of species of birds and such; all very new and substantial infrastructure including roads, cabins, visitors center, interpretational gee-gaws. Also, a very nice drive to get there, and great historic visits close by (Appomattox), and lunch stops in Charlettesville. Cabins are great, whole park is walkable and campsites have many options.

We stayed at Brand Pond campground when the government shutdown all national parks in October. We had reservations to Shenandoah National Park Big Meadows campground and had to change our plan at the last minute. I reserved friday night online and was hoping to stay there for saturday night also. However, the campground was booked full so we could only stay one night. Make sure to have reservation for weekends. Each Brand Pond site has a lantern hanger, table and fire ring. Firewoods are available for $5 for 10 pieces or you can pick up down and dead wood. I didn't have any problem finding firewood near our tentsite. We rented a canoe, biked & hiked trails and relaxed at our campsite. On Saturay afternoon I could hear gunshots from nearby hunters but it sounded far from the campsite. I could hear some animals howling at night and it didn't sound like domestic dogs.Brand Pond has a bathroom but no water is available. You have to drive to main Red Oak Campground for water. Red Oak Campground bathhouse has a sink for dishes and individual showers. The bathhouse was exceptionally clean.I look forward to camping at James River State Park again.

We stayed at the Red Oak Campground 8/16-8/20/13. There are no bad sites although it's nice to get one closer to the bathroom. The bathrooms are CLEAN and the showers are large, completely private with a nice bench outside of the shower curtained area so your stuff can stay nice and dry. There is also a very nice dish-washing station and laundry facilities attached to the bathhouse. The camp host sells firewood at 10 sticks for 5 bucks. You can get ice down at the livery as well as other essentials. The park is deep inside Buckingham county so be sure to pack well!We stayed in a pop-up camper so we could hear several trains throughout the night although not disturbing at all. I was so glad not to be woken by barking dogs! This is my only complaint about camping in State Parks, but this time all our neighbors were quite considerate.We brought Kayaks and put in at Bent Creek (7 miles from the park on Rt. 60 at the bridge). The run is about 4 hours to the park going at a very leisurely pace. It's another hour to the second landing in the park. (So you can do landing to landing in under an hour). We have spotted a beautiful Bald Eagle nesting about a third of the way through the trip. It's on the side of a mountain that also has a house perched on top. Once the house is out of view...look for the soaring Eagle! We saw him two years ago so this certainly is is home.I just love this park and hope everyone appreciates what we have in Virginia. To enjoy nature in such clean, well provided surroundings at such a low price is truly a gift!

We stayed at JRST back in late May--I'm a bit delinquent in writing my review! We were in the campground and my brother in law stayed in a cabin. Cabins were beautiful, clean, and well stocked! Campground offered large, private sights which is always important for us. Parents: if you have kids, you have to go check out the hand crafted play zone!! In it, there are tree stumps made into play kitchens, a hand well to pump water and make a dam, slate rock chalk boards, huts, huge tic-tac-toe boards out of tree stumps, and much more. Really a cool area!!! We were supposed to canoe, but because of the torrential downpours the week leading up to our stay, the river was too unsafe, so hopefully the weather will cooperate a bit more next time! :-) Park Rangers are always helpful and courteous.

We had reservations for JRSP for a Saturday and Sunday in early July. We knew we were going on a weekend, and that often means that campsites are more crowded but we read the reviews here on TA and thought we’d give it a shot anyway. We tent camped in the RV loop “Red Oak”. Camping with kids=needing to be close to bathrooms and showers.The park was busy- in fact the loop was full. We had a VERY LARGE private site-not all of the sites were as private as the one we had, but they did all seem very large. We had trees on 3 sides of us! I think we were site 19. The bathroom was a regular camp bathroom- although there were 3 sinks which is nice to not have to stand in line to wash your hands. The showers were very nice. They were hot, and free! They also had good water pressure and a large dressing area. The campsite was nice and quiet after 10:15. The visitor center was small but had lots stuff for the kids to touch. (skins, fur, leaves, bugs, twigs,) The day we were there the river was the color of caramel and was moving faster than normal so the park wasn't renting any watercrafts - bummer. But I’m glad they are keeping people safe. It was HOT and HUMID here and it didn't cool down much at night. It also seemed to be a haven for ticks. I mean I think we tallied a total of 16 in a 5 minute span of sitting outside the tent at one point. The road to JRSP is….ummmmm- well narrow, unmarked and rural- So be prepared for that. The park rangers there were less than welcoming. I don’t think they even said hello when we went into the visitor center- and we were the only ones there! The Jr. Ranger program costs 10.00!!!!!! Enough said! There appeared to be a random private residence? Property? on the park road. It was a house with surrounding structures in varying degrees of completion or deterioration- The last thing worth mentioning is that I think EVERYONE smoked in the park-EVERYWHERE! At the river, at the campground, IN THE BATHROOMS, even the park ranger outside the visitor center! We couldn't get away from it. The park seemed designed for recreational activities as opposed to connecting with nature. The park did have some nature trials and a small meadow however, overall I would say James River State Park is there for people to use rather than to experience.

Our latest trip in Oct, 2012 was by far the best. Weather and trails were perfect. My horsey friends and I have been coming here for years and the trails, campgrounds and staff are always wonderful. We make two trips per year where about 30 of us stay at the Horseshoe campground. In June we ride early, float the river after lunch and then ride again late in the day. The stalls are great and offer peace of mind knowing the horses are safe while we're enjoying the river. This is also a very dog friendly park as they are allowed to swim in the river. Fun times!

I love this little park on the James River. a great place to picnic, camp or stay in their new, modern cabins. Fun for a day trip, a weekend or a week. Very child friendly. Horse trails and beautiful boarding facilities. All at low cost. I highly recommend this one for families.

This was my second visit to James River State Park, friends and I enjoyed both the small cabin and the lodge (which sleeps 16) on separate occasions. All of the cabins/lodges are strategically placed to take advantange of the scenic vistas while maximizing the privacy of each property. Interiors were similarly appointed with comfortable seating, a great fireplace and a large table that equally accomodates meals and late night board game competitions. In addition to the outdoor activities available at the park, the location is convenient for day trips to view foliage, or visit several highly regarded breweries/restaurants. Definitely planning another stay. If you're glued to your TV this probably isn't the place for you.

My husband, our two dogs and I stayed in cabin number three because all of the tent/camping sites were booked. The cabins are beautiful, clean and well worth it. The pictures you see on trip advisor are accurate. The only thing not mentioned, or I missed, was that the fire rings are not directly next to each cabin, but just across the "street". some might have them next to it. We canoed 8 miles, great fishing and the water is so clean. This year there was a problem with the grass in the water, hopefully it is gone next year. Second year there, and will be back next year.

Best place to float for a relaxing day. Nice views and great takeouts. Great for family day or friends. James river State Park is great place to camp after day on river. Kayaks, canoes and tubs available for rentals.