Just 20 miles from Richmond, Pocahontas offers boating, picnicking, camping, camping cabins, 90-plus miles of trails, and nature and history programs. The Aquatic Center, which has a toddler pool, fountain wet deck, three-foot and five-foot-deep leisure pools, an activity pool and two tubular water slides, affords seasonal water-based activities for all. Three lakes offer plenty of fishing. Boat rentals are available seasonally by the 225-acre Swift Creek Lake. The Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, dedicated to Depression-era workers who helped build the state park system, is one of a handful in the nation. Two dining halls may be rented for meetings, weddings and special events. Rustic group facilities with primitive overnight cabins (bunkhouses) are available seasonally for larger groups. 

The park's 2,000-seat amphitheater hosts the Pocahontas Premieres series of concerts and family-friendly entertainment.

Pocahontas State Park's location and 90 miles of trails make it particularly popular among bicyclists.

Pocahontas State Park Campground

This was the first time camping with just my grandson and me, and I looked forward to him playing in the water, playing at the playground, fishing, and kayaking on the water. Unfortunately, the pandemic restrictions caused the playgrounds, the boat rental, and the swimming complex to be closed. With no swim beach and no play area, that stretched my imagination to keep him entertained. I took this into consideration when reviewing this campground, but there were other reasons for disappointment. 

According to the website, you can purchase a fishing license at the park office. This was not true, so I had to drive seven miles to purchase one. While I was there, I also bought two bags of ice since it was more reasonable than the price at the campground. When I was ready to dispose of the trash, I discovered that the nearest trash disposal was not within a reasonable walking distance, so driving to the trash bin was the best option. The sites were level, and many of them were either paved or gravel. I liked the separation and privacy between most of the campsites. The lower numbered sites had lots of shade. Unfortunately, most of those had been reserved. The site we had was large, but the shade was minimal. I guess the site being so large is a double-edged sword. We had a small teardrop, and the distance from our little kitchenette in the back of the camper to the picnic table on the gravel pad was quite a walk to carry a heavy cooler by yourself.

I’m glad I wasn’t staying in a tent this time. The gravel pad between the pull-through and the picnic table would not have been pleasant. The two nights that we stayed at this campground, the temperature was in the mid-90s for most of the day, so not being able to swim made us miserably hot. The worst part, however, was going to the bath house and shower. The showers were large, and the bath house was clean, but there was NO ventilation. There were no windows or exhaust fan. Stepping inside was like stepping into a sauna. Immediately after turning off the water in the shower, I started sweating from the heat in the shower. It looked as though there might have been a heater, but without having ventilation during the summer, it was TERRIBLE planning. 

There is a boat ramp, but when I got there, it said“swimming prohibited.” I was hoping my five-year-old grandson could at least play in the water. I let him anyway(technically, he wasn’t swimming). The boat ramp is small, and motors are not allowed. The only place to fish was really from a boat. There were not many places from the shore to cast. Fortunately, we did take a kayak with us. At the boat launch site, there was a swing set, but it was also closed. To get to the boat ramp and lake, we had to drive 1.8 miles to get there, which isn’t a bad thing, but everything(camp store, trash dump, etc.) seemed out of walking distance. We got a chance to hike a little on one of the trails, which was fairly easy. If the whole family would have come camping with us, I could have tried one of the bike trails. From the campground, I saw one of the bike trails, which looked pleasantly challenging. 

There are two camp stores, but the one within walking distance of the campground was closed for the summer. The camp store near the entrance was a decent size, but you would have to drive to it from the campground. There are picnic shelters, meeting facilities, a CCC museum(which was closed), a snack bar(which was closed), and laundry facilities. Overall, it wouldn’t be such a bad campground to stay at if everything was open.  Also, despite so many things not being open (swim complex, all of the playgrounds, one of the camp stores, the boat rentals, the CCC museum, etc.), I was charged FULL PRICE!!!  However, even with everything open, there are reasons I would prefer to camp elsewhere next time.

State Park with Some Limitations

Well kept campsite, quiet, great amenities, well maintained hiking trails and a great aquatic center. Fantastic for families looking for a weekend away. 

Pocahontas State Park

The trails at this park are very well maintained. They are designated as hiking, biking, and/or horseback riding, so you'll know which trails are best for your activity. 

This park has some of the best bike trails in the state - over 25 miles. Several new mountain-bike-only trails opened just this year. The difficulties are clearly marked as Novice through Expert. They even installed maintenance equipment at the entrance of each new trail so you can make minor adjustments without carrying your own equipment.

A number of the hiking trails through this park are wide fire roads. Smaller paths wind throughout the park connecting the larger trails together. Be sure to get a park map before you start your adventure. This is the largest state park in Virginia and it's easy to get turned around.

If you're into Geocaching, or want to learn how, you can pick up a hand-held GPS from the park office along with a list of the geocaches located in the park. The geocaches are rotated on a fairly frequent basis, so there will always be new caches for you to find.

Pocahontas State Park has a great Nature Center where you can pet or hold some of the smaller snakes, and watch the box turtles wander around. Here you can learn about the local plants and wildlife so you know what to look for out on the trail. There are even craft activities for the little ones. Just check with the park office or the Nature Center for a schedule of events.

For water lovers there is a large swimming pool that is open during the summer months. If you're camping for the night, your entrance to the pool is included in your stay. Or, if you prefer kayaks and canoes, you can put in at Swift Creek Lake for a flatwater paddle. The park has rental equipment if need to borrow gear.

The southern end of the park has been designed for the horse lovers. There is ample parking for trailers and miles of wide trails so you don't have to ride single file. The park includes new facilities for your horses including two exercise rings. There are no overnight facilities for horses at this park.

The camping sites are nothing special. Tent and RV camping are in the same area. They do provide plenty of room for your tent, and include a picnic table and fire ring. Many of the sites are in almost full sun, so you may want to bring a shade of some type with you. 

Beware that there is a huge tick population in this park. Be sure to wear bug spray if you'll be out in the woods at any point.

All-in-all, this is a fantastic park for families. There is a little bit of everything for everyone in your family.

A great park for a weekend get-away

Pretty cool place with a pool and playground. The site I stayed at were really used and everything there was dirt. The restrooms were ok and not as dirty as the outside site. There is fire rings, tables and shower. There was a store about 5 minutes walk that sold food and fire wood

not the best site

Spent the night at Pocahontas State park last night, so beautiful! Did an early morning hike around the beaver lake trail. All of the facilities are great!

Great Experience

Visited in early September; temperature was great, but it rained quite a bit. The sun was plentiful on the second day so we were dry for at least some of the trip. We used Pocahontas State Park as a base camp for our planned activities in Richmond (Civil War sites/museum/breweries). The park has a lot of hiking trails and also offers a variety of talks and events. On our last night, we went to a blue grass performance off the back of one of the park cabin buildings and then the park rangers gave us stuff to make smores! The sites are well maintained and some are secluded enough to find solace. We will return.

Lots to Do Inside and Outside of Park

Me and some friends wanted to go to a state park that was within an hour and a half from where we lived. We chose this one and wished we had made a different choice upon arrival. The volunteers were not hospitable like we have experienced at all the other VA State Parks. The grounds were no kept. Fire wood cost a small fortune. Campsites were practically on top of one another. And don't even get me started with the "lake". Grossest state park lake I have ever seen.

State Park in the city

Pocahontas state park is great so far. Hike complete! Fire complete and set up done. Time for shower and bed.

great park to hike in

Lots of trails, nature center, pool, and creek for kayaking and fishing. You can also rent water equipment while you’re there. Very good for beginners.

Tons to do 

Great place to hike, ride bikes, walk dogs.!water park looks awesome but didn’t go because I couldn’t leave my dog.

Lots to do and hiking. Water park area is great. 

This is the largest state campground in VA. It is very pretty and clean. Nice facilities modern but not new, clean. Lots of tents and good level tent areas at each camp site. You have a little bit of room and the sites are tucked back in the trees. It was a quite night, I slept right through. North Star Truck Camper GMC 2500HD. One more in my quest for 1state park in every state, 4/50!

Family camping, very wooded and pretty.

Pocahontas State Park is a pretty nice place. My family always used to go here whenever we needed to stay near Richmond, because its only about a 20 minute drive.

The campground has a lot of amenities, including a few lakes where you can fish, a nice pool with water slides, lots of trails, picnic tables, and some nice camp sites. There's also cabins available to rent out if you don't feel like roughing it.

Richmond is an awesome place to explore too. If you've never been, I definitely recommend it. For those of you who are rock climbers, Manchester Wall is an awesome place to check out. It's an old train bridge support wall that has been converted into a bunch of cool climbing routes. Great for beginner climbers too. There's also the river right nearby, which is great for floating and mountain biking trails too.

Cool campground in a great area!

cool places close to Richmond 

When I was passing though Richmond I found Pocahontas State Park and decided I liked it so much I had to find out a bit more. There were so many things to do at this park and while there were only around 5 miles of dedicated hiking trails there were nearly 50 miles of bike trails, swimming and paddling on the water, horseback rides and monthly programs.

While I was here I checked out some hiking trails and also the camping which was $35 for a site which included water and electricity in addition to the standard picnic table and fire ring. Sites were nice and wide all built to accommodate tents or RVs.

There are two loops for camping. I stayed in the first loop in site 59 which was pretty close to the bathrooms but still fully secluded by the tall trees around me. I found this site to be absolutely perfect for my needs and I was able to set up right off the pull in on a nice flat section of ground. I was shaded from the harsh sun of midday by the trees around me but it did make it a bit less bright for waking up the next morning.

Another nice feature of my campsite was it was close to the firewood station and the camp host. I enjoyed socializing with the host and them telling me a bit more about the things to do in the area as well as at other state parks for which they had worked. Such a great host!!

TIPS:

* Check in at this campground is not until 4 p.m. so if you arrive before this you are not guaranteed to be able to get your site.

* Enjoy free boat launch or swimming here if you are camping. If you are not there is a day use fee for using this amenities at the park.

A Lot of Bang For Your Buck

Beautiful and clean state park! Firewood was on the honor system, so always be honest! Located close to the beautiful town of Chesterfield, which had a huge grocery store, which allowed us to pick up some fresh items for the fire. Already plan on revisiting this park some day.

Last stop before Massachusetts 

So much to say! We’ve loved our trips to Pocahontas, even in the cold months of December and March. For one, the bathrooms/showers are nice and toasty (and super clean). I was there in December for a camping and mountain biking trip with Scouts. The group site we were at was very spacious and private. There were a few RV/tent sites nearby but not very close. We felt quite secluded but it wasn’t too far to walk to the bathrooms. The bike trails were epic fun! Some areas were more challenging than others, likely because there had been a lot of rain and wet leaves on steep bike trails can be tough to avoid slipping/sliding. But we made the best of it. I returned a few months later for a NOLS Wilderness First Aid course that was held in a large dining hall on the park’s property. It couldn’t have been more perfect! We camped there and drove to the dining hall each day for class. It was very well-organized! I have fond memories of this park and look forward to returning during other times of the year for more fun things to participate in!

Favorite campground! Large, clean, lots of amenities!

Pocahontas is one of the funner State Park campgrounds we've been to. The campsites are great, nice and flat, with a fire ring and picnic table. There are a lot of RV's here, which is a negative for us. Our site was not very private, but it did have electricity and was close to the bathrooms. Not a ton of bugs, great weather. The best part is if you are camping here you get free entry to the Water Park! Which is super fun, the kids love it. There's a splash pad and a water slide and a couple regular pools. It wasn't too busy in the middle of June. Also great hiking here! Love the location is close to Richmond, so there is fun things to do there as well.

So much fun!

Pocahontas State Park has really nice campsites that are well kept and decently spaced apart. We visited on a weekday and had all the trails to ourselves, which was wonderful. Trails were clearly marked and easy to navigate. If you like canoeing or kayaking you can do so in Swift Creek. 


If you venture outside the park, you are in the Richmond, VA area with many places to eat and shop.

Lots of great outdoor activities 

We stayed here during The Heatwave of July 2019 (ugh) when the "feels like" temperature was up to 111 degrees.  Because of that, we had to limit our outdoor time, but we still enjoyed our stay.

  

Our site was reasonably level once we backed in all the way, shaded, and close to the bathhouse.  (Sites in the first loop have more shade than those in the second loop.)

  

We enjoyed touring the (air conditioned) nature center and CCC museum in the park, and the pool was wonderful!

  

Really hope we can visit again to take advantage of the trails, kayaking, and everything else this beautiful state park offers!

  

More pictures and info about our stay is on my blog:

http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?p=4500

Very nice campground - out in the woods but close to everything

I gotta say every time I go camping fishing or kayaking Pocahontas for me takes the cake it’s close to home so the drive isn’t long and the drive in is really nice the staff have all been super helpful and nice I only give this a four star because I will day there are a very small handful of sites that need some work but for me I always make things work.

When you wanna get away but not to far.

The sites are gravel, spacious, and private in the newer section of the campground. There is a very nice “water park” type pool for kids (and adults) of all ages. We have enjoyed the hiking and biking trails a lot.  The park has lots of places to go fishing on the water or on shore.  We bring the canoe and kayaks for the lake, but you can rent a wide variety of boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards.

Pocohontas Pretty

Largest State Park in Virginia - nearly 8,000 acres. We stayed two nights and paddled around Swift Creek Lake on Sunday. The staff was amazing. Camp store has ice, drinks, snacks, souvenirs, and wood is $5 a bucket (honor system). Bathhouses (showers separate of restrooms) were very clean. The first campground you come to definitely has more shade than the second loop so if you're looking to hammock camp, pick the first campground. In both campgrounds, some sites are a bit close together and/or close to the road. Tons of trails, some for mixed use and other for mountain bikers, some for horses, and some for hiking only. Great location! Will definitely be back!

Biggest State Park

Beautiful sites, not sitting on top your neighbor’s. Due to COVID, many things closed...it was still a great time. Nice trails to hike. Will be going again!

Great Place.

Such a great place...even though COVID-19 has activities closed, there is so much you can do!

We are at it again

Camped on a Friday night, had site 106. It was a really nice site: set back a bit from the road, fairly wooded, not a long walk to the bathhouse water/electric hook-ups, and a long back-in driveway. Nice fire ring with grill (that had been cleaned), lantern/trash pole, picnic table. Pea gravel tent pad.  Honor pay wood.

After a neighboring camper left we noticed they were disinfecting the campsites very well. Picnic tables, electric/water areas, fire pit areas, poles, etc. were all getting sprayed down between campers. 

Walked around the trails on Saturday. The trail around Beaver Lake was a really nice 2.5 mile loop. Gorgeous in November. Like most weekends, a bit busy on a Saturday. Everything’s open right now, and masks are required in common areas, bath houses, etc.

Lovely November Trip 🔥

This campground is beautiful!  We have been here multiple times but have only car camped here one night.  This park has trails, a sprayground, playground, camping, cabins, nature center, and picnic areas.  I love this park.  It really is beautiful.  We stayed here one night for a vintage scooter rally.  The bathrooms were very clean and well lit.  It was nice and quiet and I love the campsites themselves.  It was a nice site with a picnic table, lantern holder, and tent pad.  The camp store was closed by the time we arrived but we had everything we needed.  We even did a little Geocaching fun while we were there.  I love this park and look forward to more camping hopefully next year.  They do have yurts and cabins too.  Great place for stargazing but city lights are close by.

So Much To Do!

MTB trails

This was the first campground we visited with our large family when we started camping.  After camping at several other campgrounds in the area, this still remains our favorite.    The campground was clean and the spaces were large.  The staff was very friendly and did a great job maintaining the park.   Unfortunately the water park was closed when we attended, but there was still plenty of things to do.  The demonstration by the park rangers was well done and a highlight for the kids.

By Far Our Favorite Campground

I only got to spend one night at this State Park and I'm dying to go back. I was there in the spring but the trees would make this a perfect fall campground!

Site - spacious, private and peaceful.  If you need to disconnect and surround yourself in nature this is the spot!  
Shower house - Standard for a campground but we'll maintained and clean.
Trails - AMAZING.  They are plentiful and there are picturesque views along the way.
Activities - There is a pool but it wasn't open during our stay.  We did get to see it and was very impressed.




Beautiful, Spacious and a MUST!

Spacious, level site spaced well away from next site. Fabulous hiking and the staff are so welcoming! 

Simply Lovely 

Even though it was a very crowded weekend, this site felt pretty private since it is set back off the road a bit. It also had a good amount of forest next to it. Lots of room to park and accommodate a large group. Glad we brought canopies for some shade since the entire site isn't shaded.

About .25 miles to the bathroom/shower house which was very clean.

A great stay at the buddy site

This park sets the bar on how a park should be.  Attention to detail, well kempt level sites, laundry service, well maintained facilities, friendly helpful staff,  plenty of activities and local history.  

I am glad I did not pick the early drive though sites as they exchanged convenience for sub par sites.  The back in loops further in are well worth it.

Quality, professional, exceptional 

We rented the buddy site this summer, which was actually three very close together sites that have been grouped together to become a buddy site. Typically group sites have large spaces and lots of room to gather around a fire but with it being three sites, the picnic tables, firepits, and tent pads were all spread out. It wasn’t really what I expected for a group site but we made it work. 

Bring fans for summertime camping! Not all sites have good shade. 


Buddy Site

Just 20 miles from Richmond Va. Pocahontas offers boating, picnicking, camping, camping cabins, yurts, plus 90 miles of trails, along with nature and history programs. The Aquatic Center, which offers a toddler pool, fountain wet deck, three foot and five foot deep leisure pools, along with activity pool and two tubular water slides. affords seasonal water based activities for all.  Three lakes offer plenty of fishing. Boat rentals available seasonally by the 225 acre swift creek Lake.  The Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, dedicated to Depression era workers who helped build the state park system, is one of a handful in the nation.  Two Dinning halls may be rented for meetings, weddings and special events.  Rustic group facilities with primitive overnight cabins (bunkhouses) are available seasonally for larger groups.  The park also offers buddy camp sites for 2 sometimes 3 campers in a party.  

  

The park's 2,000 seat amphitheater hosts the Pocahontas Premiers series of concerts and family-friendly entertainment.  

  

Pocahontas State Park's Location and 90 miles of trails make it particularly popular among bicyclists.  

  

The canoe trips around the swift creek lake will leave lasting memories of the fun times in nature as you will see and abundance of it.  

  

Pocahontas has 129 camping sites some of which are site specific while others are reservable, on a first come basis. Most all the sites are somewhat level and lengthy, but if you have a lengthy setup, it's recommended to reserve a lengthy site. The reserve America website will post site overall lengths and be helpful in reserving the proper sites.

  

This is a rather big and very enjoyable state park with much to do, while being fairly close in to town for lots of other exploring. Should You decide to give it a closer look. I hope You will find it greatly enjoyable as I do.

  

Due to covid please check ahead to be sure activities you may be interested in are not canceled.

  

The park does have some slight rolling hills in sections while there are fairly flat hikes as well. Best Wishes and Enjoy!

Beautiful spacious sites in woods setting

We spent three nights here (May 17-19, 2022). This is an awesome State Park CG with wide, level pull through and back-in sites.

There is a small gift shop at the main entrance. The camp store was closed during our stay. We did not make use of the laundry, bathrooms or showers.

Activities include: hiking/walking, mtn biking (three levels of difficulty– wish I brought my mtn bike), boating, fishing, swimming, equestrian, etc. The trails are excellent. The forest and lakes are absolutely amazing. There is so much to see and do.

This is the kind of park that you hate to leave. We would most definitely stay here again (and again). How fun!

Awesome State Park Campground

The campsites were private, well maintained, and shady.  The facilities were also well maintained.  Flush toilets and free hot showers were abundant.

  

With only 120 sites, the traffic and noise was acceptable.  There was cell coverage for our Verizon phones.  There was a nice playground for the grandkids, a small campground store, dry firewood, and friendly campground hosts.

  

The day use area is incredible and less than a mile walk through the woods on a hike/bike/crawl/stroller gravel surface.  The day area includes awesome MTB trails, hiking trails, kayaking/fishing spots and a water park.

  

No doubt we will return to this Virginia State Park in the future!

Excellent camping with a variety of activities available!

It was Veteran’s Day a 3 day weekend…and boy was it full, even with the late season tropical storm blowing through later in the day!  I guess it was busy because it is free on Veteran’s Day! 
Water and electric at each rv site, but water and 50 amp only in sites 66-129. (Dual dump station on the way out.) Host sites are #41 &amp; 99 and can answer questions for you.
Cabins and yurts also available for rent.
Hike or mountain bike down to the lake for some fishing or scenic exercise.
Camp store has ice, snacks, ice cream, camping games, and first aid supplies. Friendly store staff too!
Separate laundry facility at the camp store.


Busy Family Campground

Really quiet and spacious campground with two bath houses. A lot of trails to explore.