Stopped over for one night on a long drive and was so happy with the set up. Nice amount of room between sites, viper clean bathrooms and showers, fire wood available, and cute little trails to walk your pups. Liked it so much that I decided to stay here on my way back too:)
Such a great place...even though COVID-19 has activities closed, there is so much you can do!
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!
Some of the campsites are surrounded with forest. Very quiet and peaceful
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.
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!
Would totally go back. We camped one night after picking up a new camper. Great looking water park for kiddos.
Sites were not level which we weren’t completely prepared for. We made do.
Parents camp there often and love it.
I’ve never camped here, but I took a group of elementary school kids here several years ago on their first canoeing trip and really enjoyed this park, which is a really good day trip option for anyone living in Central VA.
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.
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.
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:
Pocahontas camping is easy and close to home
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.
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.
Beautiful campground , lots to do but very very long walk to the lake it's best to drive your car from your site to the lake.
Nice trailers, nice park.
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!
Well laid out sites, clean restrooms and showers.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Great place to hike, ride bikes, walk dogs.!water park looks awesome but didn’t go because I couldn’t leave my dog.
Close to Richmond. Nice clean facilities and shaded campsites.
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.
Water/electric sites, dump station, small camp store. Nice size sites, walking trails, pool with water slides & water play ground. Lake with paddle boat & canoe rentals. Very reasonably priced.
Pocahontas state park is great so far. Hike complete! Fire complete and set up done. Time for shower and bed.
Thesites are spacious and shaded. Great pool and canoe trails.
Very crowded and mostly meant for rvs
