Douthat State Park, a Virginia State Park near Alleghany

USA

Virginia

Douthat State Park

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Facilities and Activities:

Day-Use Fishing yes
Hiking Trail, miles yes
Picnicking yes

State Park Location Maps:

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State Park Photo Gallery:
volunteer positions open

State Park Event Calendar:
volunteer positions open

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Nearby Parks:

State Park Contact Information:
	Douthat State Park Route 1 Box 212 Millboro, 24460-9541	Area Accommodations
Adopt-A-Park Contacts:
	Yogi's Helper: volunteer positions open Nature Programs: volunteer positions open Photography: volunteer positions open

State Park Overview:

Editors of the 1999 Outside Family Vacation Guide, a summer planner, have named Virginia?s very own Douthat State Park one of the nation's 10 best. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and straddles Bath and Alleghany counties. Douthat was one of the original six Virginia State Parks to open on June 15, 1936. Douthat is nestled in the Allegheny Mountains and features some of Virginia?s most outstanding scenery. In addition, a 50-acre lake offers swimming, boating and seasonal trout fishing.

Reviews By Park Visitors:

visitor rating:

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Top of the Line

Our family just spent our second vacation at Douthat. It has become our number one camping destination. As a runner, I love all the trails and our family loves to mountain bike, so we are all happy. I am so ready to be back there!

Written by Sandi Martin 8-Aug-2008

Wonderful

Just spent 2 nights there as a trial run trip w/ the family. We will DEFINITELY go back! What a beautiful place to escape to with a nice lake, trails, activities for kids, and fishing.

Written by Ben 20-Jun-2008

Camping:

Douthat State Park Camping

* Swimming and boat launching free to overnight guests. * Firewood $3 for eight pieces and available in park office and camp store; bring a starter log and/or kindling. * Late arrival campers will find a note on the park office door giving them instructions on how/when to register the following morning. Park maps are provided so that these campers can find their way to the campground. The park office is the first building on the right after exiting I-64 and passing the booth at the park entrance. * Campsites have grills that be used for cooking or a campfire. All fires must be kept within the grill. Picnic tables and lantern posts are also provided. * Two vehicles per campsite in addition to camping unit; extra vehicles must park in overflow parking area, and parking fees apply for extra vehicles. All equipment must be placed within site's gravel borders. Campsite vehicle area is crushed run gravel; tent pad is pea gravel for drainage. * Park visitors not registered for cabin/campground use must pay parking fee and leave the park by 10 p.m.

Trails:

Hiking, no bridle trails (no horses allowed), bicycle trails (mountain bikes only). There are more than 40 miles of wooded hiking trails to choose from throughout the year, ranging from easy to difficult. Many park trails are open to mountain bikers, however hikers have the right-of-way. Stop in at the park office for a trail map for hiking and mountain biking.

Picnicking:

Douthat has three picnic areas with shelters, grills and restroom facilities. All picnic areas available on a first-come, first-served basis with the exception of the shelters, which must be reserved by calling the Reservation Center at 1-800-933-PARK.

Douthat State Park Picnic Shelters

Three shelters are available for rent. Parking and swimming fees are not included in the shelter rental fee. Shelters can be rented from 8 a.m. to dark (all day), or 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to dark (half day). Please note the hour in between for half day rental times.

Cancellation policy: No refund within 14 days before reserved date. Before then, there's a cancellation fee.

Camp Douthat Shelter (Shelter 1): Large shelter can accommodate 100 people under the shelter and approximately 200 additional people around it. Has electric hookup and two fireplaces with both ends of the shelter closed in. Three horseshoe pits available (bring your own horseshoes). Water spigot and hiking trails close by.

Camp Carson Shelter (Shelter 2): Large shelter can accommodate 70 people under the shelter. Restroom is handicapped accessible via ramp approximately 100 feet from shelter. No electricity, but water is available. Horse shoe pit available (bring your own horseshoes). Hiking trails and playground nearby.

Camp Malone Shelter (Shelter 3): Small shelter can accommodate 50 people under the shelter (other picnic tables are not close to shelter area). Overlooks dam area and lake. Access to restrooms. Water spigot close by. Two horseshoe pits available (bring your own horseshoes). Hiking trails and playground nearby. No electricity.

Amphitheater: Douthat's amphitheater is nestled on a point by Douthat Lake. Its bench seating accommodates up to 125 with room for blankets and lawn chairs. Electricity is available, and the facility may be rented for weddings, performances, etc., by calling the park office at (540) 862-8100. The cost is $100/day.

Boating:

The boathouse is open from the first Saturday in April through the end of October. Jonboats with and without electric motors, canoes, paddleboats, hydrobikes and funyaks are available for rent during that time.

A boat launch ramp is available for guests with their own non-gasoline powered boat. No launching fee is charged, but boats must be moored in designated areas. Year-round boat storage is also available from the park for a fee. No gas powered equipment is allowed on the lake.

Swimming:

Memorial Day to Labor Day - The beach area, complete with bathhouse and concession, is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday and from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Click here for park fees. In the summer, swimming is free for overnight guests in campsites, cabins and the lodge, however it cannot be guaranteed should circumstances beyond the park's control require that swimming be closed. We do not give refunds for swimming to overnight guests under any circumstances.

Fishing and Hunting:

Fishing - The 50-acre Douthat Lake and adjoining Wilson Creek are stocked regularly with trout on a seasonal basis. A valid Virginia fishing license is required in addition to a trout license or daily permit depending on the season. Contact the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for licenses and/or additional information at (804) 367-1000. No fishing is allowed anywhere in the park during the five days prior to the first Saturday in April.

Special seasonal regulations apply at Douthat Lake. Those 16 and older (in-state) or 12 and older (out of state) need a valid Virginia fishing license. In addition, a Virginia Trout license or daily fishing permit is required, depending on the season. There is a daily creel limit of six trout with a seven inch minimum. One pole per person allowed, separate stringers required. Fishing hours are posted at the park.

Anyone planning to fish will need a valid Virginia fishing license. In addition, the following rules may apply, depending on when the person will be fishing. Licenses and permits are available at the camp store.

History of the Area:

Douthat was one of six state parks planned by the Commonwealth in the early 1930s. The initial 1,920 acres of the present-day park was donated by the Douthat Land Company, a consortium of Virginia businessmen. The rest of the land was purchased with a portion of the $50,000 in funds allocated by the General Assembly in 1933 for park land acquisition. The establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of the emergency Conservation Works by President Roosevelt in 1933 provided the means for development of the parks. An estimated 600 men lived and worked at the three camps responsible for building Douthat's facilities. Between 1933 and 1942, these men cleared trails, built a dam and spillway, cabins, a guest lodge, a restaurant, an information center, superintendent's residence, swimming beach, picnic areas and maintenance buildings. The structures are embellished with hand-carved wooden doorknobs and hinges, as well as hand-wrought iron hardware, light fixtures and door and shutter latches. The built and natural features of the park have remained virtually unchanged since construction. In 1986, the 50th anniversary of Douthat State Park and the Virginia State Park System, Douthat was recognized as a Nationally Registered Historic District. In 1998, Douthat won the Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association award for best operated and maintained dam for its Douthat Lake Dam. In 1999, Douthat received the Centennial Medallion from the American Society of Landscape Architects.



Area Accommodations
	B&Bs / Inns
	The Hummingbird Inn - A unique Victorian villa in a little railroad town on the western edge of the Shenandoah Valley. Country elegance amid perennial gardens and an old livery stable edging a wide trout stream.

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