Cabins at Virginia State Parks

Forget your worries at a cozy state park cabin or lodge

Virginia State Parks provide comfortable and economical overnight accommodations. There are more than 300 cozy, climate-controlled cabins of various sizes throughout the state. Many cabins are available year round. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern-day life, you can't beat a Virginia State Park cabin.

Click here to check on availability and to reserve online or call 800-933-7275 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, sign up for the Customer Loyalty Program to earn points that may be applied to future overnight stays.

Cabins and family lodges

Cabin sizes and sleeping arrangements vary by park. Climate-controlled cabins are available at:

Click here for photos of Virginia State Park cabins, which vary greatly from park to park. Note that not all of the cabins pictured on Flickr may be rented. Many are historical features.

What to expect

All cabins have kitchens and bathrooms. Furnishings and equipment include simple furniture, microwave, refrigerator, oven, dishes, cooking utensils, silverware, kitchen towels and glassware. Bath towels and bedroom linens, including mattress covers, pillows, blankets, sheets and pillow cases, also are included. Carefully read occupancy information. Make sure the cabin you plan to rent has enough beds for your party. Rental cots are unavailable.

All cabins except those at Chippokes Plantation State Park and Twin Lakes State Park's Hill Lodge and Martin Cottage have fireplaces. Cabins at Smith Mountain Lake have wood stoves.

Cabin at First Landing State Park For larger family groups and retreats, family lodges are available at Bear Creek Lake, Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, Hungry Mother, James River, Kiptopeke, Natural Tunnel, Occoneechee, Shenandoah River and Westmoreland. The lodges are rented only as single units, and individual rooms are not available.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the cabin and lodge rental period is one week. If available, cabins may be rented for less than a week during this period up to 30 days prior to the desired dates. There is a two-night minimum stay.

Check-in time is 4 p.m.; check-out time is 10 a.m. Check-in days during the week-long requirement vary, so contact the Customer Service Center. All reservations are subject to availability. Cabins cannot be reserved for more than 14 days in a row.

Parks have many cabin sizes and styles

Legacy cabins, available at are Virginia's first six parks, were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s and are either log or frame cabins. Douthat, Fairy Stone and Westmoreland have log cabins. Hungry Mother features log and frame cabins. First Landing and Staunton River have frame cabins. The cabins have the least floor space but are popular due to their historic ambience. During the fall of 2015, furniture, beds and mattresses in legacy cabins will be replaced.

Except for Staunton River, the above six parks also have cabins built in the 1950s or early 1960s. All of these are two-bedroom, cinder-block cabins. Their exteriors are wood-framed. Douthat's are exceptional in that such cabins there have interior walls covered by sheetrock (that is, the cinder block wall doesn't show). Many of these have screened porches. Claytor Lake also has cinder block cabins, and Twin Lakes has them with a stucco exterior instead of wood. Chippokes Plantation also offers historic cabins; its four cabins are restored tenant houses from the old plantation operation.

Smith Mountain Lake’s cabins were built in the 1990s and are frame with sheet rock walls. They resemble small residential houses. The cabins have a wood stove instead of a fireplace. Lake Anna State Park has cabins, built around 2002, that resemble small residential houses, and they have fireplaces.

The agency began designing new two- and three-bedroom cabins and six-bedroom family lodges around 2002. These distinctive cabins are available at Bear Creek Lake, James River, Kiptopeke, Natural Tunnel, Occoneechee and Shenandoah River. Several have been built at Claytor Lake and Douthat, as well.

To get a better idea of cabin designs, view the photos on each park’s web page. The page's Cabins section details the number of bedrooms and distinguishes between the cabin construction at parks with more than one type of cabin. Please call the Customer Service Center, 800-933-7275, for help finding a cabin that perfectly meets your needs.

In addition to cabins and family lodges, special facilities include:

Bel Air Mansion and Guest House - These two upscale, overnight facilities in Belle Isle State Park are perfect for family reunions or picturesque weddings. Furnished with antique reproductions, the mansion comfortably sleeps six, and the simply furnished guest house sleeps eight.

Cove Ridge Center at Natural Tunnel State Park - Available for reunions, conferences or business meetings, the two attached dormitories can accommodate up to 30 each. Overnight guests have free use of adjacent swimming pool during normal operating hours. Reservations are handled by the park at (276) 940-2696.

Poplar Hill Cottage at the Southwest Virginia Museum - This quaint, garden-themed cottage is the perfect getaway in the mountains. Furnished with reproduction furniture, the charming cottage is in the historic Poplar Hill neighborhood, adjacent to other fine homes. The cottage comfortably sleeps six and two full baths. Pets are not allowed. Reservations are handled by the park at (276) 523-1322.

Learn more about reservations, the cancellation policy and the transfer policy.