The Shadow
ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS, Va (VR) – Tucked into the folds of Virginia’s Alleghany Mountains, Douthat State Park has been drawing visitors for generations with its mix of rugged landscape, historic character, and family-friendly recreation. Spanning about 4,500 acres and anchored by a 50-acre lake, the park is one of the largest in the Virginia state park system, and one of its most celebrated.
Located in both Bath and Alleghany counties, Douthat is the third largest state park in Virginia, trailing only Pocahontas State Park and Fairy Stone Park in size. Its scale allows for a wide range of activities that appeal to hikers, anglers, mountain bikers, and families looking for a classic mountain getaway.
Douthat is also one of Virginia’s six original state parks, developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the New Deal-era program that put thousands of young men to work on conservation projects. The Douthat Land Company, led by businessman Robert Douthat, donated the park’s initial 1,920 acres in 1933. That same year, the Virginia General Assembly allotted $50,000 for state park land purchases, allowing the state to assemble the rest of what is now Douthat State Park.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built much of the park’s enduring infrastructure over three years. Crews carved out cabins, campsites, trails, and roads, and even constructed the park’s lake, transforming what had been largely forested land into a public recreation area that officially opened June 15, 1936. Many of those original CCC-era features still shape the visitor experience, lending Douthat a historic feel that sets it apart from more modern facilities. This June, Douthat will celebrate 90 years of bringing the beauty of Virginia’s Alleghany Mountains to the public. To commemorate this accomplishment, there will be a celebration and in depth look back through the park’s history.
Today, the park is best known for its extensive trail network and outdoor recreation options. Douthat has more than 43 miles of hiking trails of varying difficulty, many of them originally laid out by CCC crews. Mountain bikers find some of the most respected riding in the region here; 24 of the park’s 26 trails are open to biking, and Douthat has been heralded as one of the top mountain biking destinations on the East Coast. Nearly all of the park’s 45 miles of older CCC-era trails have been restored using modern, sustainable design techniques to preserve the terrain while maintaining a challenging ride.
The park’s namesake lake is another major draw. Stocked with trout, it’s open to anglers with a valid Virginia fishing license and a daily permit. From April through October, visitors can launch boats and rent johnboats with electric motors, canoes, paddleboats, hydrobikes, and “fun yaks,” although to preserve the park’s pristine sounds of wildlife and nature, gasoline-powered boats are not allowed.
Families often gravitate to the sandy beach on the lake’s shore, open for swimming from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The roped-off swimming area sits below the Douthat Lakeview Restaurant, a CCC-built lodge that overlooks the water. Next to it, a camp store and gift shop provide basic supplies and souvenirs.
Overnight guests can choose from cabins and other lodging options that are available year-round, even as some facilities close seasonally. The park itself is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a lakeview camp store operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the colder months, the park office and lakefront grill close, but visitors can still find opportunities for hiking, viewing wildlife, and quiet retreats in the woods.
Douthat offers three picnic areas with reservable shelters, and hunting is permitted by reservation for those with appropriate permits. On the western side of the park, there is a campground for equestrian enthusiasts, and several trails are designated for horseback riding.
The park’s reputation has been reinforced by a long list of awards. In 1986, Douthat was recognized as a national historic district, underscoring the importance of its CCC-era landscape and structures. In 1998, the Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association honored the park for having the best-operated and maintained dam. The American Society of Landscape Architects awarded Douthat a Centennial medallion in 1999, and that same year, the park was named one of Outside magazine’s top ten state parks for family vacations.
In recent years, Douthat has continued to evolve. The Whispering Pines Campground, designed specifically for recreational vehicles, was added after a private RV campground near the site closed and sold its land to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The addition reflects growing demand for RV-friendly camping while preserving the park’s overall rustic character.
Park staff emphasize that Douthat remains a “very natural” park. Visitors are likely to encounter various wildlife, including deer and possibly bears, and are urged to prepare for changing weather and mountain conditions. For those willing to plan, the payoff is access to a mountain landscape that combines history, recreation, and scenery within a single, accessible destination.
With its historic roots, award-winning facilities, and broad mix of activities, Douthat State Park offers a snapshot of Virginia’s public lands at their best and reasons enough for visitors to keep coming back.
