This series will focus on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at ourVirginia State Parks. Part 6 asks the question "What's so special about our parks?"
Have you ever panned for gold at a Virginia State Park?
You can ride a chairlift to get down to the bottom of this!
There must be something very interesting that they have gathered here to see it?
This state park was once a field hospital
Hot molten lead dropped 150 feet to make what?
This museum shares the history of booms and busts in the region
SO, WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT OUR STATE PARKS?
How about . . .
Natural Tunnel State Park – Formed a million years ago, Natural Tunnel has been a tourist attraction for more than 100 years. It has been promoted locally as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" since William Jennings Bryant first used the phrase to describe this spectacular formation. Visitors may ride a chairlift down the mountain get close to the tunnel.
Panning for gold at Lake Anna State Park – The state park grounds at Lake Anna are home to a long abandoned gold mine. Each summer the staff at Lake Anna State Park uses soil from the mine and holds panning for gold programs. No one has gotten rich yet – here's the spoiler; all proceeds go to the park – but many have had fun and learned something.
Shot Tower Historical State Park – This stone structure in Wythe County is one of only three shot towers still standing the United States. Molten lead was taken to the top of this 75-foot tower and poured into a shaft that was burrowed an additional 75 feet into the ground where it was collected in a kettle of water. As the lead fell, it solidified into balls of a proper size to use in muskets as shot.
Bald Eagles at Caledon State Park – This site on the Potomac River is one of the most significant summering spots for bald eagles on the East Coast, with more than 60 eagles spotted in the area. It is also one of the only places in Virginia offering eagle tours. Starting in mid-June and running through Labor Day weekend, two tours of the eagle area are conducted each Thursday through Sunday.
Southwest Virginia Museum – This museum chronicles the exploration and development of the Big Stone Gap and surrounding area during the 1890s coal boom, as well as the pioneer period. It is housed in a mansion built in the 1880s by Rufus Ayers, a Virginia attorney general. The museum was acquired by the commonwealth in 1946 from the Slemp Foundation, established by C. Bascom Slemp, private secretary to President Calvin Coolidge and a member of the U. S. Congress.
Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park – Midway between Petersburg and Appomattox Court House, Sailor’s Creek is the site of the last major battle of the Civil War. April 6, 1865 – the Black Thursday of the Confederacy – Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia lost 7,700 men, including eight generals, in the Battle of Little Sailor's Creek. Lee surrendered 72 hours later at Appomattox Court House. The Overton-Hillsman House, used as a field hospital during and after the battle, is open to visitors June through August. The park is also part of Virginia’s Civil War Trails.
See a map of all 35 Virginia State Parks here; you have 260 climate-controlled cabins and 1700 camp sites to choose from!
VIRGINIA STATE PARKS IS ALL ABOUT FAMILY – FRIENDS – FUN!