Cabin 1, Staunton River State Park
It was a beautiful morning to sit out on the deck
One of the best things about working for Virginia State Parks is I get to sample the merchandise. In other words, I get to travel to different parks for meetings and events and generally I get to stay in one of our cabins.
This past week I attended a Cabin Management Working Group Meeting, a group of fellow staff that develop best practices for managing our cabins, at Staunton River State Park in Scottsburg (near South Boston) and was treated to my first stay in Cabin 1 which became my favorite cabin at that park.
All of the cabins at the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 30s. In four of the original CCC parks there are log cabins but at Staunton River, like First Landing, the cabins are frame with paneling (Hungry Mother has both log and frame cabins). Cabin 1 is a two bedroom cabin with a double bed in each bedroom and the bathroom with shower in between them.
Living Room in cabin 1
Bedroom in Cabin 1
The cabin is cozy and well maintained. What makes this cabin exceptional is the deck and view. I will caution you that my visit was in early April and in the summer when the leaves are on the trees, the view will be less remarkable. To start with, cabin 1 is on a point and a good distance from any of the other cabins in the park.
Cabin 1 as you drive up
View from the cabin
All of the cabins have nice decks and the cabins are situated along the river. They also have an adjacent picnic pad.
Picnic pad and grill adjacent to cabin 1
There is plenty to do at the park. Access to Virginia's largest lake, Buggs Island Lake, offers freshwater fishing and boating, along with water skiing and many other aquatic activities. The park also has Olympic-sized and wading pools (operated Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day), picnic shelters, three playgrounds, tennis and volleyball courts, several boat launches and more than 17 miles of multi-use trails. River Traders, just outside the park entrance, rents canoes, kayaks, jon boats and pontoon boats.
The cabins are open year round and can be booked up to eleven months in advance through our Customer Service Center, 800-933-7275, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or on line24/7. Cabins require a two night minimum stay most of the year and a week from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. One month prior to arrival the week stay requirement is dropped to two nights for any available cabins.