We’ve been on a quest the last couple of weeks, searching out fall color before the trees go bare. We heard that Virginia’s Douthat State Park, about an hour southwest of our home, was a pretty park to explore. After a quick call to the office we learned that the color had peaked a few days earlier, but the weather was gorgeous and there was still plenty left to enjoy.
Douthat State Park is one of Virginia’s six original state parks, opening in 1936. Beginning in 1933, about 600 Civilian Conservation Corp men lived and worked in what would become the park we know today. They built the lodge, cabins, a beach house and many visitor structures that remain a part of the landscape.
There are more than 40 miles of hiking trails in this park as well as several campgrounds. Neither of us felt like exploring beyond the lake, so we opted to take a short stroll below the dam.
Douthat State Park is open year-round from 6:00a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Some services may be limited seasonally.
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