Claytor Lake State Park in the New River Valley covers 4,500 acres and is 21 miles long. The lake was formed in 1939 by the Appalachian Power Company as a hydroelectric plant before it became a recreation area in 1946.

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Home of the mysterious fairy stones, which are shaped like St. Andrew's and Roman crosses, Fairy Stone State Park is located in Patrick County.

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In Grayson County bordered on the north by Jefferson National Forest, Grayson Highlands State Park is near Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain on Route 58. These mountains are the highest in the state at about 5,700 feet.

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Hungry Mother State Park in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains has beautiful forests and an 108-acre lake with a sandy beach! Legend says the park got its name from a hungry child looking for his mother!

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The New River Trail State Park follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way that parallels the New River for 39 miles. Another Rails to Trail Program, the park goes through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe and Pulaski counties with plenty of Native American history, railroad and mining history.

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For more information on wildlife management areas and natural preserves, please visit the Department of Conservation & Recreation!