Pocahontas State Park offers activities for all ages

June 27, 9:09 PMRichmond Family Friendly Events ExaminerKerry Smith

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Pocahontas State Park is located about 20 miles south of Richmond and is in the heart of Chesterfield County. The park offers a variety of programming with the goal of fostering an understanding and appreciation of nature and the environment as well as a love of outdoor recreation.

The park is visited by families and outdoor enthusiasts for vacation, recreation, environmental education and conference needs. Possible activities include hiking, biking, boating (rowboat, canoe, paddleboat and kayaks are available for rent, including life jackets, paddles, or oars, or bring your own boat), picnicking, pool swimming, camping, fishing, summer concert series, nature programs, activities and classes, shopping at the camp store or park gift shop, summer lunching at the pool snack shop, planning a wedding, special event, business or corporate meeting, rustic bunkhouse cabin camping, planning a reception, banquet or family reunion, visiting the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, and playground activities.

The park has two main bodies of water: Beaver Lake and Swift Creek Lake. Many hiking and bike trails surround Beaver Lake, and picnic shelters and boating opportunities are available on the Swift Creek Lake.

Printed below is a list of family-friendly activities as well as fees associated with each service, including general park fees, and the summer music series lineup for the rest of the summer.

For more information, contact the park directly at (804) 796-4255 or visit the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation’s webpage at www.dcr.virginia.gov.

This is a great economical way to spend time with your family, right here within the Richmond, Petersburg and Chesterfield corridor. So, pack a picnic, put on those hiking boots or tennis shoes, strap the bike to the car, load up the cooler, and plan for an unforgettable day at Pocahontas State Park. Enjoy!

General Fees: Parking fees (per vehicle, year-round): Weekdays: $4, Weekends and Holidays: $5, Boat Trailer Fee: $2, Busses (16 passengers or more): $15, Annual Parking Pass (Pocahontas Only): $36, Annual Parking Pass (All State Parks): $61, Senior Annual Parking Pass: $22.

Camping Fees: All sites have electric and water hookups, picnic table, level tent pad, ground grill, and lantern holder. A dump station is also available. Prices are per site/per night for 6 people, or one immediate family. There is a 14 night maximum stay. Pool swimming is included when in season. 5% sales tax added. Regular campsites: $25 per site, Group (Buddy) Campsites (3 sites together): $78 per site, Per night Pet Fee: $5, Firewood, per bundle: $3, Dump Station Only: $5, Camping Cabins for Virginia Resident: $45/night, for non-Virginia resident: $49/night (2 night minimum, cabins sleep 4 people). Call 1-800-933-PARK for reservations, or make a reservation online at www.dcr.virginia.gov.

Boat Rentals: Available on weekends in the late spring and early fall, and daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. All boats are equipped with life jackets, paddles or oars. No swimming allowed in Swift Creek Lake. Rowboats: $6/hour, $22/day, Canoes: $8/hour, $25/day, Paddleboats: $6/hour, Kayaks: $8/solo hour, $10/tandem hour. Half and full day rentals are also available on some boats. Ask boat house for details. 5% sales tax will be added.

Picnic Shelters: Rentals are from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Parking fees, swimming and boating are not included in the rental fees for shelters. Each shelter has a large grill. No electricity or water provided. Large shelter: $84/day (Shelters 2, 3, 4, 5), Small shelter: $53/day (Shelters 1, 6, 7). Tax will be added.

Swimming Fees: Day Pass (weekdays): $5/Ages 3-12, $6/Ages 13 & up, Day Pass (Weekends and Holidays): $7/Ages 3-12, $8/Ages 13 & up, 10-Visit Pass: $45, 20-Visit Pass: $86, Group Cabin guests: $3/day, Season swim pass (unlimited use): $70/Adult, $60/Child, Group swimming (20 persons or more, requires one week advance registration, please call park office to reserve): $4/weekdays all ages, $5/weekends & holidays, all ages, Locker rental: $2/day (refundable with returned key). Children 2 and under can swim for free. Lifeguards are on duty at all times. Chairs may be brought into the pool area, but coolers must be left in the picnic area provided. Do not bring any glass bottles or glass products to the pool area.

Nature Programs: For specific dates and times of programs, please call the park office at (804) 796-4255 or the park naturalist at (804) 796-4472. Program dates and times vary by season and month.

Welcome Campfire- Just for registered campers. Meet at a campfire ring behind the camp store for songs, games and marshmallows around a fire. All ages. Free (See Camping fees below).
Campground Night Hike- Just for registered campers. No flashlights. Led by Park personnel. Free.
Ask the Ranger- A ranger leads a touch table which identifies who and what calls the park home. Themes vary. Free. All ages.
Native Tech- Stop by the Nature Center and see a variety of Native Indian tools, techniques, foods and games. Free. All ages.
Scavenger Hunt- You will have to look very closely to find everything on this hunt. Whoever finds the most gets a prize. $2/person, $6/family. All ages.
Feeding Time- Everyone’s got to eat, come see what the Nature Center friends chow down on each week. Free. All ages.
Saturday Evening Paddle- A quiet, guided tour of Swift Creek Lake as the sun dips down and nocturnal animals wake up. $9/person, registration required.
Toad Abode- Find out why amphibians are beneficial for our gardens and make a toad house to take home. $3/craft. Registration required.
Treasure Hunt- Pick up your map and list of clues to find each treasure on the marked trail. If you find them all you get a prize. $2/person, $6/family.
Reptile Review- Learn about the reptiles that call Pocahontas home. Free. All ages.
Sensational Snakes- Learn about these beneficial animals of the reptile world. Free. All ages.
Geocaching 101- Join the techno treasure hunt craze to find some geocaches in the park. $3/person, $8/family. GPS units provided, or bring your own! Registration required.
Beaver Hike- You’ll love this amazing engineer of the animal world. This two mile hike will take you to an active beaver lodge. $2/person, $6/family. Registration required.
Little Explorers- Just for your preschooler, these series of programs are designed to foster an appreciation and understanding of nature that will last a lifetime. Ages 3-5. $3/child. Registration required, themes vary.
Civil War Home Front- How women and children “made do” with the resources available to them. This program is still forming. Call the park for updated information (804)796-4472.

Family Music Entertainment, Summer Series: Season Pass $40, Advance Tickets $8, Day of Show $10, Kids 12 and under: free, Parking $5, Season Pass and Advance Ticket Holders get free parking on the day of show. For tickets and more information, call the park office at 804-796-4255. All concerts are located at the Heritage Amphitheater in Pocahontas Park.

Saturday, July 11th at 6pm: A Night of Jazz, Robert Jospe with Michael Hawkins & The Band of Brothers
Saturday, July 25th at 6pm: Boogie N Blues, Mattie Phifer Band with Blues Flash
Friday, July 31st at 6pm: Fun on Friday, The Craig Woolard Band
Saturday, August 8th at 6pm: One of Virginia’s Best, Casper
Saturday, August 22nd at 6pm: Page Wilson with Reckless Abandon & Friends
Saturday, September 19th at 6pm: Classical Melodies II, Richmond Symphony, Free Concert Admission, Sponsored by the Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation Department.

For any questions about any of the park’s activities, programs and services, please call the park directly at (804) 796-4255.

It’s very difficult to discover all of Pocahontas State Park’s activities all in one day. Even traveling with a family, it would be over-reaching to expect children of all ages to participate in a hike, a nature program, an outdoor concert, a cook-out or picnic, a boat ride, fishing or bike riding all in a day. If traveling from outside of the Richmond area, give yourself a few days to experience all the park has to offer by staying in one of the cabins, or camping in your own tent or RV. If you do live in the Richmond area, take time to plan several day trips to the park to experience a new activity each day. The kids will love it! And they’ll thank you too!

For more info: www.dcr.virginia.gov