Occoneechee State Park

Occoneechee State Park is located in Virginia at Buggs Island Lake. This lake is also known as the John H. Kerr Reservoir. Buggs Island Lake is the most popular name. The park itself is 2,690 acres. The area was home to Native Americans at one point, and the name reveals this fact. This beautiful and natural environment has many trails, about 18 miles. There is also about forty eight thousand acres for fishing and boating; swimming is not permitted here. The park has three ramps for boats. The park also has 88 campsites and visitors can camp in tents or in their RV’s. Some of the camping areas are next to the lake, which makes for a perfect camping area. Occoneechee State Park also offers cabins, but only 13 cabins are available and two six-bedroom lodges. These are perfect for people who prefer a bit of home comfort to camping in the wild. These tend to rent well and reservations must be done with at least eleven months of anticipation. Usually, they must be rented for a week, but people who would like to stay for less time might call to see if there is availability. However, there is a minimum of two days requirement for most. Eleven campsites are equestrian, perfect for horse lovers who want to experience the wild. However, there are no horse rentals at the park. Horses are allowed at trails that are multi-trails located near the panhandle. The equestrian campsites have horse stalls available for your horse. The park also offers visitors a picnic area near the water, as well as an amphitheater near the lake. There are two picnic shelters that require reservation as well. There is also a playground for kids.

Occoneechee State Park has much to offer visitors. There is a Native American festival that is celebrated in May. The Visitor Center and gift shop offers a display of Native American artifacts, and people can purchase souvenirs, t-shirts, caps, and much more. The Native American exhibit educates visitors on some history and their way of life.

There are no laundry facilities at the park. The closest ones are located in Clarksville. There are also no restaurants in the park area, but several restaurants can be found in Clarksville as well. The cabins and lodges have stove and refrigerators, and cookware, if visitors want to cook their own meals. However, people must bring cleaning supplies, paper towels, dish detergent, coffee filters, soap, personal supplies … Pets are allowed, but an extra fee has to be paid. Some campsites do not have water hookups, only electricity, but there are three areas to collect water. Some areas are wheelchair accessible, others are not. It is important to call to find out, before making the reservation.

This beautiful park offers visitors bike trails, boat ramps, camping, canoe access, fishing, hiking trails, horse trails, picnic areas, restroom areas, RV sites, sanitary disposal facilities, shower areas, and a camp store. There are parking fees and a policy for pet owners. The camp store is found at the Visitor Center, where registration is required. The one-mile interpreted trail is self-guided and people can see a terrace garden and the land where the Occoneechee Plantation stood once. The Panhandle has a public area for hunting with the necessary permits. Hunters must register at the gate. The Panhandle area is about 1,900 acres.

People can make their reservations by phone (800-933-7275) or online by visiting http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/

The reservation must be paid to receive confirmation by mail or email. The above-mentioned phone number is for the Reservation Center, in case a person did not receive its confirmation, they can call there to enquire. Fees and park seasons can be found at this link- http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/parkfees.shtml

Occoneechee State Park is very popular with visitors. This is why reservations need to be done with time. Each area of the park is color coded so visitors know in which area they are located. If a visitor happens to arrive after the Visitor Center has been closed, then he/she must proceed to the area that corresponds to the color code he/she has, and register as soon as possible the next day. Virginia has many state parks available.