Douthat State Park

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Douthat State Park is a state park located in the Allegheny Mountains in Virginia. It is in Bath County and Alleghany County. The park is 4,493 acres total with a 50-acre lake.

1 History
2 Attractions
3 Lodging
4 Awards and Recognitions
5 See Also
6 External links

[edit] History

Douthat State Park opened June 15, 1936. It was one of the original six state parks of Virginia. The Douthat Land Company, a group of businessmen, donated the first portion of land - 1,920 acres. In 1933, the General Assembly allotted $50,000 for the purchase of land for state parks, and the remainder of the present-day park was purchased with this money. Approximately 600 men from the Civilian Conservation Corps, between 1933 and 1942, developed and constructed the majority of the modern-day park system.

[edit] Attractions

Fishing - Douthat allows trout fishing in its stocked pond with a valid Virginia Fishing License and a daily permit.
Boating - A boat ramp launch is available April through October. Jonboats (including those with electric motors), canoes, paddleboats, hydrobikes and funyaks (similar to kayaks) are available for rental. No gasoline-powered boats are allowed on the lake.
Hiking - Over 40 miles of varied difficulty trails are available, many of them created originally by the CCC. Horses are not allowed, but mountain bikes are.
Swimming - The beach area of the lake is available from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Restaurant/store - Douthat Lake View Restaurant was built by the CCC and overlooks the lake. Next to the restaurant are a camp store and a gift shop.
Picnicking - There are three picnic areas with shelters that can be reserved for a group.
Hunting - Hunting is allowed by reservation with the appropriate permits.

[edit] Lodging

Douthat has lodges, cabins, and campgrounds for rental. Douthat Lodge was built by the CCC and is a log building that houses up to 15 guests, while Creasey Lodge is woodframe and holds up to 18 guests. Douthat has 30 total cabins, which vary in size and can hold 1-6 people.

There are 74 total individual campgrounds and one group campground, called Beaver Dam. 55 of the camping sites have electical hookups available.

[edit] Awards and Recognitions

1986 - Douthat recognized as a Nationally Registered Historic District
1998 - Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association Award for Best Operated and Maintained Dam
1999 - Centennial Medallion from the American Society of Landscape Architects
1999 - named one of Outside Family Vacation Guide's top ten state parks