A limited, but pretty view of the bridge. The path is handicap accessible, and very short, which is nice. There are stairs at the end where you can walk down below the bridge - but that would be a SERIOUS stair climb back up! The visit center is nice and clean, which a nice historical exhibit and a mini theater that plays a 15 minute video about the bridge and New River area. Worth the stop, but it won't be your best view of the bridge.
The weather was rainy, so we didn't spend much time here, but we did drive around to different areas along the lake. It is true that the water is extremely clear!! The marina area doesn't offer much other than boat loading, unloading, etc... so find another spot along the lake for access. If you rent a boat, it looks like there were several great spots to drop anchor and swim and jump off small rock ledges.
This park was absolutely amazing. We are so happy we "accidentally" spent a week here. You see, we were planning on doing dispersed car camping at the local National Park campgrounds, but spent the first two nights at Babcock.
Then we decided to extend our stay to 5 nights. Then we cancelled our other reservations and stayed the whole week at Babcock. I could have stayed another week, there was so many amazing things to do within the park. The campground is very clean, sufficiently private, quite, and pristine. The bathroom facilities are kept very clean, as well.
The park has many beautiful hiking trails to keep you occupied. We explored a few trails, but rainy weather and a somewhat unenthusiastic husband kept me from exploring them all! There were plenty of scenic drives throughout the park, as well.
Be sure to check out the swing bridge, the grist mill, and the skyline trail (which you can drive along for scenic stops). We also hiked the Mann's Creek Trail, which was moderately difficult with some hill climbs. The trail offers a cliff view as well as access to the creek and small falls. Very beautiful. We also hiked a small section of the Island in the Sky trail, which looks REALLY COOL to hike in full, but the rain made for some slippery rock surfaces, so we didn't stray far from the trail head.
First - this is a Boy Scouts of America camp, and not a tourist stop. You will not be able to even get close to the property without stopping at the Ruby Center and getting a wrist band and plaquard that grants you access. Even then, there is a gate house and guard that keeps sightseers out. My son stayed at this camp for the week, and we weren't even allowed on the premise to drop him off. They shuttled him inside!
Since my son actually attended a week of camp here, this is a review of the facility and program itself. My son stayed for provisional camp, and it was easily at the bottom of his list of "favorite" scout camps. The facilities are very modern and impressive, and the treks were great, but otherwise, the camp was not impressive. The food was so bad that scouts were apparently getting sick. The communication was very poor, as well. Lastly, my son reports that the provisional program was very disorganized and staff didn't seem to be much help. He almost missed dinner the first night because he had no idea where or when to report. He ate all meals alone and camped completely alone... which can be very difficult for a provisional camper if they feel they are all alone so far away, without an opportunity to make friends.
The base is HUGE, so be prepared to do a LOT of hiking throughout the day. My son spent between 2-4 hours a day hiking between treks and activities. So make sure you are prepared as far as equipment goes and most importantly, physical fitness goes.