Pocahontas State Park Campground

Very pretty state park. Camping, fishing, hiking, etc. enjoyed the couple trails I hiked so far.

We stay in our airstream in nice pull thru spots. Spot 006 is a favorite because it has plenty of trees and room for a large tent as well so our adult sons, who live in Richmond, can spend the night with us. There are trees between most spots. Water and electric but dump station instead of hookup. This is the largest Va state park, but because it is so close to a large metro area, as well as I95, you do need to arrive early for the best spot, and it is a lively state park. We even had to wait in line to for the dump station in the fall. Fantastic water park for kids, but we enjoy the beautiful hike around the small lake. Lots of picnic shelters. Sometimes there are festivals and concerts. We stay there in order to visit our boys without staying in a hotel and they prefer to stay with us in a tent to escape the city a little and the campfire atmosphere. Everyone respects the 10pm quiet time. Very nice bath houses. Laundry and small camp store as well. Grocery stores, Walmart and restaurants are not far.

We finally had a weekend with nothing scheduled so we made the 20 minute trip to Pocahontas SP. Check in was quick and easy.

You can not reserve a specific site here so we rode thru the campground to see where we wanted to stay this time. Most sites are well shaded but since we knew it was going to be cold this weekend we picked one that was mostly open so we could get a little sun during the day. It was a good plan but when the rains started on Saturday morning and lasted all weekend site selection doesn't really matter. Most sites are well maintained gravel with an area for picnic table and fire ring. There are a few asphalt, pull thru sites that cost the same but need to be reserved separately.

A note on fires and firewood - Don't bring your own wood. Due to some problems with hitchhiking bugs the state parks do not allow you to bring your own firewood. They do have wood to buy but it's pretty steep; $5 for 6 pieces of firewood. Also during the spring there is a daytime burning ban due to the fire danger. I think campfires could burn from 4pm to midnight.

Lots of hiking, bike and horseback riding (bring your own horse) trails here for all skill levels. We biked a couple and hiked a couple before the rains set in for the weekend. After that, lots of quality trailer time plus a shopping trip. There's a lake and a river here so fishing, kayaking or canoeing are also options.

Campground was about half full but, because of the weather, we didn't get to see many people out of their campers. There were 3 large playgrounds that looked fun and were busy when it wasn't raining. Plenty of places to walk your pets but no dog run here.

We have stayed here before while visiting family in Richmond. It's not necessarily the most convenient to our family but it feels safe and for the most part quiet. It is much nicer than any of the privately owned RV parks – of which there are very few anyway. We stayed in one of the pull thrus in the back section with 50 amp service and water. There is a dump available on site near the front. The site was fairly long and level. We had enough room for our 45 foot motorhome and the car if we parked it at an angle. It's a bit pricey for water and electric but we will return again. BTW – there is a Virginia State club you can join for free. You can earn free nights at all state campgrounds.

We stayed 4 nights while visiting friends in the Richmond area. This park was centrally located for what we wanted to do.

It allowed for a day trip to the Colonial area of Williamsburg and Jamestown. Also, there was a great selection of trails for hiking and biking. Canoeing and kayaking are available too.

The sites are spacious, and access is good. While we didn't need them, I really liked the idea of their buddy sites. It would be great for a family or small group camping experience.

Definitely would consider basing out of here for a longer visit in the future.

NOTE: I-95 in VA has a number of over route signs posts that have less than 14' clearance.

This is a very nice but popular park. Sites are not assigned so you pick one when you arrive and on w/e or school holidays they will be very limited. If you are in a tent, pop-up or small camper this will not be as much of a big deal as a larger rig. We arrived at 2pm on a nice April Saturday and found 2 sites that would have been OK. The office told us there were " a number" of sites open but of these most were sloped to such a degree that we would have been dangerously tilted. (The camp host told me that summer holiday weekends are "crazy" and can be noisy well into the night. She also said that any complaints about noise should always be called into the park ranger and not the camp host. )

Check in was easy in the office that also has a gift store. We had reserved and paid online and I highly recommend reservations.

The site we found, #39, faced the road and was not at all private but served our needs. Site 65 looked like a private site appropriate for a big rig. The sites from 66-77 are pull through and more expensive but all the sites in the loops after 65 seem to be very popular with families with kids. There were 3 buddy sites and a playground and kids riding bikes all over. So, if yo are looking for peace and quiet this is not the place on a weekend. By Sunday during the school year, once again according to the camphost, it is very quiet and we saw this ourselves. By Sunday mid-afternoon the CG was virtually deserted.

There is a small camp store but I did not go to it. There are three bathhouses scattered throughout the campground and ours was clean. There is also a liquid waste dump at each of the bathhouses. Garbage bins are at bathhouses as well and though there is a recycling specific bin at the dump station on the way out Chesterfield County sorts all garbage and recycles the recyclables so you can throw them in the trash. 30 amp electric and water (no sewer) at the sites.

Within the park there is also a day use area with a beach, boat ramp and Nature Center. Bikes may be ridden throughout.

Richmond is 30 minutes away. There are grocery stores (Kroger and Food Lion) within 5 miles.

One other note: because of a minor medical issue I had to go to The Bettermed Urgent Care, Bon Secours St Francis Hospital and Walgreen's Drugs, all in MIdlothian (about 20 minutes away) and have rarely (even as a nurse for 40 years) encountered such consistently helpful, knowledgeable, efficient and pleasant personnel as we did. If you have any type of need in this area rest assured you will be well cared for.

We had 2 bars of ATT unboosted-4 bars boosted.

This is a big state park with lots of trails for running, hiking and mountain biking about 30 minutes from Richmond, VA. There are multiple loops, and a good choice of E/W sites in more wooded and more open settings. The only ding was proximity to a gun range, which did take away a little from the peaceful setting during the day. Richmond is a fun city to visit with lots of neighborhoods, breweries, murals and good food & drink - we'd definitely come back to explore more, and we'd definitely stay here again.

We only had a couple nights here on our way south from Maryland. But we definitely wish we'd had more. The sites are nice and spaced out appropriately. The big thing for us were the "bonus" features of this state park including:
- a large pool and water feature area
- an interpretive hayride through the park
- the Civilian Conservation Corps museum
- a nature center with programs for kids on various wildlife in the park

For families traveling near Pocahontas State Park, I would recommend trying to put aside three or four nights to stay here, longer if you want to explore the surrounding area.

We stayed at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA in October for one week. We camped in a 40’ fifth wheel pulled by a RAM 3500 dually.

GPS was accurate and access to the campground was a breeze. Check in was quick and friendly. We paid $20 per night for a water and electric site. There are no sites with sewer in the campground. There are two dump stations and a potable water station toward the entrance.

Sites are very spacious but not all are level. Our site was long with a slope on each end. We were, however, able to get level. There is a picnic table and fire ring at each site. Wood is available from the store and the camp hosts.

The bathhouse was more than acceptable. Toilets are separate from the showers. The showers are large with amazing water pressure.

There are plenty of activities on site. There was a pool complex and lake that are for public use. We were there in off season and didn’t use any of the amenities. There is also a nature center on site.

We would absolutely stay again.

Great location close to Richmond and necessary stores for supplies. We're full timers so being able to restock without a 30 minute drive is important. There is at least 30 yards between sites and plenty of room at each site to feel comfortable. Electric and water at each site, we ended up in a 50 amp site even though we only need 30 just for the closer access to an open grass field for our dogs. Trails are everywhere. Great for trail rides on a mountain bike, runs, or hiking. Showers and bathrooms are spartan, but clean and the water pressure and heat are fantastic. They have a deep sink at the restrooms for washing dishes and a laundry on site ($1 to wash and $1 to dry). We've had good service (2-3 bars) with Verizon as well on site without any booster on both our mifi and phones.

Check in went smooth and we were able to choose the site we wanted by driving through the campground. Hosts and staff were very friendly. I would recommend booking online as after we paid for our stay found that the site was listed cheaper online then we paid when we showed up.

Only downside we've seen is a lack of sewer connection at each site. Only the camp hosts get sewer connection. They have a dump station and potable water on the road in and out of the campground so if you're not staying long it isn't a real issue.