Westmoreland State Park — Attraction in Colonial Beach

“So what’s the deal with Westmoreland State Park? It’s got fossils, turtles, scenic cliffs, and a Wi-Fi signal so faint, it might actually be a ghost.”

Let’s start with the good news—and there’s a lot of it. This park is pretty. Like, roll-down-the-car-window-and-go-“oooh” pretty. And it’s well run, too. The staff here? Absolutely top-shelf humans. Friendly, helpful, and somehow managing to keep things together even when the crowds roll in like it’s the final day of a Fourth of July sale.

One of the big highlights? That peaceful little beach hike where you can hunt for fossilized shark teeth. It’s nature’s version of “Antiques Roadshow,” and if you’re lucky enough to find one, it instantly becomes your most prized possession—right next to the coffee mug you stole from work.

Then there’s the real beach. This one’s got it all: picnic tables, BBQ grills, and sweeping views of the Potomac River. It’s the kind of place you post a picture from and immediately get texts that say, “Where is this?!” Just a heads-up though—come summer, that beach fills up faster than a gas station before a hurricane.

The visitor center? Surprisingly fun. They’ve got snakes, turtles, and just enough other things that are interesting to read along with a solid playground short walk up the road for the kids to climb on while you try to remember how sunscreen works.

Camping-wise, you’ve got options. Three campground areas, each with their own personality:

Campground A – Your classic go-to. Balanced, accessible, and just woodsy enough to justify your flannel shirt.

Campground B – Definitely designed for the RV and trailer crowd. Tents are allowed, but if you're sleeping in one, you’ll feel like a minimalist exhibit in an RV dealership. That said, it’s got the nicest bathhouse—so maybe there’s a trade-off.

Campground C – For the purists. The die-hards. The "I’m-earning-my-forest-survival-merit-badge” types. It’s great if you love privacy and pine trees… but beware: when it rains, it turns into Camp C for “Canoe Required.”

There’s a boat launch, too, and you can rent kayaks for that classic “I’m exercising but also relaxing” vibe. And if you forget to pack something essential like hot dog buns or your kid’s entire sleeping bag, there’s a Food Lion about 20 minutes away. Practically a luxury in state park terms.

Now, the rustic stuff.

Outside of the visitor center, the buildings are, let’s say... “seasoned.” The cabins and little bungalows are what we in the travel biz call politely rustic—which is a nice way of saying “They’ve got character and that character is slightly musty.” The bathrooms? Yeah, they’ve been around. They’re still doing their job, but they’ve definitely seen some things.

The silver lining? They’re starting to remodel the cabins. And based on the preview materials, they’re going to be awesome. Think cozy-meets-modern, with just enough nature flair to remind you you’re still in the woods and not in a Crate & Barrel catalog.

Wi-Fi? Forget about it unless you’re clinging to the main building like a digital barnacle. But honestly, that’s part of the charm. You didn’t come here to scroll—you came to stare at trees and grill questionable meat.

Bottom line? Westmoreland State Park is a hidden gem tucked away on the Northern Neck peninsula. It’s got history, hiking, swimming, and that “off the beaten path” feeling without actually getting lost. Yeah, it’s a little rough around the edges in places, but the staff runs it with love, and once those new cabins are in? This place is going to be a must-visit. Just maybe bring boots if it rains… and prepare to be on squirrel-tooth watch when...

We've been a few times before for hiking and fossils. This was our first stay in a cabin. Fossil beach and the Beach are both fun places for the kids to play and explore. Both of the trails we used were super clean. We brought a bag to pick up trash for scouts and found very little to pick up. We saw lots of jellyfish and a very large crayfish at fossil beach. Fossil beach was pretty picked over on this trip but we still managed to find 3 teeth and a few other fossils. The girls love this park and are already making plans for next time. Like other state parks in the DMV area this park also offers CCC -wooden and some block- cabins. We stayed in a two bedroom. The kids loved the bunk beds. The cabins have plenty of space, dry and cool /warm. There is plenty of space in the mainroom for board games, meals and little kid glowstick dance parties 🤣. The decks, grill and fire pit are great. You can get extra wood at the camp store by using the drop box. There was also wood from downed trees between cabin . Unlike some other parks we did NOT find an ax for use at this cabin so we bought wood. We suggest bringing additional pots and pans . We only found a large soup pot, 1 small sauce pot and 1 very small pan (think 2 egg only). The fridge, cupboards, sink, stove top/oven, coffee maker, toaster, microwave seemed to all be in order. We also suggest planning shifts to shower. I put all three kids in the shower to wash out their hair after lots of outdoor time...... 2 kids and 5 min later the water was cold. We waited until after dinner for the hotwater tank to refill and the third kid got a shower. We noticed 4 cabins were being worked on by various service providers. I'm sure it's the maintenance season being the end of winter. I'm glad they can continue to be maintained for guest use. We did not hear a sound from another camping family in the park. It was so quiet. The view of the stars at night was wonderful too. We love that the cabins are tv and wifi free. We hope it stays that way. Their is wifi in the visitors center and the camp store if you need it for a few minutes . The playground is well kept. The discovery center is amazing. I'm sad it was only opened for such a short time. As a homeschooling mom the Discover Center has so much potential. We just didn't have access. We may comeback for the homeschooling dates they had listed on a bulletin board in the visitors center. In the visitors center they have some cool things for kids to see and do too including a few live animals. The camp store also looks neat but it was closed. Most of the staff is super friendly and outgoing. They are willing to answer questions and they seem to like their jobs. Near by is the birthplace of Washington, Stratford Hall and Colonial Beach. We spent one day at Washington's and really enjoyed it. We will save Startford Hall for another trip. We grabbed a growler of beer at a local brewery and ice cream at a local outdoor eatery at Colonial Beach. We enjoyed them both. We would like to try other places in the area next time too. The only sad thing about this trip is the realization that the pool at Westmoreland State Park is too broken to be fixed. 😭. I recognize that money doesn't grow on trees. We were hoping to come back in the summer and swim at our next stay. We will be back but without...

• We visited in the early afternoon on a Friday in late December 2023 (after Christmas). • There was no one at the front booth so payment is the honor system here. We have a VA State Park annual pass so we were not concerned. • We drove straight to the visitor center. There were 5 or 6 cars in the parking lot at the time. Although no one was in the visitor center so they must have been outside somewhere. You enter the visitor center into his atrium area where the bathrooms are to your right and the store/visitor center is to the left. I wonder if they do this so people have access to bathrooms but there may not be staff inside the store or visitor center. • The visitor center was quite large and had a nice big bank of windows in the back. There were 2 snakes and a turtle in a large indoor pond enclosure. There was merch and food available for purchase. I wonder if this double also as the park’s camp store. • The kids got to talk and interact with a range inside the visitor center and there was another staffer who helped us check out. We grabbed a couple hiking medallions and pins. • We then headed over to the Discovery Center which had 2 people staffing it. They were super good with interacting with the kids. Asking them questions and answering questions as well. They were super knowledge about the park and the animals that inhabit the park. It was cool to also learn about all the cool fossils that could be found at the fossil beach before actually heading down there. Definitely worth a visit. There were hands on materials and informational posters all over the walls and tables. The two young ladies did a great job. • We then went down Big Meadows Trail just off the parking lot to fossil beach. It’s a well-maintained trail but it’s a little longer than you’d probably think and also elevation changes along with a lot of bumpy roots so watch your step. I’d still classify it as a easy trail but it’s not flat. • We got to the end and there is quite a bit of erosions and wash out. So be careful. Also we did not have the right shoes or anything for fossil hunting. There were people out there in waders and wagon carts. Apparently, there are serious fossil hunters here. Kids were kind of disappointed that they couldn’t get over to the nice area to fossil hunting, but we weren’t prepared either. I think it was high tide. If we came again maybe we would bring shovels, sifters and water shoes. It was also cold because it was Dec. We’ve been to one other fossil beach where it was just littered with fossils everywhere you stepped. It looked pretty cleaned and picked over here. Just need to management the kids expectations better next time to avoid major disappointment. • We would definitely visit this park again if we were in the area. Many other cool trails to explore. • This was VA park number 18 for us on our VA State Park...