New River State Park — Attraction in Jefferson

New River State Park has 3 camping areas along the New River so when you make your reservations make sure you get the correct address to the one you are going to. Do not trust your GPS! We stayed at the “US 221 Access” campground with our 40ft class A and enjoyed it very much. This park has several sites that are 50amp full hookups with large patios, picnic tables, lamp hooks and fire pits. The campsites are level hard packed gravel with lots of room between you and your neighbor. The road inside the park is paved with no sharp turns or low trees to complicate your maneuvering. Most sites have an open sky for a satellite dish. Sprint coverage is very spotty here, 3G is slow to none and phone service is sporadic. Rangers routinely check the park and the bathroom/showers are modern and kept very clean. Big rigs should take the drive to the park slowly. It is a narrow 2 lane road with tight curves and a speed limit of 55 so the other vehicles will be going considerably faster than you. There is no shoulder to speak of and your rig will use your entire lane. The difficulties on the last section of road are still worth the drive. The Rangers are personable and have an active program schedule which we took advantage of and enjoyed. There are hiking trails through the park and in the surrounding area. With the interior roads paved, bike riding is safe and easy. The park has a canoe launch and in the tourist season guide companies use the New River for tubing, canoeing...

It’s always been my pleasure to visit the state parks of Va and NC. These places of natural beauty put aside as places for all of us to share and enjoy. My recent visit to this park was again a privilege. Although I can see where the park service has done work in the past to make access to these beautiful places easier for people to access by providing access points and parking and such. I was also forced to question how some persons have been able to acquire property that seems to give them personal ownership of or proximity to these areas. How does one reserve the right to park their half million dollar land yacht on the banks of a state park and mark a private property line around it. Then as I wait for my friends to join me I find these persons spying at me through binoculars as if I’m trespassing. It didn’t make me feel comfortable even though I was on park property. I appreciate the opportunity to share in these wonderful places but certainly I should be able to visit without fear of being stalked. Perhaps there are things I am not aware of. Perhaps there have been illegal things happening here that they were looking out for or perhaps these people were afraid I was a thief waiting for an opportunity to rob them. I don’t know. These are just my thoughts my experience. My 10...

This is a beautiful park, I highly recommend at least one visit, to hike the mountains or canoe, kayak or tube down the river. The New River has some breathtaking views of the mountains, wildlife, native plant species and small waterfalls flowing down the rocky banks into the water, not to mention the history of the gorgeous old farmhouses built right next to the river. If you're planning on floating the river, it might be beneficial to check the water level before heading out, if it's at 1.9 or lower, be ready to get hung up on every rock on the way, your regular 2 hour trip will turn into 4, be sure to pack extra supplies, including sunscreen and have fun!

Side Note: If you're into "canoe in" or kayak camping, they have an excellent park just for you at the Alleghany Access Campground which also offers group sites, and some fantastic hiking trails with great views, this site can only be accessed from the river, no vehicle access is available, which makes it...