Sky Meadows State Park
- Status
- Status not postedDaily 8 a.m. – sunset
- Entrance fee
- $10 per vehicleAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed6-ft leash
- Camping
- 15 campsites
- Official site
- dcr.virginia.gov(540) 592-3556
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. Details last changed Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
In Fauquier County, about 12 miles east of Front Royal, Sky Meadows State Park covers about 1,865 acres.
Visitors come for horseback riding, biking, hiking, and picnicking. The official site lists about 22 miles of trails. Camping is available: 15 campsites across 2 camping areas, including tent sites and group camping.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 8 a.m. – sunset | — |
| Visitor center | Mon–Thu | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | — |
| Daily | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. | — |
Official wording
8 a.m. - dusk. Park access gates will close after sundown, so please plan your trip accordingly.
The visitor center has nature exhibits and a gift shop. It is open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (closing time changes to 4 p.m. daily in December and January). The Visitor Center/Gift Shop is also open on evenings when the park holds astronomy programs. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Eve and may be closed at other times, due to inclement weather or when staff is unavailable.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Standard | $10 |
| Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Weekends (Apr–Oct*) | $10 |
| Boat Launch and Equestrian Fees – In addition to Daily Parking Fee Year-Round Per Trailer – Equestrian | $4 · day |
| High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Standard | $20 |
| High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Weekends Apr–Oct* | $20 |
| High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – Buses 16 or more Year-Round | $40 |
Official wording
Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Standard: $10 Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Weekends (Apr–Oct*): $10 Boat Launch and Equestrian Fees – In addition to Daily Parking Fee Year-Round Per Trailer – Equestrian: $4 High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Standard: $20 High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Weekends Apr–Oct*: $20 High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – Buses 16 or more Year-Round: $40
Virginia park passes
- Naturally Yours Passport — $85. Parking and admission for 12 months to all State Parks (admission for up to 4 at Natural Bridge and Southwest Virginia Museum) Details
- Senior Naturally Yours Passport — $40. Parking and admission for 12 months, age 62+ Details
- Naturally Yours Passport for Boaters/Equestrians — $180. Parking plus boat-launch / horse-trailer fees for 12 months Details
- Senior Naturally Yours Passport for Boaters/Equestrians — $145. As above, age 62+ Details
From the Virginia state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Virginia State Parks reservation system (reservevaparks.com)
- Phone
- 800-933-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed · leash up to 6 feet
To protect wildlife, all pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| RD Red (Individual) 15 primitive hike-in tent sites are marked by red signs in the campground. Reservations are site-specific for individual red sites. Individual sites accommodate up to six people. Fees include parking for two vehicles. | 15 | — | |
| BUD Blue (Buddy) These sites are ideal for two families wishing to camp together. Each is marked by a blue sign. These sites are unsuitable for groups. They have two tent pads, a bear-proof locker, and a shared picnic and grill pad. Buddy Site #2 is equipped with hammock posts. Each Buddy site accommodates up to 12 and must be reserved ahead of time. Fees include parking for four vehicles. | — | — |
Camping details from the park
OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Enjoy a unique and peaceful camping experience at Sky Meadows. The park offers year-round primitive hike-in tent camping nestled against the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Campers must hike Hadow Trail 1 mile with their gear from the overnight parking area to get to these campsites. The campground is accessible by bike, but no vehicles are allowed near campsites. Reservations are required for group campsites and recommended for individual sites. Camping equipment must be placed within the perimeter of the designated campsite.
See a detailed map of the campsites.
Appalachian Trail hikers arriving without a reservation and camping overnight within park boundaries MUST camp in the designated primitive camping area, Site AT, located 1-1/4 miles from the Appalachian Trail. Camping fees apply. Self-pay at the Firewood honor system boxes or at the Visitor Center for the AT site.
The park has no cabins or drive-to campsites.
For general information about Virginia State Parks accommodations, amenities or to make a reservation, you can reserve online or call 1-800-933-PARK. Click here for park fees.
Those interested in other parks' overnight accommodations, rental rates for cabins and camping should know that offerings vary by season and park. Rates are subject to verification by DCR's state parks reservations staff (1-800-933-PARK). First, determine the park, the season (which varies by park), then the rate. Click here for park system fees.
Camping
Camping
All primitive
Reservations
- Camping guests must set up on a campsite with the color and number matching what they reserved. Fifteen individual primitive tent sites have red signs numbered 1 through 15; the Buddy Sites have a blue signs; Camp Slater has a brown sign; Camp Washington has a green sign.
- Walk-in honor camping is available for only one night at a time and only for red (individual sites).
Accommodations
- Pit toilets, non-potable water, bear-proof trash cans and firewood are available in the campground.
- Firewood brought from outside the park is prohibited. Campers may use dead, fallen wood around the campsites or buy firewood at the campground. The cost is $6 per 10 sticks of firewood. Campers may not cut trees, brush or saplings.
- Each campsite has a 16' x 16' tent pad, picnic table, bear-proof locker, lantern hook, hammock posts and fire pit with a small grate.
Campers must keep all equipment on the site's camping pad. Check-in, 4 p.m.; checkout, 1 p.m.
Site types
- RD Red (Individual) - 15 primitive hike-in tent sites are marked by red signs in the campground. Reservations are site-specific for individual red sites. Individual sites accommodate up to six people. Fees include parking for two vehicles.
- BUD Blue (Buddy) – These sites are ideal for two families wishing to camp together. Each is marked by a blue sign. These sites are unsuitable for groups. They have two tent pads, a bear-proof locker, and a shared picnic and grill pad. Buddy Site #2 is equipped with hammock posts. Each Buddy site accommodates up to 12 and must be reserved ahead of time. Fees include parking for four vehicles.
- SLAT Brown (Camp Slater) - This is a small primitive tent group camp area that accommodates up to 24 people. It is marked by a brown sign and has four tent pads, a bear-proof locker, and a shared picnic and grill area. It must be reserved ahead of time. Fees include parking for six vehicles.
- WASH Green (Camp Washington): This is a large primitive tent camping area for groups of up to 36 people. It’s marked by a green sign and has six tent pads, a bear-proof locker, and a shared picnic and grill area. It must be reserved ahead of time. Fees include parking for eight vehicles.
Total sites: 19
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
BikingCampingHorseback ridingHikingPicnicking
Trails
The park has 22 miles of hiking trails, 10.5 miles of bridle trails and 9 miles of biking trails ranging from easy to difficult. The park also accesses the Appalachian Trail with 3 miles of the trail running through the park. Overnight parking is available for AT hikers (up to 14 days). Overnight AT hikers should register at the visitor center during open hours or at the overnight parking kiosk near the park's main entrance after hours. The park is a three-day hike from Harpers Ferry and a two-day hike from Shenandoah National Park.
On the east side of Route 17, Lost Mountain has an equestrian parking area and about 8 miles of hiking trails, 7 miles of horse trails, and 4 miles of biking trails. Equestrians may also access nearly 4 miles of bridle trails on the west side of Route 17 via the Corporal Morgan Trail. These trails offer equestrians scenic views and access to the park's historic area.
Read more from the park
The park also has a designated 5k course that begins and ends near the Turner Pond parking area. View event listings for upcoming races.
Next to the park's picnic area, the Children's Discovery Area is an open and safe space for children and families to enjoy the park's pastoral landscape. Within the 75-acre Virginia Master Naturalist Shenandoah Chapter's Outdoor Laboratory, the discovery area includes a Nature Explore Certified Outdoor Classroom, the first of its kind in Virginia. Play stations focused on agriculture, nature and history entice children to create art, move freely, make music, build, dance, climb, dig and crawl. The area also has a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail. The easy, well-marked .7-mile trail is open from 8 a.m. to dusk and engages novice hikers, young and old. The trail has ample benches, crosses streams, passes through woodlands and traverses meadows before looping back to its start.
Discover the Sensory Explorers' Trail, a 0.3-mile trail for people of all ages, with adaptations for the blind and visually impaired. People use their senses while exploring the unique blend of nature and 300 years of agriculture. Next to the park's main picnic area, the trail complements the Children's Discovery Area as part of the Shenandoah Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist's 75-acre Outdoor Laboratory. This trail provides opportunities to explore billion-year-old geology, delve into the complex songs of birds in forest and field habitats, and learn about the critical role of vernal pools. Explore tree species and how they communicate, see forest succession in action, and look back at early settlements in the area.
Please note: During winter months, snow and or ice may impact Children's Discovery Area and Sensory Explorers' Trail use. It is recommended to call the park before visiting to inquire about area conditions.
An audio tour provides in-depth information about each stop. An easily navigable tactile pathway leads the blind and visually impaired, and braille numbers at each sign link users to the audio tour.
Download the audio tour
To learn more about nature along the trail, visit the Shenandoah Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist's website. This project is a partnership of that group, the park and the Friends of Sky Meadows State Park.
To protect wildlife, all pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Vehicles are permitted only on paved park roads. Bicycles and horses are allowed only on designated trails.
Swimming
None at this park.
Boating, paddling and fishing
The park's 3.5-acre Turner Pond has fishing piers and picnic tables. A valid Virginia State fishing license, which can be purchased online or through local retailers, is required. Virginia residents 15 and under don't need a fishing license here. Turner Pond contains largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, sunfish and bluegill. Boats are not permitted.
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
- Visitor center
- Park or camp store
- Parking
- Group facilities
- Drinking water: not available (stated by the park)
Camping
- Tent camping
- Group camping
Recreation
- Horse trails
Accessibility
- Accessible trails
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
- Accessible trails
- Two designated parking spaces in the historic area, three in the picnic area, one at Turner Pond and one at Lost Mountain
- Wheelchair-accessible restrooms at the visitor center and the picnic area
- Visitor center and gift shop
- Mary's Shelter and several picnic tables
- Fishing pond (no paved sidewalk access)
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 11012 Edmonds Ln.
Delaplane, VA 20144 - Nearest town
- Front Royal — about 12 mi east (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 38.9887, -77.9689
- Phone
- (540) 592-3556
- SkyMeadows@dcr.virginia.gov
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
The park is less than two miles south of Paris, Va., via U.S. Route 50 to Route 17 South; or seven miles north of I-66, Exit 23 on Route 17 North. The park's main entrance is on State Route 710. Its address is 11012 Edmonds Lane, Delaplane, VA 20144-0710. Latitude, 38.988703. Longitude, -77.968913. Drive Time: Northern Virginia, 45 minutes to one hour; D.C., over one hour; Richmond, two hours; Tidewater/ Norfolk/ Virginia Beach, three hours; Roanoke, two and a half hours
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Virginia State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026; page says updated Oct 13, 2026
- Virginia State Parks 'Find a park' list (HTML, one 'Name (CODE)' link per park)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. “Last changed” (Oct 29, 2026) is when the information shown here last differed from the previous check. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology