Hungry Mother State Park

Wow we were so thrilled with this beautiful spot. It’s about 12 miles off the interstate but so worth it. We have an RV so we stayed at Pin Oak, at this time of year the station is unmanned but we knew our site number and drove right in. We had site 75 which was great, we had that section of the campground almost to ourselves and still had a water view! It was a very level site with full hookups, a fire ring and picnic table and a trash hook. There are dumpsters on the way into the campground and they recycle plastic and aluminum. There is a nice playground and a pavilion with lighting and a concrete ping pong table which was amazing! Bring your own equipment and play an evening game, this was so fun! We enjoyed hiking the pin oak lake trail but our dog came out with a tick so be sure to look yourself and pets over post hike.

Hungry Mother State Park is a beautiful and well-maintained destination for a relaxing getaway. My family and I camped here for a long weekend and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The fall foliage was stunning, creating a picturesque backdrop throughout the park. The facilities and campsites were clean, and the atmosphere was peaceful and quiet—perfect for a family retreat. Highly recommend for anyone looking to enjoy nature and unwind.

I was there for only a few hours at my husband's company picnic. It seems like a very nice park. Trails for hiking. Water toys to rent - canoes, kayaks (single, double or fishing) paddle boards, pedal boats, hydro bikes. Great spots to have a family picnic, some very large shelters with picnic tables, grills available. Rest rooms, building with kitchen area to rent for functions. I noted signs for geocaching. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things. I will be back to play and explore some more! 😊

Great park! One of the 6 original Virginia State Parks that opened in the 1930’s. They’ve kept up with the park over the years, and it is well worth a visit. We stayed at Camp Burson with full hookups (Bonus!) - only 1 of 2 VA state parks that offer full hookups - the other being Kiptopeke. The only reason why I did not give it 5 stars, was because the sites are a little like sites at private campgrounds - a bit too close to each other. There are parks in the VA state system that have a little more privacy, which we appreciate. Other than that, it’s a great park.

we stayed at the tent only platforms in royal oak campground. very cute and unique stay. make sure your tent and fly don’t need to be staked in order to stay up! you get a free day of swimming at the beach for each day you camp. the swimming area is a short drive or walk away from the royal oak campground. the swimming area was quite small and they do not allow swimming outside of the marked off area which is really disappointing. when we went swimming a day camp of maybe 60-70 children showed up and took up pretty much the whole swimming area so it would have been nice to not all be corralled in a small area together, especially for my group of competent adult swimmers who just wanted to float in our floaties! bathrooms and shower areas at the royal oak campground were standard— no complaints. you must check in at the park office on the road before you pull into the swim area/campground area before you can actually check into your site—the ranger station closer to the beach and campgrounds are not where you check in. all the rangers and camp hosts we interacted with were nothing but pleasant!

This is a unique state park in Virginia. The park has a beautiful Lake that offers recreational opportunities for electric boaters, paddleboarders, and kayakers. They also have a swimming area for families with very soft beach sand for kids to make sand castles or wherever their imagination takes them! Fishing opportunities are great. Park also offers hiking trails and several campgrounds for tent camping or RV camping with bathrooms, showers, and electric hookups. Camp sites have picnic tables and fire rings.

We were putting together a last-minute July camping trip and we remembered Hungry Mother from our time in Marion during our hike of the Appalachian Trail. I did more research and it seemed like a really nice place to spend some time, so we went online to try to find a campsite. Weirdly, the entire Creekside campground was open for the time we wanted to come. I ended up calling the park and they told me it was my lucky day, that a family reunion had booked the whole campground and just cancelled, and I wanted Site 19! We booked it and were so glad we did. The hosts were so great, and the facilities were clean and worked well. Laundry onsite for like $1.50 for washer and same for dryer Creekside Campground is awesome, but it's not for big rigs. They have another campground called Burson that will handle those, though, and some of the sites there have sewer if that's important to you. But Creekside is super cool, shaded, right on the creek, and you can walk to the beach, the trails, etc. Dump station is at the Visitor's Center on your way out. We would go hike in the morning, then sit and watch the three ducks that came every afternoon to the creek (and slip on the rocks, which was hilarious). There were deer in the morning in the meadow across the creek. If you're tenting, Royal Oaks looked really great. No water or electric, so you'd have to plan for that, but there are bathrooms/showers. We hiked Molly's Knob once during the day with our dog and then at sunset without her. We hiked the Lake Loop, but didn't get to the CCC and I think at least one more hike, so we left some on the table to come back! We rented kayaks one day and that was really fun and a way to cool off in the heat. Sunset at Molly's Knob was amazing (don't do it if you don't have headlamps and some experience night hiking). You're minutes from Marion, and we went downtown and hit all the spots from our AT hike. It's close to Mount Rogers and lots of other great hiking spots too. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Is Royal Oak campground new? It was the cleanest state park we've been to this year. The bathrooms were spotless, clean, and well shocked. The tent platforms were massive! We walked the lake loop trail and included the CCC Trail hike, which was beautiful and well maintained. Lake was pristine, and we went swimming with our dogs. Had we had more time, we would have rented kayaks and did a lake day. Saw lots of people out, paddling and fishing. The rangers at the Information/Discovery center were informative, knowledgeable, and great to talk to. You can buy wood there also for $7 a bundle, which was cheaper than other places around. The center sells awesome stickers, some snacks, and t-shirts. The CCC exhibit was excellent, with tons of pictures and relics. Really enjoyed our stay. Can't wait to visit again.

This consistently ranks in not just the best in Virginia, but nationally. A lake for fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and a beach for swimming. Three camping areas. Beautiful location! Site of the Hungry Mother Festival in July.

April, 2024. We were traveling between Roanoke, VA and the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park when we saw a sign for Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA. It was close to lunch time, so we decided to go to check it out and have a picnic lunch there, lake-side. Road signage to the main part of the park wasn't great, and our GPS took us to the campground which was a few miles from the Visitor's Center. A camper sent us in the right direction. We stopped at the Visitor's Center, paid the $7 parking fee, spoke with staff, and picked up a map. We learned from staff that Hungry Mother was one of VA's original six state parks. It's known for its woodlands and placid 108 acre lake. It offers miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing, boating (including rentals), a beach (with concessions in-season), camping and cabin rentals, and special events and programs. Our goal though was to take a short walk and to find a place to eat our picnic lunch! We found the Lake Trail loop, which is a 5.7 mile hiking and biking trail. The first mile parallels Park Blvd, and was gently rolling and relatively flat. Plus, it had picnic tables lake-side! Hungry Mother State Park was a pleasant place to stop during our travels. We hope to return in the future to explore it further. Slight mark-down in rating due to insufficient signage and for charging $7 for parking for a short visit and even when most amenities were still closed off-season. This is state of VA policy, not specific to Hungry Mother.

We had a Creekside campsite, and it was absolutely spectacular, we could not have been any closer to the creek, the sound of trickling water lulled us to sleep. The sites, although not too large are laid out nicely, are wooded, and with the creek by your side you don't even realize there are other campers nearby. The restrooms were very clean and well-kept, firewood is readily available throughout each loop, and the water and electricity at the site worked perfectly.

I'm a glamper all the way. I love nature, but am not a fan of sleeping on the ground without a solid structure over my head. A hot shower after a day of hiking, water sports, or whatever a state park may bring is also a must for me. So... I absolutely love the state parks in VA that have cabins, as well as the more traditional tent or RV camping. You do need to supply your own linens, but a small price to pay to be able to actually be inside of a park with as many things to do as here. I hiked the Molly's Knob Trail as well as the Vista Point, and they were being truthful when they called them moderate to strenuous. I also hiked the Raiders Run area, which was a very nicely laid out mountain biking trail. I didn't run into anyone on that trail at all in the morning, so had it all to myself. There is a lakeside beach, cool folklore, and the park has all kinds of events daily, from SUP yoga to fishing 101 to campfires with s'mores, there is really something for everyone! Get outside!

If you like to hike or just want to look at beautiful mountain views, this is a lovely state park. We did two hikes here during my time in the area. The second one was all the way up Hungry Mother and it's well worth the trek for the views.

Absolutely loved our time at this park! We rented a cabin for two nights and had a blast. Staff were friendly and trails were clearly marked for hiking. THINGS TO NOTE: -It's a state park, YOU WILL NOT HAVE WIFI, you WILL survive -It's a state park, you most likely will NOT have cell service -It's a state park, you're responsible for your trash, don't ruin the parks beauty! -There are several grocery stores and small restaurants "in-town" about a 10 minute drive from the cabins. We brought our pups along for an extra fee and they loved it just as much as we did. Can't wait to come back!

Absolutely Fantastic! The staff was helpful, honest and cheerful. They were informative and regarded safety has a high priority. It was our first time camping and the park had us hooked. The views were awe inspiring and the trails (well marked) ranged from easy to very difficult. The camp grounds had a variety of choices between the RVs being closer to each other to tents being far apart. They have activists for all ages and a schedule to boot. If you call the front desk, A PERSON WILL ANSWER! ‍

Beautiful park nestled in the mountains. We rented a cabin because tent sights were full. Our mission was to see the leaves changing and we got there just it time. Very vibrant colors. Will probably go back when we can rent boats. Very beautiful & quiet. Perfect getaway. Thanks to the Rangers for their hard work and dedication.

Earlier today before lunch we all went to the Visitors Center here at the park. Lots of information about the CCC that built this park. And lots of the animals that inhabit the area. I always like taking pictures of the animals on display. They also had a very small gift shop. Tim bought a nice hiking/trekking stick in there.

We enjoyed our first visit to Hungry Mother State Park and by the end of our visit we were already planning our next. The park is beautiful and the trails are well-maintained. We stayed in the Chestnut Lodge. It comfortably sleeps 8. There are 4 bedrooms, a small living room area, a wet bar kitchen (small sink, full-sized fridge, but no stove). Facilities include two showers and two toilets. On the wrap-around deck, there's a propane grill (with side burner), a picnic table and a couple of rocking chairs. Outside, there's a fire ring and a charcoal grill. One small quibble is that, unlike other cabins in the park, there's no roof over the gas grill. Since the grill is the only way to cook, it'd be nice to have a bit of protection from the weather. We enjoyed hiking the lake loop trail (~6 miles), the CCC trail to Molly's Knob and the Vista trail (parked at the boat loop, ~4.5mi and strenuous but the view is worth it) and Raider's Run plus the Shawnee Trail loop (~2.5mi). If you're driving to Hungry Mother from the east or south, be sure to stop in at Shot Tower State Park. There's not a lot there, but it's a unique attraction and it wasn't out of the way. A plus: it's a short trip into town to the Ingles grocery store if you need supplies.

Love this park...there's so much to do from Hiking to Swimming at the "Beach". They have Cabins you can rent and a nice Restaurant. They have several campgrounds. My kids and I love the Beach and Kayaking and the Paddle Boats. So relaxing and great place for family and friends to get together and have fun. They do charge to get into the park but it's not expensive. We paid $7.00 for a car.

Stayed in cabin 2 nights. Staff was friendly and helpful. Cabin and grounds were clean and well kept. Beautiful area with restaurants and a nice Walmart (yes I know, lol) few minutes down the road. Will be visiting again.

Stayed in Cabin 11 with a couple friends. Super modest and small, but super homey. The couch and 2 chairs in the living room had cushions that sounded like crinkly shopping bags and a bit stiff. Wooden dining room table had 6 chairs - perfect for a family or friends. Fireplace is in the living room -- super nifty for warming the whole cabin. Super surprised that the cabin had CENTRAL A/C! I seriously thought it was going to be a hot and humid weekend with a window unit. Loved the picnic table that was on the outdoor patio. The grill that was behind the house was super hard to cook on. The grate was super rusted and covered in filth. Kitchen oven was super old. Could barely read what the temperatures were on the knob. Every burner was wrapped in aluminum foil, so the smoke/heat had a hard time filtering out. I burnt my whole package of bacon to a carbon-crisp in the oven (and I was using my normal cooking method). So be SUPER careful when cooking in the oven. One room had a queen-size bed and the other room had 2 sets of bunk-beds. I don't recommend sleeping on the top bunk if you're more than 150(ish) lbs. Did not seem to be very stable when one of the guys was trying it out (I could see the plywood bending downwards from the bottom bunk). Surprisingly, each room had a lamp and a nightstand with a radio alarm clock! The bathroom was super small. One toilet, small sink, and a shower. The shower water temperature control knob was possessed. You had to turn the knob all the way to the left and then slowly inch it back to the right to get slightly hot water. A bit tricky, but at least hot water worked! Items provided for use in the house: a basic coffee maker, microwave, one cooking pan, one casserole dish, toaster, basic cooking utensils, cutting knives, one dish towel, some cups, plates, a couple bowls, and linens (2 towels, a washcloth, and hand-towel per person). Bathroom surprisingly had some free shampoo, conditioner, soap, and body wash. My suggestions are to bring: your own water filter, cutting boards, a cooking pan (the one there burnt food easily and was SUPA HARD to scrub), charcoal, lighter fluid, dish soap, hand soap, spices, coffee, coffee filters, cooking spray, board games, cards, General reminders: Each cabin had its own journal (entertaining to read all the entries from past guests). Only 2 vehicles per cabin allowed (must display parking pass on rear-display mirror). Park has WIFI (praises!). You get one free bundle of wood with the cabin rental. You can bring Fido along (only $10 a night for a small dog).

My first visit to Hungry Mother State park did not disappoint. We had a great visit during the week in May. We stayed at Burson campground, which offers spacious sites, a clean shower house, and lots of trees! I selected my site online, and probably chose the least desirable site, number 3, but It was great! We sat in our camp and watched the sky between two mountains. This row of sites is the outside row, so no campers to look at, just the park! We saw orioles in the brush at our site. Trail heads begin at this campground, which is just outside the park entrance. We enjoyed a low traffic hike of the Lake Loop Trail with our dogs in perfect weather on day 1. Laurel and Rhododendron are thick, We did not see full bloom, but enjoyed the purple. There are many streams for dogs to drink from on this trail. Day 2 we hiked Molly's Knob. I was not prepared for this difficult trail, but made it up to see the view on a clear day. There are a few drinking spots for dogs on this trail in May. Motors are not permitted on the lake, so it's very quiet at Hungry Mother State Park. I am looking forward to my next visit and will be taking my kayak!

Beautiful state park with full service amenities! Love this park. Up in the mountains in western Virginia. Marion, WV is nearby for groceries. Lots of trails and a beach with all kinds of water sports to do. Kayaking, canoeing, fishing or just sitting and watching the water, no better place exists to spend a weekend or a whole week of your life. Cabin 2 is right on the water and is picturesque. The rest of the park is breathtaking. Stay here and enjoy!!

It's easy to see why Virginia's State Parks are voted best in America. The cabins were gorgeous, spacious and economical. The trails were well groomed, well marked and signed, and the beach looked spectacular. The staff seemed really nice and most things are on the honor system, so if you show up after they close for the night, just put some money in a box and pitch your tent! Need some firewood? Money in a box, take some logs. Such an excellent 4 day weekend!

Had a blast week of September 12, 2020! Great place awesome weather will book again. Great cabins, camping, fishing and hiking.

This is a large and beautiful state park that isn't far off I-81. They have cabins you can rent, but most are fairly close together. There is a beach and a long lake you can swim in and hike around (might take a few hours). There are also areas to picnic and places to plug your R/V in. It's a great place to visit, especially if you have dogs or kids.

We thoroughly enjoyed our camping trip at HungryMother. The park & amenities were plentiful & clean! We were amazed at how beautiful and well kept the area was plus all of the activities that they put together daily for your family and/or children. We will be back agin soon.

While the weather wasn't the greatest, the rain held off and we were able to have a picnic lunch on some of the many picnic tables at the beach. Also, some of the park staff brought snake skins / exhibits out to the beach (had to warn my wife, as she is crazy afraid of that stuff) and also mentioned that they would have a wild animal exhibit at the education / visitor's center. It happened to be on snakes, so naturally, our boys and nephews were all excited. The park does a great job keeping the place neat and clean, rotating the life guards for safety, and providing informational sessions, as well. The only down side I can think of is that the diving board platform needs some maintenance as some of the boards seemed quite weak due to rot.

We arrived after hours and passed the actual park. We went up to the main office and had to drive back down . They were very nice there . The restaurant is open which we didn't know. We got settled in without any problems nice level campsite but then it started to rain . No pour for the next 2 days . Even in the rain we walked the dogs checked out the bathroom shower and laundry facilities. They are very clean . There is a nice walking trail but it was flooded out while we were here. We want to come back and try this one again .

If your idea of a vacay doesn't include shopping and nightlife, this is the spot for you. This place is a beautifully self contained outdoor vacation destination. My family enjoyed the swimming area which includes a lake diving board and life guards, as well as kayak and paddleboard rentals, biking and hiking trails and a restaurant. Just a few miles away is a drive in movie theatre with a mini golf course. Everything is reasonably priced. You can not go wrong.

I had a blast I chose Campground C in the park for my locations and I REALLY enjoyed the fact that they were high off the ground on a deck! It truly was amazing! It is a big park, with many things to do! The lake is huge and the beach area was clean. I didn't eat at the parks restaurant, but I am sure it would have been good. The camp locations were very secluded and private. Of course your heard the echo of others but it was not unbearable. I am looking forward to heading back ASAP! This park is a MUST!

My wife and I frequently camp with our small travel trailer. We stay exclusively at state and national parks. We recently camped at Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia and were very disappointed. There are 2 campgrounds at this park with RV hook-ups. One of these campgrounds is outside the State Park proper and may have formally been a private campground... in other words an RV parking lot. The other campground (campground B) is old, antiquated, and very small. The campsites are also very close together affording little, if any, privacy. The overall setting of this park is beautiful, but the campgrounds leaves much to be desired if you are looking for a natural camping experience. Virginia State Parks currently have a "1st come 1st served" policy regarding camp site allocations. In other words, you can make a reservation but the reservation is not site specific. You claim a site when you arrive... supposedly on a 1st come 1st served basis. When we arrived, we observed several sites which were "taken," but the sites were not occupied. Obviously the locals send someone over to claim the specific site early in the day (prior to check-in time) and the equipment arrives much later. This seems to circumvent the intent. We stayed only one night at this campground and left sooner than planned vowing never to return.