Douthat State Park

Elevation: 1384 ft.

Douthat State Park provides access to some of the most beautiful vistas in all of Virginia. The park holds facilities for all tastes and ages, ranging from primitive camping to cabins. Best of all, Douthat State Park has abundant wildlife. The park boasts more than 43 miles of trails, which will take even the most hyperactive visitor at least a few days to cover. These trails lead the wildlife watcher to limitless memorable wildlife experiences. The Heron Run Trail stretches 0.8 miles along the edge of Douthat Lake. Birds to look for as you wander this trail include the magnificent bald eagle, found either fishing the lake or perching along the trees above the trail. Smaller more frequent birds encountered include red-eyed and white-eyed vireos and chipping sparrows that are often joined by chickadees and titmice. The small creek that flows into the lake halfway along the trail hosts a crowd of red-spotted newts, while the wooden beams supporting the edge of the trail houses five-lined skink. The creek mouth and the neighboring lakeshore support several species of dragonflies including eastern amberwing, slaty and widow skimmers, and black-shouldered spinylegs.