Parks exploration a mind-blowing journey

This time a year ago, I embarked on a journey that, in retrospect, was as rewarding as any I've ever undertaken. Last December, I decided to visit one of Virginia's then 34 state parks each month (there are 35 now) and report back on what I'd found. I solicited input from readers to help me choose my year's worth of trips. I should have known then what I'd stumbled onto.

The response to that column far exceeded anything I could have reasonably expected. People from all over the state were eager to share their state park experiences and did their level best to persuade me that their favorite should be among my 12.

I settled on a dozen that I hoped would give as broad a picture as possible of the variety of landscape, recreational opportunities and sheer natural wonder the state has to offer. If I succeeded in one thing, I think, that was it. I don't know how many miles I drove but it was well into the thousands: From Kiptopeke on the Eastern Shore to Grayson Highlands and Natural Tunnel in the rugged southwest to Sky Meadows in the northern Piedmont. Along the way, I discovered that there might be no better method of taking in Virginia's geographical, topographical, biological and geological diversity than through a tour of the state parks.

Many people have asked which one was my favorite, but how do you compare the sweeping mountain vistas of Grayson Highlands with the crashing surf and wind-whipped solitude of beachfront False Cape?

Every park provided me with moments that remain fixed in my mind's eye. Watching snow sift through the hardwood canopy at Douthat near Clifton Forge. Marveling at the work of an industrious beaver at Bear Creek Lake in Cumberland County. Walking under towering cypress trees that dripped with Spanish moss at Virginia Beach's First Landing.

There was plenty of gee-whiz trivia that came out of the series. Natural Tunnel in Scott County is closer to six other state capitals than to Richmond. Fossil Beach on the Potomac River at Westmoreland State Park yields 15 million-year-old sharks teeth and whale vertebrae to the amateur archaeologist. Pocahontas' endless forests conceal tombstone testaments to the land's former owners.

But, of course, the parks offer far more than engaging trivialities, and their diversity isn't limited to location. No two parks I visited provided the same set of recreational opportunities. Pocahontas has endless running trails and singletrack for mountain bikers. James River boasts one of the only canoe liveries in the state park system. Sky Meadows offers nighttime astronomy programs. Natural Tunnel's outdoor amphitheater brings the community together for music festivals and other performances throughout the warmer months. It's also the only park where visitors can go spelunking.

Some, like False Cape, are geared toward the more intrepid camper who wants the old-fashioned tent-and-sleeping bag experience, while others have an array of cabins, lodges and RV hookups. Kiptopeke offers the only overnight yurt accommodations that I know of anywhere.

Those of you who've been paying close attention may have noticed that the November trip to New River Trail State Park never appeared in the paper. That's because it hasn't happened yet. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, it will happen when spring arrives and the 114-mile, two-day, out-and-back bike ride along the trail won't include frostbite.

Probably the highest honor you can give a park is a return visit. I've already been back to three of them: Pocahontas to mountain bike; Douthat for an orienteering race and False Cape to hunt feral hogs. And I'm planning more. I didn't get a chance to fish at Kiptopeke or to canoe at James River. Those failings must be rectified.

But I have talked up the parks to anyone who'll listen. They are an amazing resource that millions of Virginians and non-Virginians alike enjoy every year. They offer history, recreation, natural beauty, wildlife encounters and endless solitude, and they're a perfect way to take in all that a state as varied as Virginia has to offer.

. . .

Considering the popularity of the state park series, I figured it would be downright irresponsible of me to let the concept lapse. So next week, I'll introduce the monthly 2009 outdoors series. In deference to current economic conditions, it'll be more locally focused - no tank of gas needed - but hopefully no less valuable and eye-opening to readers always on the lookout for another outdoor adventure.