Many Virginia State Parks welcome sportsmen in the fall, offer hunting opportunities

Virginia State Parks, managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, offer the outdoors enthusiast a variety of hunting opportunities, including reservation-only hunts and open hunting, throughout the season. Hunters can reserve stands or zones on a first-come, first-served basis at the following hunts:

Muzzleloading and archery hunts will be held at Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Bedford County, Nov. 3-4, and Nov. 10-11, the reservation period begins Sept. 11; York River State Park in James City County, Nov. 10-11, the with a reservation period beginning Sept. 18; Kiptopeke State Park in Northampton County, Nov. 12-13, the with a reservation period beginning Sept. 24; Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County, Nov. 3-8, the with a reservation period beginning Sept. 26.

Muzzleloading-only hunts will be held at Caledon State Park in King George County, Nov. 5-6, and 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 5; Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County, Nov. 3-4, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 4; James River State Park in Buckingham County, Nov. 3-4, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 12; Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster County, Nov. 12-13, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 19; Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania County, Nov. 13, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 25; and Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County, Nov. 12-13 and Dec. 15-16, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 3.

Special youth muzzleloading hunts will be held at Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County on Nov. 1, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 4; and at Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County on Dec. 13, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 3.

Muzzleloading and shotgun hunts will be held at James River State Park in Buckingham County, Nov. 17-18, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 12; Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania County Nov. 18-19, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 25; Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 11-13, with a reservation period beginning Sept. 26; Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County, Jan. 9-10, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 3; and at Claytor Lake State Park in Pulaski County Jan. 9-10, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 9.

A muzzleloading, shotgun and archery hunt will be held at Kiptopeke State Park in Northampton County, Dec. 3-4, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 24; and at York River State Park in James City County Dec. 8-9, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 18.

Shotgun hunts will be held at James River State Park, Dec. 1-2, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 12; and Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County, Jan. 13-14, with the reservation period beginning Oct. 10.

General firearms hunts will be held at Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County Nov. 17-18, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 4; and Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster County, Dec. 16-17, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 19.

A special youth general firearms hunt will be held at Shenandoah River State Park in Warren County on Nov. 17, with the reservation period beginning Sept. 17.

Hunters may reserve preferred days and stands or zones for an advanced fee of $15 a day by calling the Virginia State Parks Customer Service Center, 800-933-7275. Reservations will be accepted until all slots are taken at each hunt, up to two days prior to the hunt, provided that the hunter can complete the payment before the day of the hunt.

Douthat State Park in Bath County will hold special hunts: a muzzleloader hunt Nov. 10-13 and general firearms hunt Nov. 17-20. Interested hunters may reserve a hunting slot for unlimited opportunities during the designated hunts. There is a $5 non-refundable administrative fee for a hunting slot reservation, and registered hunters must then attend one of two mandatory safety and hunt orientation sessions to obtain a required hunter card. Reservations for a hunting slot at Douthat State Park will begin Oct. 2 and end Oct. 31. Reservations can be made through the Customer Service Center.

Open hunting is offered in designated areas of four state parks: Fairy Stone in Patrick and Henry counties; Grayson Highlands in Grayson County; Hungry Mother in Smyth Countyand Occoneechee in Mecklenburg County.

All hunting laws and regulations apply in Virginia State Parks. Additional rules may apply in individual parks, and all lottery and reservation hunts have special regulations.

Several state parks are in or near state forests, national forests or wildlife management areas that allow hunting. State parks with overnight accommodations are convenient and economical base camps for hunting nearby. These parks offer maps and affordable camping or cabin accommodations only minutes from the field. Campsites are available through early December, and cabins are open year-round.

For information on hunting licenses, hunter safety education and hunting regulations, call the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 804-367-1000 or visit http://www.dgif.virginia.gov.

For more information about hunting opportunities and programs in Virginia State Parks, or camping or cabin reservations, call 800-933-7275, or visit http://www.virginiastateparks.gov.

Virginia State Parks that allow hunting:

Belle Isle State Park, Lancaster County, 804-462-5030

Caledon State Park, King George County, 540-663-3861

Chippokes Plantation State Park, Surry County, 757-294-3728

Claytor Lake State Park, Pulaski County, 540-643-2500

Douthat State Park, Bath County, 540-862-8100

Fairy Stone State Park, Patrick County, 276-930-2424

False Cape State Park, Virginia Beach, 757-426-7128

Grayson Highlands State Park, Grayson County, 276-579-7092

Hungry Mother State Park, Smyth County, 276-781-7400

James River State Park, Buckingham County, 434-933-4355

Kiptopeke State Park, Northampton County, 757-331-2267

Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania County, 540-854-5503

Leesylvania State Park, Prince William County, 703-730-8205

Mason Neck State Park, Fairfax County, 703-490-4979

Natural Tunnel State Park, Scott County, 276-940-2674

Occoneechee State Park, Mecklenburg County, 434-374-2210

Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield County, 804-796-4255

Shenandoah River State Park, Warren County, 540-622-6840

Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Bedford County, 540-297-6066

Staunton River State Park, Halifax County, 434-572-4623

York River State Park, James City County, 757-566-3036