This camping trip was a special one. Not because of the destination, but because of the company. We welcomed Aiken to the family last week, and this was his first RV trip. Pocahontas State Park was a great base for the weekend for some beautiful hiking and a visit to the Science Museum of Virginia.
Where We Stayed
Pocahontas State Park is about 15 miles southwest (as the crow flies) of Richmond, VA. At almost 8,000 acres, it is Virginia’s largest state park.
I love this large open field at the entrance to the park.
The campground has 129 sites with water and electric hookups. There are also some cabins and yurts. There’s a small camp store, a playground, restrooms with showers, laundry facilities, and a dump station.
We like site 106 in particular. Between the size of the site and the amount of trees, it’s hard to tell you have neighbors at all.
Unfortunately, we forgot to get a photo of the site on this trip, but we stayed at the same site back in 2021.
| Campground Name | Pocahontas State Park Campground |
| Location | Chesterfield, WV |
| Dates | July 12-14, 2024 |
| Site Number | Site 106 |
| Site Surface | Gravel |
| Hook-ups | Water 50-amp electric |
| Cost | $44.90 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | Oops! We forgot to look! |
| Voltage | Oops! We forgot to look! |
| Verizon Speed Test | 22 Mbps down; 6 Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | 2 Mbps down; 1 Mbps up |
| Campground WiFi | None |
There are seemingly endless recreation opportunities here. Some we don’t know anything about, like boating and fishing. We go for the hiking and the aquatic center. There are more than 90 miles of trails, and the aquatic center has several pools and a snack bar. The pool took us by surprise the first time we stayed here. State parks in NC don’t have things like that!
Bright Hope Horse Complex is available for day-use. There’s trailer parking, a fenced sand arena, and access to the park’s horse trails.
What We Did
Science Museum of Virginia
The Science Museum of Virginia is about 30 minutes from the state park. I didn’t expect the drive to take us through some beautiful neighborhoods in Richmond.
This was such a cool museum! They have a theatre called The Dome, which features the largest screen in Virginia. The screen isn’t a complete sphere, but it’s much more than just a large, flat screen. They offer shows on astronomy and other topics. We saw the shows titled Animal Kingdom.
I got this short video before the show started. It gives you an idea of what the screen is like, but without seeing a moving picture take up the whole screen, you really don’t get the full experience. But it’s better than nothing!
I was impressed with how kid-friendly this museum was and the number of interactive exhibits. I’m only going to mention some of them, but I highly recommend checking out their website.
Science Museum of Virginia Travel Tip
There is free parking available in the parking garage by the science museum. For those driving big trucks, never fear! The clearance is 8’2″.
One was about speed. The signage talked about Usain Bolt. The exhibit had a lane you could run down and a screen at the end that would tell you your speed.
Another was mostly closed off except for a doorway. Once inside, you could stand beneath a fan (hidden in the ceiling) to feel various wind speeds, including hurricane-force winds.
There was an art lab and an animal lab with various critters.
There was a room all about bees that included an observation hive with outdoor access so the bees can come and go.
The Forge might be my favorite space. On the museum’s website, it’s called a makerspace that is part showroom, part workshop. On the schedule, you’ll find Maker Challenges, Open Making Time, and Maker Websites.
There’s even a robot that draws!
The lobby has a Foucault Pendulum and a gift shop.
On our way out, we got lucky and noticed the pendulum was about to knock over one of the pegs, so we stopped to watch.
Overall, we definitely recommend making time to visit if you’re in the area. The variety of interactive experiences and exhibits make this a great place to bring the kids. If you’re kid-free, I still think you’ll have a great time.
Hiking–Beaver Lake Trail
From the campground, we took the Powhatan Trail. Then we took the Beaver Lake Trail around the lake. There were several spots with water access.
The trail guide considers these to be moderate trails. I feel like most of that must be due to the length of the trail. There were some roots to navigate and some hills, but it didn’t seem like a tricky trail otherwise.
Where We Ate
Gus’ Bar and Grill
Gus’ Bar and Grill is a great lunch option if you spent the morning at the science museum. It took us less than 5 minutes to walk there from the museum. It was so quiet when we were there. Maybe they have a bigger lunch crowd on weekdays? Or maybe we were there before the lunch rush? No idea, but it was convenient and the food was tasty.
Photos
Happy travels!
