colonel denning state park

We visiting the park in July 2014 with friends and families for a surprise party. It is an excellent park with a sand beach at the shore of the lake. There is ample parking available and few picnic tables and pavilions available. The small creek near the parking lot added a nice touch. The playground area kept the kids (2-12) engaged. Boating (no motor boats), fishing and swimming at the lake are allowed. Only hand sanitizers in the restroom - no water or towels. We did not hit the trails, so cannot comment on the trails. As you might expect, no cell phone service in the park.It is an excellent getaway.

I have been to this park many times over the years & have hiked the trails, used the beach, fished in the lake - this is a great family park. There are a number of hiking trails - including Flat Rock trail which leas up the mountain to a great south-facing overlook. The beach area is nice & well-maintained & the lake itself is very picturesque. The park is nestled in the valley between 2 ridges, and is not hard to get to. All in all - a great nature destination!

We absolutely love this state park!!, it is just simply "beautiful", the trails are the "BEST"!!! I love hiking all the superb trails that are offerd there and the mountains!!, WOW!!; is all i really can say- im speechless.... to sum up this park in 1 word, "GORGEOUS"... thank you for this wonderful park and it stays beautiful because of the people that put in their hard work to keep it that way for the public, again; kudos..... Lori HALL chesterfield, va.

Free fun for the whole family. Great for hiking, fishing and swimming. There is a beach area, but no life guard, so parents keep your eyes open. For hiking and nature lovers the trails are easy to moderate. Best trail with a bird's eye view of Cumberland county is Flat Rock, better give yourself at least 3 hours of hiking time and I hope you like steep inclines.

This was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on. It is fairly steep, with a 1,200' elevation gain (according to the board at the campground), and rocky, but the gorgeous trees and vegetation take your mind off the difficulty. We didn't realize the trail was so steep, so we didn't start the hike until after 1:00, We saw quite a few people on their way back down, and though we had our 4 and 7 year olds with us, we weren't passed by anyone going up. There were a few people at the look-out, but not too many for a Saturday afternoon in August. The descent was a bit slippery sometimes, but nothing too difficult. We saw several people with their dogs, but it seemed to me it could make for some sore paws. There was an outhouse, but there were lots of spiders inside. It took us about 3 1/2 hours to do the 4.5 mile hike.

We live near the park and go there many times throughout the year. The hiking trails are well maintained and the facilities are great for a family picnic.

Came up here and had a great afternoon doing the flat rock trail hike. Takes about 3 hours round trip and has an elevation change of about 2000 feet. I'd recommend waiting until spring if you are unsteady on your feet at all as I feel a few times on the descent and could have hurt myself. There is a bathroom and camping facilities here. The bathroom has running water, but only in season, otherwise it's a pit toilet. Nice view at the top. One of the better hikes in this area.

Since we visited mid-week and after Labor Day, we pretty much had it to ourselves! We did a loop hike of about 3 miles. The trail was well marked and maintained. A really beautiful park we'd like to see again.

Not crowded, OK trails, easy to park horse trailer. No rattlesnakes today!