Camp Creek State Park and Forest

 

Camp Creek State Park and Forest is surprisingly quiet, considering how close it is to I-77 and US 19. This park feels like it is a long way from civilization, yet it is only 15 minutes from the West Virginia Tourist Information Center and Princeton Welcome Center at Princeton, West Virginia (Exit 9, I-77). Right across from the Info Center is a Walmart, so one can stock up on whatever needs one might have before enjoying the park. 

Clover Hollow and Link Farm Covered Bridges

 

There is a back road in western Virginia not far off of US 460 where one can see two of seven remaining covered bridges. I have seen 3 of these bridges, including the oldest, the famous Humpback Bridge. This first bridge here is known as the Clover Hollow Covered Bridge, and is the bridge in much better condition of these two. The area surrounding it, as can be seen above, is beautifully landscaped and a perfect place for a picnic.

The second bridge in these pictures is located about 5 minutes away from the first one, and this one is known as the Link Farm Covered Bridge. This is located on private property, something I wasn't aware of at the time I visited. I hope you'll enjoy these pictures!

The difference in bridges is somewhat stark - here is the Link Farm and Bridge:

Smith Mountain Lake State Park and Rural Virginia

 

Smith Mountain Lake State Park is a beautiful park with all kinds of amenities amidst over 1,200 acres located about 40 miles from Roanoke in Virginia. The main activities available at this park are swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and camping. 

The last time I visited here, trees which had been planted before I visited the first time (and were nice and green at that point) had all died.

Since I had already taken lots of pictures the first time I visited here, I didn't take many pictures this time around. As a result, I decided to add a short entry from another location to this post. This is a farm in rural Virginia west of Roanoke: