FIVE AWARDS — Staunton River State Park Manager Josh Ellington shows
off the five national awards the park has recently received, including
the best campgrounds and the best scenic views. (SOMcL photo)

There's a lot going on at Staunton River State Park — and sometimes
locals forget just what a jewel they have in their park.
Park officials were notified recently that Staunton River has been
awarded five national awards, the first being selection as one of the
nation's Top 100 Family Campgrounds.
Other Outdoor Recreation awards included being in the Top 20 Unique
Cabins, the Top 25 Picnic areas, the Top 25 Bird Watching Spots and the
Top 25 Scenic Views. The awards were given by ReserveAmerica, the
nation's leading provider of recreation reservation services. The
awards are given annually, based on reviews of nearly 3,000 parks
nationwide.
According to Park Ranger Josh Ellington, the park's offerings of
swimming, tennis and its interpretative programs helped in receiving
the top designation. As for its recognition of the unique cabins,
Ellington says the cabins which were build in 1936 by members of the
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) feature foundations of locally
quarried rock, wood floors and outside decks combined with modern
conveniences including stoves, refrigerators, microwaves and air
conditioning. "We furnish everything except television, telephones and
computers," Ellington said.
As for the scenic views there is so much wildlife living in the park,
but the special attraction there is the albino deer which visitors
nearly always get to see. "She comes out quite frequently in the
evenings around 6:30 to 7 p.m. and our guests tell us they nearly
always get a glimpse of her, grazing over in the fields." Then bird
watchers will occasionally see eagles at the park. "I'll have to admit
that I haven't seen the eagles," Ellington said, "but several of my
employees see them frequently." However, the park ranger said it's not
at all unusual to see 25-30 red-headed woodpeckers during a visit.
It was Picnic Shelter No. 2 that attracted the top picnic award. "That
shelter," according to Ellington, "offers a beautiful view. You can see
Buggs Island Lake and the Dan River coming together from there,"
Ellington said.
"This is a tremendous honor because these awards were voted on by
consumers of the parks," Vest said as he congratulated Ellington and
the park staff on achieving these national awards.
"It's a great honor for the park staff, as well as for Halifax County,
to have an award winning park right in their back yard," Ellington
concluded.
For more information about ReserveAmerica's Outdoor Recreation Awards,
consumers can visit www.ReserveAmerica.com. Staunton River State Park
is one of 34 parks in the state parks system. For more information or
to make reservations, call 1-800-833-PARK or visit
www.dcr.virginia.gov.