The opening of Virginia’s newest state park marked the culmination of a community dream carefully nurtured for more than a decade.
Photo Above: The pond next to the visitor center entrance is easily accessible and a beautiful spot for a selfie or an afternoon of plein air painting. Photo Courtesy of Michael Bedwell.
Hayfields State Park, tucked in the heart of Highland County, Virginia, is aptly named. The wide-open fields bordered by soft mountains are the remains of a once-active farm. The park office is in a gracious old farmhouse at the top of a hill. It is a quiet place. Birdsong, the whoosh and sigh of the wind, and the bubble and flow of the river are the only sounds I hear.
Although Virginia’s newest state park opened on October 20, 2025, the dream of it began over 10 years ago. That’s when a group of determined citizens passionate about sharing Highland’s unspoiled landscape met to discuss the steps needed to bring the park to life.
Nancy Witschey, a member of that group, says they visited a variety of sites as they thought about possible locations for a park. All the while, they kept reminding Creigh Deeds, the local state legislator, about their interest. “Member Cappie Hull even took a group of students to meet with [other] decision-makers to reinforce the idea.”
Witschey recounts details from the long process. “As we kept working on state budget possibilities, our local group developed criteria for state park land and a list of places to investigate. We visited each site and ranked them according to how they satisfied the characteristics on our list. Hayfields Farm was at the top. Next, to our big surprise, the Hayfields property was conveyed to the state. Now we were off and running. With Creigh Deeds’ support, the state directed DCR [Department of Conservation and Recreation] to develop a park in Highland County.”
After the land was officially designated a state park, the group formed a nonprofit: Friends of the State Park. This gives them the flexibility to raise funds privately for things on the park’s wish list like signage and equipment that might not be in the foreseeable budget. It also helps reduce the amount of red tape that accompanies such requests.
Park Manager Justin Rexrode is no stranger to bringing a new park to life. He was the chief ranger of operations at Clinch River State Park when it opened in 2021. He has spent the first year of his job at Hayfields working to build trails, develop parking, create signage and get 400 of the 1,039 acres ready for visitors.
The park is named for its historical use as hay meadows, and some of its fields are still under lease to area farmers and in production. This creates wide-open vistas on both sides of the Bullpasture River, where visitors can enjoy the sweep of land and sky framed by blue mountains. It’s a view that, up until now, has only been seen by those who make hay and feed livestock in the area.
Because Highland County is so remote, much of the landscape looks almost exactly as it did over 100 years ago. There is also limited cell service. Visitors have no choice but to drop their busy lifestyles at the foot of the first mountain they cross. This makes Hayfields a unique destination offering a peaceful respite from a hyper-busy world. The dark skies at night are an added bonus.
Hayfields State Park currently has four developed trails with plans for more in the works. Bryan McGraw, the park ranger over maintenance, grew up on the farm that is now the park. He is passionate about opening the space up as much as possible so visitors can enjoy themselves in the same way he did as a kid.
Two of the trails — Bear Pond and River Loop — are designated easy, and the other two — Eagle’s Rest and Laurel Loop — are designated as moderate. Each trail leads to a different ecosystem.
Eagle’s Rest Trail starts as an intimate path through the woods along the Bullpasture River where pencil point stumps provide clues to the active beaver population. There is a climb that leads to a lookout where visitors will see a 360-degree view of the park.
River Loop Trail wanders closer to the river’s edge. It includes places where those with fishing licenses can cast a line. Bear Pond Trail includes two beautiful ponds where I stopped for a little plein-air painting. One of the ponds is also open for fishing. The last trail, Laurel Loop, is a 1-mile hike through shaded woods — perfect for a hot summer day.
All the trails are well marked, family friendly and include picnic spots where hikers can rest and catch their breath. The two along the river allow access under the beautiful bridge that links one side of the park to the other.
Rexrode has spoken at length about future park plans which will be developed over the next two years with the help of community stakeholders. Some ideas being floated include recognition that Hayfields State Park is in one of the last easily accessible areas on the east coast where nighttime visitors can enjoy dark skies.
Other ideas center around the long history of the park. Once a Native American hunting ground, it was developed by early settlers into farm fields. There’s a log cabin on the west side of the property that was occupied in 1856. The barn near the visitor center has potential as a museum.
One visitor that I encountered was enchanted by the very mature trees, including large oaks and sycamores. She was especially interested in the meadows which provide nesting sites for a variety of birds.
Another said it was “like going back in time. You’re sitting in the same place a Native American might have sat, looking at the river.”
Whatever it becomes in the next 20 years, Hayfields is already a gem. It is protected from any encroaching development by the mountains that form its eastern and western boundaries. Once you cross into Highland County, the drive to the park is as scenic as the park itself. The lack of cell service makes it the perfect place to put down screens, absorb the silence and rediscover the peaceful rhythms of the natural world.
5 Things to Know Before You Go
- There is very limited cell service so download a map of the area ahead of time.
- Bring a lunch or plan to stop at one of the two small stores in nearby McDowell that serve food.
- There are bathrooms in the park office and porta-johns in the parking lots.
- It’s a good idea to check in so park staff know you are on the property.
- You might meet log trucks or farm tractors on the unlined, two-lane road to the park. Be prepared to share the roadway.
The story above first appeared in our March / April 2026 issue.
