Sky Meadows State Park (Virginia)
Episode Guest
Patrick McNamara, Park Manager
Sky Meadows State Park (Virginia)
Park Stats
Location: Delaplane, Virginia
Park established: August 27, 1983
Park size: 1,860 acres
Highest elevation – 1,840 ft (top of the Blue Ridge Mountains)
Lowest elevation – 600 ft
Fun fact:
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- 10.5 miles of bridle trails
- 22 miles of hiking trails
- 9 miles of bike trails
- Appalachian Trail access
Speed Round
What is your earliest park memory?
One of the first parts that I remember going to as a kid, I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago, is going to Starved Rock State Park right on the Illinois River. It’s got a kind of an interesting story about the Native Americans that live there. My dad and I used to pretend or imagine what it would be like to be living in this forest and how cool that would be instead of thinking about, oh, how hard it would be.
What made you love the parks?
They’re adventurous. It’s a place for adventure. It’s a place to let my imagination run wild. I joined an outdoor adventure club in college and they set me on this path of, working in the outdoor industry.
What is your favorite thing about Sky Meadows State Park?
Having a sense of place and a sense of home. I moved to Virginia 12 years ago. I used to work at a place in, a nature center down in the Great Smoky Mountains. When I moved up here, this was one of the first places I came to and it reminded me a lot of living down there, and it’s always meant a lot to me.
What is your favorite thing to do at Sky Meadows State Park?
As a visitor hiking. As my role as manager, I really like park planning and getting inspired to do new things and to provide some new experiences for our visitors.
What park have you yet to visit but is on your bucket list and why?
When I was probably in high school, we took a trip to visit some family out in California, and we went to Alcatraz. I got a National Parks book and I remember thumbing through that and looking at the pictures in Mesa Verde. Stuck out to me as a really cool spot to visit. Just looked like the neatest place to go live, to be living in a rock formation like that.
What are three must-haves you pack for a park visit?
Number one, a map. Because I like to go out on a hike and if I feel like going for a longer hike, if I have a map, I can figure out how to do that. Water and snacks.
What is your favorite campfire activity?
I like to just sit and stare at the fire and just watch the flames and, just kind of have a moment.
Tent, camper, or cabin?
So I’ve always been a tent camper, but last year we just got a pop up camper. I’ll go with a pop up.
Hiking with or without trekking poles?
Hiking without, backpacking with.
And what is your favorite trail snack?
Any kind of mixed nuts.
What is the best animal sighting that you’ve had?
I went on a canoeing trip in central Florida when I was in college with the outdoor club. We were paddling out on the river and kind of out of the trees, we saw an owl emerge with a snake in its talons. The snake was writhing and owls just flying away. It was the coolest thing.
What is your favorite sound in the parks?
My favorite sound is people, the sound of people enjoying themselves in the park.
What is the greatest gift the parks give to us?
People come to the parks for a variety of different reasons. It’s like a magical place. I think the greatest thing that the parks gives us is it gives you whatever you need and it kind of changes, depending on where. Where you are, in your life or what day you’re having . But you’re going to the park for a reason and whatever that is, it’s not always the same thing. So even though it could be the same place, it’s going to be changing.