Explore Park

Clean, easy parking. Receptionists were so kind! Tree top quest is amazing! We went during the day and did a night zip. It was a great experience for all ages! (Tip: if you have a belly button ring TAKE IT OUT before putting the harness on. Almost ripped it right out!)

We really enjoy the Explore Park. We visited several times this year to visit Treetop Quest....which the kids love.We went tubing/kayaking labor day weekend and enjoyed it! The rapids were super friendly so our friends who had never done so felt comfortable.This past weekend, we went camping at C2 and it was awesome, carefree....if youre looking for a glamping experience with a canvas tent, queen sized bed and all the things we didnt have to bring...easy in and out. We rolled up the sides of the tent and had a nice cool breeze all night.I just want to say one person in particular was awesome! Willie was great. He brought us down on the ATV with our stuff and took us back up when we checked out. He brought down all the firewood, etc. He checked in with us each day. He was super friendly and accomodating!

We thoroughly enjoyed camping on a primitive camp site by the river. The staff is EXCELLENT! They worked so hard to make sure everything was smooth with our stay. They used a gator to haul our things to the campsite and were kind enough to let the kids ride. The site was level, clean, and hazards were marked. The paths and trails we walked were great. We loved the little beach like area on the river by the trail that provided a fun place to explore and play. We were a group of 2 moms and 7 kids, ages 1-10 and it was a perfect and safe place to enjoy a night under the stars. I highly recommend!

This was a fun place to visit for a few days. We stayed on site in our RV at Dons Cabins. New, clean, easy access to the center of the park. Fun Mountain biking, river access and the zip line course is top notch!

My partner and I travelled from Norfolk to go camping here on a Thursday. And let me just say, as a first time camper, my experience was amazing. We camped at R12 by the riverfront which gave us direct access to fishing in the morning and at night. Thursday night happened to be perfect because there were only three other families camping out besides us so it was very quiet. Once we arrived, Keaton helped us shuttle our things to our campsite and he was really kind. Holly also helped us get some firewood after hours from the Camp Store which was super helpful. Overall, I loved this place. It was clean and the grounds were well-kept, and not to mention how kind everyone was from the moment we got there. I will definitely be going back to try out the Treetop Quest.

Beautiful lite display. I dont care for mask but wife said it kept her face warm. Added plus was scooters available for the handicapped.

We were a Scout Troop needing a place to stay before going to the AT the next day. We stayed at the Journeys End campsite. The reservation process was simple and quick. The price was exactly what we needed. The check-in process was very simple and our group had no issues finding the site. The only issue we had was the fact that every hour on the hour a train would roll through on the other side of the Roanoke River. As the train made the turn around the bend they would brake and that breaking would echo throughout the mountains. We do not fault Explore Park for this, but it definitely made for difficult sleep. We did have a lot of issues finding the rest rooms as we had to leave before the Visitors Center was open, so that rest room was not an option. We ended up having to leave the grounds to find a restroom on our way to the AT.

Great visit in the high county,with lots of fun things to do, hiking, zip lining, holiday lights and more.

Our first time to visit. We loved it. A campers paradise.. No shortage of trails of various levels. Get a map. The RV area has flat back-in sites which we want to come back and stay in. Also has rentals for rafting on the river. What a gem this place is for local folks for day use or the camper looking for a peacful spot. Even have Yurts and furnished tents.. The tent sites are right on the water. Plan to trek a ways to get to them unless they transport you. We saw vans dropping off rafters. So they may. It is well kept. Bathouse in camper area is new. Cant wait to come bring our camper so we can hike all the trails and go to the Brewery.

Nice! But we wish there were trail maps, or better marked trails. Too far away to see the one posted map on a hillside tree.

We bought tickets for the Christmas light trail. We went tonight and it was beautiful and fun. Go before it ends.

Awesome place to camp on the Roanoke river along the blueridge parkway. Very scenic. Also have tubes you can ride down river and they shuttle you back to the starting point which you can go again all day long. 25$ per person

If you get a chance definitely go to see the illuminary is gorgeous

We rented a yurt for the 1st time ever. It was really nice: full electric, mini fridge, microwave & coffee pot, A/C, half bath & a domed skylight that lit up the entire thing at sunrise. The bath house for showers was exceptionally clean & well kept. I especially liked that the yurts are built similar to a round tent. The windows can be rolled open from outside just as on a tent, and have curtains inside so you can still maintain a level of privacy. We booked a day tubing as well. The girls there were super nice. We are definitely planning to go back.

Love this place!!! Very nice and friendly staff. Good place to take the kids for a day of outdoor activities. There is also a neat little wedding venue on site as well.

Fantastic family friendly vacation spot in Virginia! Go tubing all day $25/person as much as you want! They will continue to shuttle you all day. Lovely river front tent sites. CLEAN SHOWERS!!! Clean bathrooms. Fire pit & picnic table at each site. The customer service here is TOP NOTCH! They also have tree house tent sites, yurts, cabins, RV spots with water/electric. Tavern with food (limited hours). Hiking trails nearby (30 min drive to mcafee knob trailhead).

Beautiful park with something for everyone to do! I love the treetop quest zipline adventure. The guides are so helpful and safety is their highest priority. Excellent activity for tourists and locals to explore.

Great escape from normal life. The yurt was extremely clean and so was the bathroom and shower facilities. My family and I had a great time!

Super friendly service. My family had a superb time. The instruction for the Zipline/ obstacle course was informative and timely. Will come back again!

Love the drive in to and surprised to see Christmas decorations set up on the walking trail.

A nice park that appears to be heading in a direction that will have lots of things for bikes. Pretty nice trails for people and bikes. Zip lines are also in the park.

I went to Illuminights with my 6 month old twins and they absolutely loved it. I think the people who put all of the work into creating it deserve a huge pat on the back. It was pure Christmas magic for my children and I hope this becomes one of our family traditions year after year. Please never stop creating this every Christmas season.

I walked along some of the trails and seen several of the historic sites. The park is beautiful. The only real issue is the fact that other people just throw their trash down as they go. I have family that works there and they work hard to try and maintain the trails with the few hours a day they get. If everyone can show a little respect we all can have something nice.

Easy great hiking trails. Kid friendly, restrooms at the main parking area, camping, and tubing. Easy access off of Blue ridge parkway, close to everything. Will be my regular go to area to get away.

Zipline and ropes course was safe and a lot of fun for all age groups, 3 of us are 64 and my Grandson is 4 and loved his course! Staff was very friendly and helpful.

It was beautiful. I use a cane and easy to walk.

I came here to see the historic builds and even tho i came here in january on the day they were close i had a ball walking the grounds. if i got this much enjoyment when nobody was here can you imagine how great this place must be when they are open.

Several trails down to the river, beautiful park trails, as well as porta-potties. Lovely day, did not want to leave. Please, wear appropriate clothing and shoes, as well as bus spray.

Enjoyed Dons Cab-Inns for one night and the trails. Cabin very clean and basic, though there is AC that works fine. The shared bathroom facility is fabulous - very clean and functional. The trails are well marked.

Had no idea we needed reservations, but we got in with no problem.The instructor was great. Really great time for everyone.

Holly was super helpful and we really enjoyed our stay. We rent camped on J1 (right behind the camp store) for one night and it had everything we needed and was convenient for unloading and reloading the car. J1 is a bit less private but I recommend it if you want a quick unload/pack up.

Had panic attack on zipline. Staff handled it so well. I want to go back and try again.

Treetop Quest is absolutely amazing. I went to conquer my fear of heights and this place did just that! The obstacles and zip lines were top notch and plentiful. The entire staff were phenomenal and always available. Money well spent. I couldnt imagine someone walking away from this disappointed.

Beautiful park, spent several hours hiking the trails and dipping our toes in the river. Plenty of parking and activities; people were tuning and kayaking down the river. Very peaceful place with lots to do!

It was really fun, had a great time. Fun obstacles, beautiful surroundings. Great location.

Beautiful lights, if have time its worth it.

Some of my family members and I attended the Illuminights at the Explore Park. The Park was staffed appropriately, and the attendants were very helpful. Then event was coordinated very well, and we all had a great experience. The lights display was awesome. I appreciated the event and enjoyed seeing the attention that was given to the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as the Explore Park. I recommend this event for families as well as adults who enjoy Christmas festivities.

Tree top walking, zip lines, camping rafting, and excellent staff.

Great views. Lots of things to do. Loved it

Our first time visiting the tree top quest and we had a blast. Definitely a good time for families or even a good idea for a date.

Should have been three stars. Price drops at 3pm during week we arrived at 2:55..charged full price. Tree top takes 2.5 hours to do. They close at 5pm. So I am disappointed they didnt offer reduced price. I would highly recommend this activity for any able person. Staff at the actual site very helpful and friendly. Should anyone with walking and or breathing problems want to watch their family member I would recommend they stay at the top very steep incline . Staff does offer to help.

Staff was fun and friendly. zip lines were top notch.

This place is great for quick, beginner trails that give you the deep woods feel. There are several small things to check out pretty close to the parking lots like the Grist Mill, several cabins, the Roanoke River with the Riverside trail that has a great view. Plenty of parking and campsites nearby. The trails arent graded but nothing is past an intermediate. Yellow has a 50yard stretch that is slightly tricky but other than that kids and people with mobility issues could take their time and be safe. Solo hikers should feel safe here as even the furthest trail would be within whistle distance. Free maps although I recommend snapping a pic with your cell too as a back up. Trails are well marked. Take away: its safe, Bike friendly and great for beginners!

Good hike and excellent xmas display here

Great trails, many activities. Loved it!

Visitors center was awesome...the roads need some work.

Historic buildings, glamping, mountain bike trails, treetop ropes course, and soon to open working historic tavern!

Beautiful scenery and great trails! They have a brew pub too!!!

Had a great time tent camping. Easy to social distance & staff was friendly & helpful, always wearing masks.

Great place for families! Lots of fun!

This place was AWESOME. I really didnt know what to expect when we showed up, but after a long day of hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it was the perfect spot to hang out at night. We stayed in a pod cabin (which was the best thing ever and incredibly clean), had a fire with firewood we bought on site, and such a nice meal at the restaurant on site. The experience was excellent and we cant wait to go back!

Iluminights event was awesome. Short and easy trail with lots of light decoration.

The people are great here great place to enjoy the outdoors camping and sometimes just being alone or being with the company and Friends and family

It was beautiful had a great time !!!

Went for Illuminights - very worth it even in the rain!

The park is huge with lots of trails and other activities, but the historical buildings are falling apart. Theyre all dilapidated and boarded up; the mill race flume is falling apart; the school seems ready to fall down. Other areas of the park seem well maintained but the Riverside Village needs some help soon.

Totally had a misunderstanding when we came here. We thought there would be so much to do to stay busy. But in this case. If you like bike trails and walking trails this is for you. That’s all there is to do.Kinda wished we waited until more activities come to this park. In my opinion this place isn’t for small kids. Since there is nothing to do what so ever.Being an adventure park you would think there would be sooo much to do. Like horseback riding, bungee jumping, rock climbing something.If you like being one with nature this is for you. Plus add a zip line or twoZip lining was awesome I’m not gonna lie. I’m scared of heights so I wanted to face it. The staff were very friendly and very informative. They will guide you through the process

We go to events here a few times a year. Always informative and fun. I did the Halloween ropes course. It was neat up there at night. Beautiful Christmas lights. Nature series is great and we always find something cool in the gift shop.

The guys who work here are great, fantastic people

Treetop Quest was a blast, and Im hoping to visit the rest of the park in the future! Gorgeous location

Good to go as always. Didnt see anyone

The owners of campgrounds are absolutely amazing. I am really enjoying my stay in this piece of heaven.

This place has a lot of trails, very nice for taking a long walk. It covers a huge area. Includes a visitor center, other buildings and even a restaurant & pub. Very nice place to visit.

The park was clean and well kept. Trails were nice and maintained with a good variety of hikes. Easy to get to off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you like beautiful scenic views, nature and fresh air, this is excellent.

Long lines, not everything is easy to access so to closures or lines, but a fun time

Awesome beautiful park and campground. The tavern has really good food.

Traveled out to this Roanoke Park for Illuminights, and it was well worth it! The lights were magical, and the store and vendors were well organized. Will be back to explore the park during the day!

Explore park has done a great job with unique events and community activities. The trails are great and the illumilights holiday event was very impressive.

My children had a great time at the Zip line and the staff was wonderful ️ we will be back when it is cooler.

Nice place with trails, zip lines, floating and more. A pain to get to if the Parkway is closed. It was closed today for no reason. Weather is perfect.

We took our children and grandchildren to Explore Park to see the Christmas lights. Our big mistake was taking the shuttle. We waited for 30 minutes to catch the shuttle, and the ride took 30 minutes. My son in law immediately took the shuttle back to the parking garage and drove it to Explore Park, where parking was plentiful. The lights were impressive, and the grandchildren loved the blowing snow. There were great photo opportunities. The price was okay- a little steep but no one seemed to have a problem paying the fees. I was thrilled to find indoor bathrooms in the visitors center. The food truck wanted $4 for hot chocolate, but the volunteer stand only charged $2. We will go back next year but skip the shuttle and food truck.

Had a great time with 5 Shades of Gray!!!

Loads of fun!! Kayaking is a must do here!

Had our wedding here in September! This venue is beautiful! Its simplistic and historical which gives the option of decorating it as much or little as possible. They provided golf carts the day of our wedding to get down to the church and back up to reception hall. It is a small venue and I do no recommend it if you are planning more than 100 people attending, but its great for smaller weddings. There is a bride room at the church to hide out in till the ceremony starts. They have a bridal suite and grooms suite with private bathrooms and a bigger getting ready room in the upstairs of the reception building. The layout of the building does make it somewhat difficult to fit more than 6 tables, but they provide maps and setup options to fit as many people as possible, which was incredibly helpful. They try very hard to be available for you to see the venue any time up to your wedding. Obviously they cant do this during weddings, but they were willing any other time.The one downside, that they cant help, is that the new treequest is along the way to the church and there were people there when we were about to start our ceremony. Not a huge deal, as the church is far enough away that you cant hear the people and is you have it in the evening, most of the people will be gone. Definitely just more of a heads up if thats important to you. They dont have anyone there to help setup or clean up, but a person was there till the event was over if we had questions and to make sure the trash was out and buildings were locked up. You get the venue from Friday to Sunday at a very reasonable price. We loved having our wedding here and they many sites for beautiful pictures (like the overlooks).

My daughter was married there. We could not have had a batter experience!! The staff was available and helpful, even beyond our expectations. The church was perfect and the hall was, too. Every person we dealt with was kind and considerate of our needs. What a wonderful time we had. Wed highly recommend this venue for the perfect wedding. It will always be a treasured place for us, and our family.

Wonderful! We met beautiful Deer, a smooth green snake and this lovely.

We came here to hike this time. The trails are very well maintained and there are portable restrooms

Lots of great trails and activities to do

The lights where so nice

This place was great. The owners are so nice and helpful. I did not realize that you can’t park at your camp site and we are a little “extra” with our glamping. They were more than happy to drive our gear into our site. Will be back very soon!

Kids and adults loved it. Great lights. Santa was wonderful, enjoyed roasting marshmallows. Parking was easy and although very busy, never felt rushed or crowded.

It was real nice nice scenery nice people did get a tick on me

Decent family hiking area, the people who work At the Park are extra helpful. Great place for some fly fishing

Great ziplining and obstacle courses especially if you are bringing kids.

Great i really enjoyed it

Went to Illuminights tonight and it was magical! It runs all of December and has carriage rides and Santas workshop before Christmas.

This place is amazing!!! What a GEM!

I attended their Christmas lights event. It was enjoyable and well organized.

Very fun, relaxing park that takes you just far enough off into the woods you feel like you are miles from everything. Lots to do here now too with camping, ropes, the river and of course lots to just explore.

Fabulous! Only experienced a portion of the park. Cant wait to go again!

Excellent place for excursions to the outdoors. Beautiful scenery and a quiet environment to enjoy camping while not leaving civilization too far behind. In the winter holidays the park has an illumilights event where they give a light show for the people who visit.

We Visited the holiday lights. Very cool. Get you into the holiday spirit. There are holiday ornaments, drinks and snacks available.

This park is gorgeous. I went to one of the outlooks to get my senior pictures taken and it was breath taking! Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, this park doesnt have a lot of traffic and looks amazing around sunset.

The Iluminights were amazing. The snow machines were an awesome touch! Had cider at the pub and shopped the Christmas market. Will definitely be visiting again

Less than a year old. Very clean. New feel. Yurt and cabins are very comfortable. Both campground owners are very hands on therefore well taken cared off. Park is gorgeous!

The lights were beautiful. The atmosphere was great. Very well organized. Great jobNeed bigger snow machines

Started are drive in Front Royal Virginia... beautiful scenery..with stops along the way to walk around and take pictures...loved it

Christmas light display is wonderful!

The lights were great, 1st class, terrific. Cant wait until next year! Telling all my friends not to miss it.

Great place to hike dog and kid-friendly