Westmoreland State Park

Westmoreland is a secluded and a bit off the beaten path state park in Montross, VA. A simple drive from the turn off of Kings Highway (Rte 3) into the parks entrance is entrancingly beautiful, requiring a closer look. The main road through the park divides and joins back together a few times, creating a narrow road wrapped in trees and other foliage. 

• The Facilities
• The Camp Store and Visitors Center Area
• The Main Shoreline
• Trails
• Beach Trail
• Great Meadows Trail and Fossil Beach
• In conclusion

The Facilities

We stayed in Campground B, but there’s two others (A and C) with slightly varied sites from campground to campground.  Check in for tent and RV campers is 4pm and check out is technically 1pm, but I saw others come and set up at 1pm Sunday and it didn’t seem to be a problem.

Camp A has (reportedly, we didn’t check it out) a coin laundry and some cabins as well as a variety of other sites. Camp B seems to be a mixture of mostly electric/water and non electric. Camp C seems to have the highest concentration of standard sites. We were on a standard site (B41- which upon arrival was labeled “WE-41”. I can’t make sense of this because the only thing I can think that it would stand for is water/electric which isn’t included on standard sites). The sites are a decent size and reasonably spaced, with plenty of trees for hanging hammocks.

You aren’t permitted to have anything parked/set up outside the gravel boxes designed for parking and staking tents. This poor park seems to be plagued by erosion issues (and probably underfunding in general while trying to fix related erosion issues) so they’re pretty specific to make sure you’re doing your part to avoid contributing to those problems. 

As of 2022 there’s cliffside (re)construction near the visitors center, an observation tower near Fossil Beach is closed, a lodge is closed and the pool is closed all citing erosion related issues. I’d imagine, judging by the way the cliffside construction has come along during multiple day-visits this year, most of the park funding is going to making sure that cliff doesn’t fall into the Potomac and everything else is backburnered.  Having that said, these amenities being closed or not, it doesn’t detract from the overall beauty and serenity of the park.

So I’m eating my words a bit in regards to the bathrooms and what I said last month about Ohiopyle’s bathhouse being a bit “meh” in contrast to Virginia State Parks. The last three Virginia State Parks I’ve visited have put the Ohiopyle bathhouses to shame. I take it back, and formally apologize to Ohiopyle Bathhouse.

While again, restrooms are just places we go to do shit no one cares to know about – I do like to note how well kept they are. 
Campground B, at least, has a bathroom in need of a bit more careful cleaning and updating. (And by updating I mean paint is coming off the walls in a way that probably creates a bit of unsanitary mildew growth. I could care less about dated paint choices). Nothing crazy, nothing fancy. The lady’s far-end shower stall has the nicer head and trickier faucet- but that door locks! The closer one (of two) doesn’t lock which is fun (and seems like an easy fix for maintenance) and you have to kind of jam the once-locking mechanism against the frame itself and throw a shirt over the door as a sign of “occupied”. The showers themselves definitely scream “wear sandals in me”, but the curtains are clean!

The dishwashing sink is dope! Lots of space, but not as sanitary as some simply due to the wooden, unsealed countertop. But hell…I’m fine with the spacious dishwashing area. I’d otherwise be doing it in tubs at camp. It also has a plethora of outlets. If you wanted to trust society and charge your phone at the outlets alongside the spacious dishwashing area, there’s at least two there and more inside the restrooms themselves. 

The Camp Store and Visitors Center Area

Within walking distance of, in my opinion, pretty much all campsites (so less than 0.5 miles) is the camp store. Perhaps I’m over-impressed but I loved this place! Yes, overpriced firewood at $8/bundle currently (with a sign apologizing for rising costs) but it’s also conveniently got ice ($3), a plethora of snacks and ice cream, some picnic tables, some souvenirs (magnets, shirts, etc.) and some of the basics of camping supplies (s’mores stuff, camp chairs, etc.). They also have Wifi so if you’re so inclined to sit your ass out front and bring a laptop, you can. 

Slightly further down the road (like 1/10th of a mile- don’t go grab your car keys) there’s a nice playground, a rentable “hall” for events, and the visitors center has some nice educational displays and a few small items for sale (as well as a public restroom that’s open 24 hours). There’s also a discovery center that I always seem to screw up and miss open hours for. 

The Main Shoreline

The “main” shoreline (the one you can drive up to) has a beautiful view of the Potomac and the cliffs further south. Boat rentals are a bargain at $16/hour and while the website says there’s no designated swimming area, there is a large  area where it’s acceptable, per park officials, to wade, swim, or Kayak up to the park boundary (which is marked by buoy lines).

Paddlers under 12 “must be accompanied by an adult” and paddlers under age 4 aren’t permitted. Though, it’s worth noting, I do have a vest for my toddler and if I had brought it I have a hunch the guy at the desk wouldn’t have given two shits if I brought him. Do with that information what you will. I was slightly bummed I didn’t bring his vest. 

Kayaking here is a breeze as there’s not much of a current. The allowed area is from what used to be a pier/gazebo and now is home to Seagulls, all the way down to the edge of what you’d see on the north side of Fossil Beach (covered below). This will make sense if you’ve visited the park before. If not, just for an idea of general size, that’s about a mile of shoreline and about 500 feet directly out into the Potomac. Plenty of calm space for inexperienced paddlers, and plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the air.  

I love the picnic area, the nice beach, the pier, and turns out there’s an osprey nest and a seagull nest within about 30 feet of each other. 

Trails

If I add up all the trail lengths I’m getting about 6.5 miles. One of these trails is a fit-trail  with some fitness equipment which is quite nicely maintained. There’s a plethora of other relatively short trails but two notable ones: Beach  Trail  and Great Meadows Trail to Fossil Beach. 

Beach Trail

Great Meadows Trail and Fossil Beach

 
Great Meadows will take you down to Fossil Beach which is a favorite, for sure. The shoreline is striking, and there are, per the name,  fossils to be found everywhere.

This is also a good place to wade and splash around for kids. Again, I did ask if this was okay and according to staff -yes it’s permitted. I bring this up again as someone on Facebook once got a little touchy about me letting my kids “swim in the Potomac”. According to this individual, it’s illegal to wade or swim north of a undisclosed point, and my children being in the water clearly offended his royal highness as we were “beyond this point”.  I realize this is true depending on the location – but here, per park officials, you’re fine. And the main beach is clearly designed with this in mind. 

However, be aware that apparently this is like a destination vacation for jellyfish during certain points of the year. Last year (2021) they were EVERYWHERE when I visited in June, and now August (2022) the following year there’s still some residual jellies just floating about.  I assume they come at similar times each year so I was surprised there were any left.

The evening sky never disappoints here, nor do moody summer storms.  The wind and the waters come together and grip you, demanding your full attention.

Conclusion

Whether it’s water sports, or just a general secluded forest adventure, Westmoreland is a fantastic place for a solo getaway or a getaway for the entire family. Reserve your campsite with Virginia State Parks here.