Seven Bends State Park

About this route

Seven Bends State Park is a 1,052-acre day-use park on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River just outside Woodstock, in Shenandoah County. Virginia DCR runs it from two separate access sites: Hollingsworth, at 2111 S. Hollingsworth Road on the south end, and Lupton, at 1191 Lupton Road on the north. DCR publishes turn-by-turn driving directions between the two entrances. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk, which DCR defines as 30 minutes after sunset. There are no cabins and no camping, and DCR states the park has no contact station or visitor center; the park office is at 147 N. Main Street in Woodstock and is by appointment only.

DCR lists nine miles of hiking and biking trails. Just over two miles of trail lie along the "seven bends" of the North Fork, and the remaining trails run on the western slope of Powell Mountain, part of the Massanutten Mountain Range. The official trail guide names eight blazed routes - Bass Bight (0.6 miles), Eagles Edge (0.6), Gokotta (1.2), Pawpaw Hollow (1.0), Reservoir (1.7), River Bend Rise (1.6), Stonecrop Ridge (1.1) and Talus (0.5) - each marked for both hiking and biking, plus two gravel road segments listed in the same table, Lupton Road (1.33 miles) and S. Hollingsworth Road (0.4). Talus Trail terminates into the Massanutten Trail on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. DCR does not publish elevation gain for any of these trails and does not describe the tread surface of the eight blazed routes, so there is no published basis for weighing the riverside mileage against the mountain-slope mileage before you get there.

Plan around what the park does not list. DCR names vault restrooms among the park's facilities, and neither the park page nor the trail guide mentions drinking water at either access, so carry your own. A parking fee is charged year-round at all Virginia State Parks; the trail guide points visitors to self-pay parking information at the contact station, while the park page states there is no contact station, so confirm the rate and the payment method with DCR before you go. Both approach roads are local roads as classified by VDOT, are not lined, and each contains a single-lane low water bridge crossing, which DCR flags as a reason to think twice about large vehicles or trailers. The park is made up of multiple parcels surrounded by private property, and DCR asks visitors to stay on Virginia State Parks property at all times. Hand-carry launches for canoes and kayaks sit at both access sites, but there is no designated swimming area - DCR calls swimming here hazardous because of swift currents, sudden drop-offs and unseen obstructions - and two dams are close by, Chapmans 2.5 river miles above the Hollingsworth Access and Burnshire 3.5 river miles below Lupton. Note that DCR's two official sources disagree on the float between the launches: the park page gives approximately 3 river miles and 1-2 hours, the trail guide gives 2 miles.

Why this difficulty rating: DCR prints an easy / moderate / difficult scale with written definitions in the official trail guide, and the guide's trail table has a Difficulty column, but the per-trail ratings appear only as symbol glyphs read against a legend - they are not published as text anywhere in either official source. No single rating would fairly cover a nine-mile network spanning both riverside trail and the western slope of Powell Mountain, so none is assigned here. Check the Difficulty column of the official trail guide for the rating on the specific trail you plan to use.

Highlights

• Nine miles of hiking and biking trails across a 1,052-acre day-use park
• Just over two miles of trail along the "seven bends" of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River
• Talus Trail terminates into the Massanutten Trail on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest
• Eight named, blazed trails from 0.5 to 1.7 miles, each marked in the official trail guide for hiking and biking
• Hand-carry boat launches suitable for canoes and kayaks at both access sites
• Contactless kayak rentals at the Hollingsworth Access; DCR states you can only reserve a kayak one week in advance
• Picnic shelter and picnic pads reached by crushed stone paths, with wheelchair-accessible picnic tables

Map and trailheads

Approximate locations for orientation only. Carry an offline map — cell service is unreliable on much of this network.

Know before you go

Route type

Network

Surfaces

Not yet verified

Setting

River, Mountain, Park

Amenities

Parking, Restrooms, Picnic facilities

Parking

Two access sites, each with parking: Hollingsworth Access, 2111 S. Hollingsworth Rd., Woodstock, VA 22664 (south) and Lupton Access, 1191 Lupton Rd., Woodstock, VA 22664 (north). DCR requires all vehicles to be parked in designated areas. DCR publishes turn-by-turn driving directions from the Hollingsworth entrance to the Lupton entrance: north on S. Hollingsworth Rd./SR 609 for 1.5 miles, left onto E. Reservoir Rd./SR 670 for 0.6 miles, right onto S. Water Dr. for 0.7 miles, right on Hollingsworth Rd. for 0.4 miles, straight onto Lupton Rd./SR 667, then after 0.2 miles right to stay on Lupton Rd. for 0.7 miles. Both approach roads include a single-lane low water bridge crossing.

Restrooms

DCR lists vault restrooms among the park's facilities and states that day-use restrooms are accessible. Check the official trail guide map for restroom locations at the two access sites.

Water

Neither the DCR park page nor the official trail guide lists drinking water or a water fountain at either access site. Plan to carry all the water you need.

Fees

The official trail guide states that a parking fee is charged year-round at all Virginia State Parks, and the park page's "At a Glance" pictographs list a parking fee for this park. DCR does not publish the dollar amount on the Seven Bends page; it links to a general park fees page. Note that the trail guide says self-pay parking information is available at the contact station, while the park page states the park has no contact station or visitor center - confirm the current rate and the payment method with DCR before visiting.

Permits

A Virginia freshwater fishing license is required to fish. A Special Use Permit is required for all group events involving amplified sound, catering, equipment rentals or vendor deliveries. Collecting animal or plant life is allowed only for scientific purposes by permit from DCR's Richmond headquarters. Drones, other unmanned aerial vehicles including remote control aircraft, and aircraft in general may not be flown in state parks pursuant to 4VAC5-30-400.

Hours

Open daily 6 a.m. to dusk, which DCR defines as 30 minutes after sunset. Day-use only - DCR lists no cabins and no camping.

Dogs

Dogs allowed on leash

Accessibility

DCR states the picnic shelter and picnic pads are accessible via crushed stone paths and have wheelchair-accessible picnic tables, and that day-use restrooms are also accessible. Motorized vehicles are not permitted on park trails, but electric wheelchairs and electric scooters meeting the federal definition for wheelchairs are allowed so people with disabilities can use the trails. DCR publishes no grade or tread specifications for the eight blazed trails, so there is no official basis for judging them for wheeled access.

Stroller friendly

Not yet verified

Good with kids

Not yet verified

Seasonal notes

DCR publishes a single daily schedule, 6 a.m. to dusk, and does not list separate seasonal hours. The trail guide notes the parking fee is charged year-round at all Virginia State Parks. Nature and history programs are seasonal, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Contactless kayak rentals are offered at the Hollingsworth Access, reserved through the state parks reservation system; DCR states you can only reserve a kayak one week in advance. The park operates a merchandise trailer periodically throughout the year.

Weather exposure

Not yet verified

Cell service

Not yet verified

Emergency

Not yet verified

Hazards and wildlife

• No designated swimming areas: DCR describes swimming here as hazardous because of swift currents, sudden drop-offs and unseen obstructions
• Two dams on the North Fork near the park - Chapmans dam 2.5 river miles upstream of the Hollingsworth Access, Burnshire dam 3.5 river miles downstream of the Lupton Access. There is no public access at either dam, though portage around them is permitted
• S. Hollingsworth Rd. and Lupton Rd. are both local roads as classified by VDOT, are not lined, and each contains a single-lane low water bridge crossing; DCR advises taking this into consideration before bringing large vehicles or trailers
• The park consists of multiple parcels surrounded by private property; DCR asks visitors to stay on Virginia State Parks property at all times
• All eight blazed trails are marked for both hiking and biking in the official trail guide table; no foot-only route is listed
• DCR's two official sources give different river distances between the two launches - approximately 3 river miles on the park page, 2 miles in the trail guide. Plan a paddle on the longer figure and DCR's published 1-2 hour float time

DCR posts no species-specific wildlife advisory for this park. General state park rules in the official trail guide apply: do not feed any wild animals, and do not cut or mar any plants or trees. Collecting animal or plant life is permitted only for scientific purposes under permit.

Read the Virginia wildlife and safety guide