Who We Are
The focus of Friends of Seven Bends State Park is to support and advocate for the educational and recreational use of the park for all.
Friends of Seven Bends State Park operates as a branch of Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.
How We Came to Be
Friends of Seven Bends State Park was originally a committee of Friends of the North Fork, which has been working since 1988 to keep the North Fork of the Shenandoah River clean, healthy, and beautiful.
Before Seven Bends State Park opened to the public, Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River (FNFSR) offered support to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation in park planning and development. As work on the park progressed, public interest grew and people wanted to help. The informal group of volunteers and interested citizens became a committee under the umbrella of FNFSR and eventually organized as Friends of Seven Bends State Park.
The park itself experienced delays in opening. Construction was held up by the need for bridge reinforcements at a river crossing, and even by flooding of the river itself. As the date for the grand opening of the park finally grew near, the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of all ceremonies. Still, the gates opened to the public and the park became popular in spite of the lack of fanfare.
The pandemic also forced cancellation of public meetings and many events. Fortunately, a group of volunteers had already agreed to work as a steering committee for the Friends of Seven Bends State Park, and continued to meet virtually on a monthly basis.
Friends of Seven Bends State Park welcomes your support. Volunteers are involved in clearing trails, building bird houses, planning programs, and more.
Gaining Access to the Park
Location: “The park is in east-central Shenandoah County, a few miles from Historic Downtown Woodstock. It’s about 35 miles southwest of Winchester and 40 miles northeast of Harrisonburg. The park has two access sites. For the south site, take Exit 283 off of I-81 for Woodstock, then go east on VA-42, W. Reservoir Road. Turn right onto S. Hollingsworth Road and remain on it for 1 mile. For the north site, take Exit 283 off of I-81 for Woodstock, then go east on VA-42, W. Reservoir Road. Turn left onto S. Water Street, turn right onto Hollingsworth Road, then turn right onto on Lupton Road and remain on it for .7 mi.” (Information from Virginia State Parks, 2020)
Trail Guide and Seven Bends State Park Map
Friends of Seven Bends State Park Meeting Information
Open virtual meetings of FSBSP will be held every other month on the first Wednesday at 5:30pm via Zoom. The next Open Meeting will be Wednesday, April 7 at 5:30pm. These meetings are led by Juli Bowers, a dedicated FSBSP volunteer and Virginia Master Naturalist.
Questions? Email [email protected]
Past Open Meeting Minutes
February 3, 2021 Open Meeting Minutes
Friends of Seven Bends State Park Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 540-459-8550
Park Contact Information
Address: 2111 South Hollingsworth Road, Woodstock, VA 22664
Phone: 540-622-6840; park does not have a ranger station or office so direct questions to 1-800-933-PARK.
Park website and park alerts/current “Know Before You Go”: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/seven-bends
Park email: [email protected]
Hours: The park is open daily from 6 a.m. – dusk.
Links
Donate to Friends of Seven Bends State Park
Volunteer with Friends of Seven Bends State Park
News at Friends of Seven Bends State Park