Staunton River State Park, Virginia

Roots run deep at Staunton River State Park where plantations once dotted the landscape and the Staunton River was a major tobacco trading route. Destroyed during the Civil War, the Civilian Conservation Corps took over the land in 1933 and many of the facilities they built still stand today. This historic yet modern park sits on Buggs Island Lake, the largest lake in Virginia and has an olympic sized swimming pool for those who suffer from aquamonstrumphobia (fear of the swamp monster). The livin’ is easy and the water is just right for a true southern experience at its finest.