Hungry Mother State Park

Hungry Mother is a 3,334-acre Virginia State Park in Smyth County just north of the Marion.  One of Virginia's original six state parks, Hungry Mother features hiking trails, campgrounds and other accommodations and a 108-acre lake for water sports.  According to legend, the name comes from settler Molly Marley and her young daughter who were captured by Native Americans but managed to escape.  Lost in the woods, Molly eventually collapsed from exhaustion and her young daughter continued to find help.  When she was found, all she could utter was "Hungry Mother".

Contact Information:

2854 Park Boulevard

Marion, VA 24354

Phone: (276) 781-7400

Map:

Trails:

Lake Trail Loop:

Lake Trail Loop makes a 6-mile loop around the park lake.

Camping:

There are several campgrounds in the park with different amenities.

Royal Oak Campground:

Royal Oak is a small, tent-only campground with one yurt site.  The tent pads are elevated wooden platforms.

Wildlife:

Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

Star chickweed (Stellaria pubera)

Swordleaf phlox (Phlox buckleyi)

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Blog Entries:

08-Apr-2023: Rowland Creek Falls

07-Apr-2023: Virginia Creeper Trail in the Rain

External Links:

VA State Parks website: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/hungry-mother