For a park that has been a part of the Virginia State Parks system for more than 40 years and a working farm for more than 200 years, Sky Meadows State Park is keeping things fresh with some new upgrades to our trails and campground. Thanks to the youthful energy of the 2024 Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), we are proud to introduce the park’s newest trail, the Tribute Trail. Read on to learn about the trail and what else is new at the park.

I just want to stay on that lavender blaze.

Explore the 0.4-mile Tribute Trail, newly constructed in summer 2024 and just added to the updated trail guide. Follow the lavender blazes to stay on the new trail. From the historic rock wall spanning from Corporal Morgan Trail to Hadow Trail, the path began as an existing “Bluebird Trail” used by Virginia Master Naturalists bluebird monitors.

The historic rock wall with fall foliage along the new Tribute Trail.

You’ll see several bluebird nesting boxes along the trail, all maintained by volunteer bluebird monitors. As a multi-use trail, it is open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians. Features include a pedestrian crosswalk on Edmonds Lane and a wooden boardwalk over a wetland habitat.

The boardwalk on the Tribute Trail under construction.

Thank you, YCC class of 2024!

Ten Crew Members and three adult Crew Leaders were part of a residential program consisting of work projects and educational activities, along with local recreational adventures. They had fun and worked hard, leaving the park better than they found it with the addition of the Tribute Trail.

This project was the result of serious teamwork.

In their own words, this is what the YCC Crew Leaders had to say about the program:

For me, the YCC experience was awesome. The crew members were extremely bright, had such an inspiring work ethic, and were so eager to learn about state parks and nature. Their excitement for the workday and to simply be outside made our job of animating the YCC's mission - to connect Virginia's youth with the natural world through...service projects on public land - a lot easier. – Crew Leader Brandon Brown

It’s not all work and no play. The crew took fun field trips to local attractions such as this hike at Shenandoah River State Park.

The most rewarding part of this experience was seeing the crew members take in what they accomplished at the end of the week. All of their faces lit up with joy when we did the ribbon cutting and they all wanted to take their families for hikes on the trail after graduation. – Crew Leader Calvin Meyers

A newly constructed boardwalk traverses a lush wetland habitat on the Tribute Trail.

In working outdoors, there's no limit to what you can do for yourself and for others. One can learn new skills, like knowing trees by their bark, or which star is overhead, and push oneself to new abilities, like knowing how far one can hike, or learning how to enjoy the quiet of nature. The natural world is a map, a blueprint that tells us we can do things we might not know we could do otherwise, and in doing so, we learn about both ourselves and our world. – Crew Leader Liam Fanning

The 2024 Sky Meadows YCC crew proudly cutting the ribbon on the new trail they built.

Finally, it was time to pick a name for the newly built trail. After some discussion and voting by park management; “Tribute Trail” was chosen to honor the enslaved community who once resided on Mount Bleak Farm, the historic farm that became Sky Meadows State Park. The name serves as a reminder of people who lived and worked here, whose own names and stories are tragically lost to history. It acknowledges that this place holds a variety of memories, even painful ones that have been historically ignored.

YCC crew members enjoy a beautiful sunset, one of the job perks at Sky Meadows.

What else is new?

During the short two weeks of the YCC program, the team not only built the park’s newest trail, but also broke ground on what would become the park’s newest campsite. Just added to the Sky Meadows State Park campsite reservation system, is a brand-new Buddy Site.

The new Buddy Site is perfect for two families or a small group of up to 12 people.

The Buddy Site includes two tent pads and is ideal for two families camping together. This exciting new amenity at the primitive campground, was also made possible by the dedication and stamina of the YCC work crew.

Be a part of the team, a part of park history, and leave your mark.

There are numerous ways to leave a legacy at the park. Young people are especially poised to inherit the responsibilities of stewardship and management of our public lands. Here at Sky Meadows State Park, we have benefited from the enthusiastic involvement of not just YCC workers, but scouting troops and other partnering organizations who bring talented people to us.

Recent upgrades to Corporal Morgan Trail include this gravel path and bench thanks to an Eagle Scout project.

Young people involved in scouting, church or school community service can fulfill volunteer requirements by becoming a park volunteer. Opportunities abound, for volunteers of all ages and interests.

Volunteer roles include acting as a living history docent for historic house tours, getting your hands dirty doing trail work with our Trailblazers, and helping to educate the public during astronomy programs on the importance of dark sky conservation.

Are you ready to explore these opportunities and more? 2025 Youth Conservation Corps applications are open now for both crew members and crew leaders. High schoolers can apply to be a Crew Member here. Adults interested in working as a Crew Leader can apply here.

For more information on volunteering at Sky Meadows State Park, call the park or email skvolunteer@dcr.virginia.gov. Interested in a career with Virginia State Parks? Check out our job openings and start your application today.