Virginia's Once-Historic Farm Is Now A Picturesque State Park Filled With Mountain Trails And Fishing Spots

At Virginia's far-western edge, near the West Virginia border, Hayfields State Park sits in the folds of the Allegheny Mountains. It's one of the newer additions to Virginia's state park network, opened in October of 2025, per the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The park has a high elevation, with rolling mountain pastures and the Bullpasture River flowing through it. Hikers can come for the trails that skirt the river and snake along the hills with expansive views of the surrounding summits, while anglers can come for trout fishing in the river.

The land that makes up Hayfields State Park, spanning over 1,000 acres, was historically farmland. According to International Parks, immigrants from the British Isles and Germany began to set up farms around the mid-1700s in the area. The pastures of Hayfields State Park are a reflection of the land that was tilled over centuries for its use as a farm that made hay, as Blue Ridge Country reports. Some of those pastures are still, in fact, in use by local farmers. A couple of historic structures remain from its early agricultural days, too. The park's office is located in a farmhouse from the 1800s, with a barn next to it. There's also a cabin from the 1840s remaining on the park's western side. Today, the farmland and old structures double as a scenic setting for a hiking and fishing day trip.

One of Hayfields State Park's natural advantages is its location in Highland County, an area nicknamed the "Little Switzerland" of Virginia. The county harbors such quaint towns as Monterey, famed for its maple syrup, but it is otherwise very rural, being Virginia's least-populous county, as confirmed by World Population Review data. Two mountains flank the park: Bullpasture and Jack Mountains. Thanks to its wide, cleared pastureland, the park has unobstructed views across its surrounding mountain slopes.

Hikers have four designated routes they can take through Hayfields State Park, as outlined by the park's trail guide. The park classifies two as easy; the other two are moderate in difficulty. A short, easy option is the River Loop Trail, measuring just under a mile. It partly traces the Bullpasture River, passing a truss bridge along the way. You might spot ospreys and ducks resting by the water. For a longer, scenic option, you might want to do the Eagle's Rest Trail, since it climbs to an overlook. It's slightly longer than a mile and with more elevation gain, but the trail guide notes that even with a "moderate" designation, at least 60% of the trail is flat. Hikers interested in wandering into the mountain woods can take on the Laurel Loop Trail. Also a moderately difficult trail and a mile long, it leads into a forest made up of hardwoods like oaks and maples as well as mountain laurels. Lastly, the Bear Pond Trail is an easy 1-mile loop that weaves between woods and pastures.

About a mile of the Bullpasture River runs through Hayfields State Park — that's good news for fishers, as it's a well-known source for trout fly fishing. The river is stocked from October through May with catchable trout. The most common species logged at the river by Fishbrain users are rainbow, tiger, and brown trout. Visitors are welcome to fish anywhere along the river in the park, so long as they have a freshwater fishing license and trout stamp, as the Virginia DNR notes. Visitors looking for more fishing opportunities can drive about 1.5 hours, crossing the border into West Virginia's Pocahontas County with top fishing spots and scenic falls.

If you're looking for more information about fishing or the park in general, you can stop at the farmhouse-turned-office. A couple of reviewers commended the rangers on-site for being helpful. There's a parking lot near the park office, too. Travelers flying into the area will likely make about a two-hour drive from the Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport. As of this writing, only portable toilets are available at the park.

Some features may be added in the coming years — the Virginia DNR website says more trails are being developed, and ideas have been put forward about opening it to nighttime dark-sky visitors, according to Blue Ridge Country. For now, visitors can explore Hayfields State Park from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and there's always more outdoor adventure available in Hot Springs, a town tucked in the mountains about 45 minutes away by car.