Pocahontas State Park offers mountain biking, boating, picnicking, camping, cabins, hiking, and nature and history programs. The Aquatic Center offers seasonal water-based activities for the entire family. Rowboats, paddleboats, kayaks, paddleboards and canoes may be rented at the boathouse on the 225-acre Swift Creek Lake during the summer. Two of the park’s three lakes offer fishing for crappie, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, warmouth bass, bluegill and catfish. The park has more than 80 miles of trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. The Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, dedicated to the Depression-era workers who helped build the state park system, is one of a handful in the nation.

The park is one of Virginia’s more popular state parks and its largest with 7,950 acres. Swift Creek Lake and Beaver Lake give visitors a chance for excellent wildlife viewing and fishing. The park offers five miles of hiking trails around Beaver Lake, a five mile bicycle trail and a trail accessible for persons with disabilities. In addition, numerous trails accessible to hikers and bicyclists wind through the surrounding woodlands. There are also approximately 10 miles of bridle trails. The park also has several single-track mountain bike trails ranging from easy to expert levels. Richmond and central Virginia may become a major mountain biking destination, as Pocahontas State Park becomes an IMBA Ride Center.

The Heritage Amphitheater holds up to 4,000 and is perfect for concerts, stage performances and other large gatherings. The outdoor amphitheater has bench seating for up to 350, and additional spectators take seats on a gentle, grassy slope. The area has an elevated stage with backdrop, restrooms, walkways, a concession stand and a ticket booth. Vendors set up booths, displays and have activities in an adjacent wooded area.

In the woods the Algonquian Ecology Camp and Swift Creek Camp offer accommodations for groups wanting to camp together. The lodge has a fireplace, an outdoor pit grill, electricity and running water. Each building has screened windows and a campfire ring for cooking.