The Commonwealth of Virginia has a spectrum of skateparks, from large parks with high budgets and designs that draw attention from the action sports community across the Mid-Atlantic to smaller DIY skateparks.
History of Skateparks in Virginia It is hard to provide an exact number of skateparks that exist in Virginia, as skateparks in Virginia have taken many forms of development. As action sports (specifically skateboarding) exploded in popularity in the mid-1990s, enthusiasts didn't wait for the approval and financial support of their cities and counties. Do-it-yourself affairs led the charge of some of the first skateparks in many municipalities. However, even as communities have developed more public skateparks, building DIY skateparks has remained a significant aspect of the culture in the Virginia action sports community, it is not uncommon for areas to have multiple government-funded, public skateparks and DIY skateparks within the same areas. The City of Richmond is a great example of this, as there are multiple public skateparks in the area; in addition, the DIY affairs of the action sports community became so popular that Richmond Parks and Recreation gave land to the Richmond Area Skateboard Alliance to pursue the legal development of a DIY skatepark in the Texas Beach area of the city.
A few of the newest publicly funded skateparks throughout Virginia boast modern design techniques and the sheer acreage to make them noteworthy on an international scale. The Charlottesville Skatepark, the Woodstock Skatepark in Virginia Beach, and the Powhatan Springs Skate Park in Arlington, VA are a few of these contemporary skateparks that sit at the top of the list for anyone looking to explore the skateparks of Virginia.
According to USA Today, one can skate "any season of the year at several indoor and outdoor parks across Virginia with a wide range of elements and levels of difficulty." Indoor skateparks have been an extremely significant development for action sports enthusiasts. Virginia's climate invariably presents weather that can hinder people's ability to enjoy outdoor skateparks consistently throughout the year. The humid, hot days of summer, the frigid temperatures of winter, and the rainy periods that come and go all present obstacles for those looking to progress their skills. Throughout the 2010s, many of the indoor skateparks closed. As of 2021, Liberty Mountain Skatepark in Lynchburg, Virginia and Mekos Skatepark in Hampton, Virginia are the only two public indoor facilities that are still operating.
Virginia Skate Park Directory SkateparkImageDatesLocationCity, StateNotesAshland Skatepark2004 openedPufferbelly Park 37.757433°N 77.473196°WAshlandModular RampsBedford SkateparkFalling Creek Rd. 37.312910°N 79.503928°WBedfordConcreteBrown Park7461 Foster Road Gloucester, VA 23061GloucesterWooden halfpipe, concrete street sectionBlacksburg Skatepark725 Patrick Henry Dr. 37.241902°N 80.410594°WBlacksburgConcretePowhatan Springs Skatepark6020 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205ArlingtonConcreteDulles South Skatepark24950 Riding Center Dr. 38.921631°N 77.526287°WChantilly5,600 square feet (520 m2)Charlottesville Skatepark38.044745°N 78.477423°WCharlottesvilleConcreteChesapeake Skatepark36.751885°N 76.230201°WChesapeakeBlend of modular ramps and concrete featuresChristiansburg Skatepark569 N. Franklin St. 37.137361°N 80.413312°WChristiansburg, VirginiaBlend of modular ramps and concrete featuresFort Belvoir Skatepark38.694534°N 77.141497°WFort BelvoirModular rampsLaurel Skatepark37.644071°N 77.508550°WGlen AllenModular rampsGBS Skatepark760 Main ST. Edgehill shopping centerGloucesterModular rampsWoodland Skatepark37.026560°N 76.324537°WHamptonMetal modular rampsHerndon's Skatepark38.978288°N 77.398188°WHerndon, VirginiaConcreteHopewell Skatepark1022 Crestview Drive 37.300790°N 77.289604°WHopewellModular rampsCactonin Circle Skatepark39.106884°N 77.559263°WLeesburgConcreteRotary Centennial Riverfront Skatepark29 9th St. 37.417171°N 79.141032°WLynchburgMostly concrete with wooden mini ramp, and modular rampsLiberty Mountain Skatepark3700 Candlers Mountain Rd.LynchburgIndoor, wooden rampsNorthside Skatepark8401 Tidewater DriveNorfolkConcreteMekos Skatepark3420 Von Schilling Dr, Hampton, VA 23666NorfolkIndoor skatepark, wooden rampsCarter Jones Skatepark 2013 opened2813 Bainbridge Street 37.516519°N 77.460169°WRichmondOpen 24 hours year-round; aka Fonticello Skate Park. ConcreteTexas Beach Skatepark 2018 opened37.532143°N 77.468639°WRichmondDIY; open 24 hours. ConcreteRVA South Side SkateparkOld Carnation St. 37.499012°N 77.511927°WRichmondWooden ramps now removed, fully renovated with concrete, modern design.Rocky Mount Skatepark37.014112°N 79.894679°WRocky MountMetal modular rampsMoyer Skatepark37.281781°N 80.057292°WSalemArray of concrete, wooden, and metal features.Wakefield Park Skatepark38.817580°N 77.224438°WAnnandaleTwo separate skate parks. One is of modular ramps, the other is new concrete.Williams Farm Skatepark5269 Learning Circle 36.864023°N 76.159463°WVirginia Beach25,000 square feet (2,300 m2). Concrete.Woodstock Skate Plaza5709 Providence Road 36.812162°N 76.193230°WVirginia Beach10,400 square feet (970 m2). Concrete.Mount Trashmore Skatepark310 Edwin Dr. 36.830833°N 76.120424°WVirginia Beach24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) Modular ramps.WRV Skatepark1900 Cypress AveVirginia BeachWooden features on asphalt ground.Warrenton Skatepark800 Waterloo Road 38.718844°N 77.819294°WWarrentonModular rampsJames City County SkateparkLonghill Rd. 37.296587°N 76.738043°WWilliamsburgOld concreteScott D. Eagles Memorial Skatepark38.641294°N 77.249846°W 14300 Featherstone Rd.WoodbridgeConcreteLake Fairfax Skatepark1400 Lake Fairfax DrRestonConcreteSchuyler Hamilton Jones Skatepark3540 Wheeler AveAlexandriaWooden modular rampsFront Royal Skatepark100 Kerfoot AveFront RoyalConcreteLuray Skatepark625 6th StLurayModular rampsHawksbill Skatepark178 Karl Jenkins AveStanleyConcreteWestover Skatepark305 S Dogwood Dr,HarrisonburgModular rampsStanton Skatepark10660 Western AveStantonWell kept modular rampsYowell Meadow Park230 W Piedmont StCulpeperConcreteJ. Frank Wilson Memorial Park502 E Church StMartinsvilleMetal modular rampsPole Green Skatepark8813 Pole Green Park LnMechanicsvilleModular rampsBath County Skatepark65 Panther Dr,Hot SpringsModular rampsClifton Forge Skatepark1062 Vulcan Ave #814Clifton ForgeWooden modular ramps
See also List of skateparks (world-wide)
References