The Best Water-Based Locations for Engagement Photos in Virginia

Virginia is known for its vistas in places like Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains, but it also boasts lakes, rivers, watersheds and coastal shorelines. 

Interested in Mountain Views instead? Check out this round-up. 

So if waterside (or on the water) photos are more your style than mountains, this article is for you! 

Before we explore locations, here are a few ideas for what to do during your water-related engagement photos. 

• Go fishing together

• Take a trip down the river in a canoe or kayak 

• Put on your most elegant outfits and stroll along a boardwalk or waterside path

• Go tubing in the summer, stop at a rope swing, and splash and play together 

• Have a picnic on the beach

• Go paddleboarding 

• Rent a pontoon boat and drink beer and enjoy yourselves

• Go sailing on the Chesapeake Bay 

Engagement photos can be something as simple as putting on a dress or nice slacks and just walking around together, enjoying the environment and each other. Or they can capture your relationship doing what you love to do. There are no rules for what your session has to look like! 

Ok, locations.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls almost merit their own separate blog post, but I’ll try to cover a few of the best ones briefly. 

White Oak

White Oak in Shenandoah National Park is one of my favorite waterfall hikes because you can swim at the base of the waterfalls in the summer and even hike up to a natural waterslide. 

This is an incredibly popular hike, soI recommend it for weekday experiences only and, even then, we should get there as early as we can!

Dark Hollow

Dark Hollow may be THE most popular hike in Shenandoah National Park. It’s about .7 miles down to the base of the waterfall via the main route (for a more leisurely walk, you can take the fire road down). As with White Oak, arriving early on weekdays offers the best opportunity for privacy.

This is the shortest hike on this list for accessing waterfall views.  

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls is just outside of Blacksburg, part of the small town of Pembroke. It’s a two-mile moderate hike to the waterfall (four miles roundtrip) to reach one of the biggest and most impressive falls in Virginia. In the summer, you can swim at the base of the falls. There are multiple viewing platforms for picnics between dips. 

St. Mary’s Falls 

St. Mary’s Falls calls for a 4.3 mile roundtrip hike, but it’s worth it to the swim at the base of this beautiful waterfall. This is a hike I’d recommend for summer, as you must make multiple river crossings to access it and water levels can get quite high after lots of rain, which typically occurs in the spring and fall. It is probably the least trafficked hike on this list and is a good choice if you are looking more for a “hidden gem” waterfall. 

Crabtree

Crabtree is the highest vertical drop waterfall east of the Mississippi River. While you can’t swim at the base of the falls here (and there are actually deaths that happen every few years from people leaving the path and falling), you can wade in the Tye River nearby. There is also a beautiful bridge and, should you choose to hike to the summit, you can look over top of the falls into the valley below. This is an extremely popular hike and one that is definitely worth doing on a weekday in the morning. 

State Parks with Water Access

Many of Virginia’s state parks offer water access of some kind — lakes, rivers, streams, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. What you choose will depend largely on where you are based (how much of a drive you are willing to do) and what kind of a vibe you are going for!

Here are five of my top recommendations. For all of them (except Hungry Mother), you’re looking at a 2-3 hour drive from Charlottesville (which is where I’m based). 

Smith Mountain and Hungry Mother are both in southwestern Virginia and are an easy drive from Roanoke. York River, First Landing and Kiptopeke are all on the eastern shore and are closest to Richmond. 

Northern Virginia and DC folks will be looking at a bit of a drive to all of these locations and may want to plan for a long, romantic weekend away to visit one! (Or skip this section entirely.)

Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Distance to closest entrance

From Charlottesville: 2 hr 20 min

From Richmond: 3 hr 10 min

From DC: 4 hr 40 min

From Roanoke: 50 min

I kind of associate Smith Mountain Lake with pontoon boats, motor boats and jet skis, because it is a popular local weekend getaway spot to get on the water and enjoy motor-propelled water fun. 

There is also a beach, trails and more than 550 miles of shoreline. 

This would be a great location to rent whatever boat suits your fancy and drink beer while listening to music and watching the sun go down.

York River State Park

Distance to closest entrance

From Charlottesville: 1 hr 45 min

From Richmond: 45 min

From DC: 2 hr 30 min

From Roanoke: 3 hr 30 min

From an ecological standpoint, York River State Park is a really cool place — fresh and saltwater meet here, leading to a delicate ecosystem. Within the park there are hiking trails, fishing opportunities and a beach. 

Google reviews also remark how quiet it is compared to other state parks so it’s a good one if you are looking to get away from some of the crowds found at places like Shenandoah! 

First Landing State Park 

Distance to closest entrance 

From Charlottesville: 2 hr 40 min

From Richmond: 1 hr 40 min

From DC: 3 hr 20 min

From Roanoke: 4 hr 25 min

First Landing State Park offers more than a mile and a half of beaches overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. It’s right beside more busy Virginia Beach and is an oasis for those looking to get away from the urban sprawl. 

This is a great option if you are wanting both forest and ocean vibes for your engagement shoot. 

Kiptopeke State Park

Distance to closest entrance 

From Charlottesville: 3 hr 

From Richmond: 2 hr 

From DC: 3 hr 40 min

From Roanoke: 4 hr 45 min

Kiptopeke is in Cape Charles, which is that little tip of land that dangles south between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. You access the state park by driving through the almost 18-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (but best to inform yourself about when the roads to the tunnel get jammed with beach traffic.)

From the beach you can see unusual concrete ships that date to WWII. In the summer you can rent kayaks or paddle boards and explore some of the hiking trails.

Hungry Mother State Park

Distance to closest entrance 

From Charlottesville: 3 hr 40 min

From Richmond: 4 hr 30 min

From DC: 5 hr 30 min

From Roanoke: 2 hr

Hungry Mother is a trek for those in the northern parts of Virginia but if you are coming from Roanoke or Blacksburg it’s a great spot for engagement photos. Hungry Mother has a beautiful lake (and iconic bridge) as well as some great hikes. My favorite, Molly’s Knob, leads to a gorgeous view of the mountains, so in this park it’s possible to get both a mountain view and water photographs at one location! 

Alexandria Waterfront

If you live in Northern Virginia or DC and are looking for something easy to access, you might consider a stroll or bike ride along the Potomac River from Old Town or boat rental there. The Mount Vernon Trail weaves beside the river and several parks pepper the shoreline. 

This list is by no means a complete round-up! Even as I’m wrapping up writing, I keep thinking of more — Sherando Lake, Pandapas Pond, Hone Quarry, Lake Arrowhead, South River of the Shenandoah, etc. Not to mention, some of the great options just across the border in Maryland, DC or West Virginia. 

When you book an engagement session with me, I send out a pre-session questionnaire. Based on your responses to that, I include custom location suggestions for your shoot. So interested in a waterfall session within an X-mile drive of DC? Or to go boating on a beautiful lake? We make it happen.