Breaks Park Southern Gap Site

December 1st, 2025

Today represents one of the largest expansions of Breaks Interstate Park land and facilities which have occurred since some of the park’s original parcels were acquired beginning in the 1950’s.

We met the owners of Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure (SGOA) to sign acquisition paperwork and to finalize the process of converting SGOA from private to public ownership.

Everyone in attendance celebrated the achievements of Patrick Owens, Billie Campbell, their families, and their staff members, who have built SGOA into a popular off-roading destination and the defacto Gateway to the Virginia Elk Conservation Area. This acquisition ensures that the progress they have made will continue to benefit the public for generations to come. We understand there are lots of questions around the acquisition, which we will continue to discuss in future posts, as we work out additional details. However, here are a few questions that we can answer now:

What are the park’s plans for SGOA?

First and foremost, we want to ensure the property continues to benefit the people of our corner of Appalachia. We have already applied for a grant to expand food service at the Visitor Center and intend to use our access to grant funding to incorporate SGOA into our strategic plan and fund projects to expand lodging and event opportunities. Ultimately, we want to expand upon the work that has already been done to promote and build SGOA into a premier off-roading and wildlife viewing destination.

Where did the money come from?

The funding used for this acquisition came from a private foundation, the Anne and Gene Worrell Foundation, that made a grant specifically for this purpose. When announcing these projects, we are frequently asked why the money wasn’t used for other projects. The short answer is that foundations make specific grants for specific projects and we do our best to match our applications to potential funders with the projects they are most likely to support. If the project or improvement you’ve been waiting on hasn’t happened yet, please know that we are continually seeking funding to update and improve the park.

How will this change trail access?

Trail access to the Coal Canyon Trail System will remain unchanged. The trails are managed, patrolled, and maintained by our partners at Spearhead Trails and we will simply own the trailhead. We will continue to operate the campground, campground, and all other grounds at the Southern Gap site as ATV accessible and will not be changing any regulations regarding the use of ATV’s on this property.

How will this impact lodging and camping reservations?

Existing reservations will not be impacted by this acquisition. There will be some temporary downtime for reservations while we transfer all existing reservations into the Breaks’ reservation system. We expect to be operational with reservations by no later than December 12 and will make an announcement with the booking link as soon as reservations are back online.

We look forward to working with the Buchanan County IDA, the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors, Southwest Virginia Sportmen, and all the other individuals and organizations who have built SGOA into such a special destination.