Picnic Shelter Rentals

Roanoke County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism features 16 parks with picnic shelters. Shelters are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge, unless the shelter has been specifically reserved. Reservations for picnic shelter rentals are taken for the April - October season beginning February 1 of each year. All rentals are full day, lasting from 10am to 9pm, except Explore Park which is 9am to 5pm.

How to Reserve a Shelter

Picnic shelter rentals can be placed in the following ways:

By Phone - Call (540) 387-6078 ext. 0 during our administrative office hours of 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday.
Online - For reservations of 50 participants and below, many shelters can be reserved online. Log onto our Activity Registration Portal, and make sure to LOGIN at the top right, or create a new account if one does not exist. Use the search function to find a shelter on your preferred date (at least 7 days in advance within the current season).

Reservation Fees

Special preparation efforts are made for reserved facilities. Therefore a reservation fee is charged to offset the expense incurred. Upon confirmation of your group's reservation, a receipt and park reservation permit will be forwarded to the group’s contact person.

Refunds & Cancellations

No refunds will be given for cancellations. To avoid this, rescheduling is encouraged during the current rental season. All cancellations must be received at least by 4pm on the last business day before your reservation (i.e., call on Friday to cancel a reservation for Sunday). A cancellation with proper notice may be rescheduled before October 31 of the current year.

Picnic Shelter Rental Rates & Availability

Number of People	Rental Rates (Full Day)	Available Locations - Follow links for more information
Up to 50	$50	Catawba Center, Bonsack, Brookside, Clearbrook, Garst Mill, Green Hill, Happy Hollow, Mt. Pleasant, Oak Grove, Starkey, Stonebridge, Vinyard, Walrond, Whispering Pines, Explore Park ($150 rate applies)
51 to 150	$80	Catawba Center, Clearbrook, Green Hill, Mt. Pleasant, Starkey, Vinyard, Walrond, Whispering Pines, Camp Roanoke
151 to 500	$150	Green Hill, Vinyard, Walrond, Camp Roanoke
501 to 1000*	$350*	Green Hill, Camp Roanoke
Over 1000*	Negotiated*	Green Hill, Camp Roanoke

*Large Groups

Groups of 100 or more must complete a Special Use Application.

Download Special Use Application Here

Please note that submission of the application does not constitute approval. The group contact person will be notified of approval and all other details. Large groups may have to pay direct costs, and groups of 300 MUST pay direct costs.