Fun Fact: Henrietta Lacks, whose cells became vital to medical research, grew up in Halifax County.

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Download this handy map of Halifax County.

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This Halifax County caNine List showcases our 9 favorite dog friendly “Spots.”

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1. Gravesite of Henrietta Lacks

📍Lacks Town Family Cemetery, 1122 Lacks Town Rd. Clover

The entire pack wanted to pay homage to Henrietta Lacks, but especially Amos our pack’s historian. He tells Henrietta’s story here:

Amos: “Henrietta Lacks paved the way for tremendous advances in modern medicine. The cells from her 1951 biopsy, known as HeLa, became the first immortal cells known to science because they continually divide. Normal cells will divide a few times in a lab environment and then die. HeLa became the workhorse of medical research. Most famously, HeLa was used to develop the polio vaccine.”

Amos: “In addition to saving innumerable lives, HeLa triggered changes in medical ethics. When a doctor at Johns Hopkins took a sample of Henrietta’s cancerous tumor, he did so without her knowledge or consent. The family of Henrietta Lacks, who ironically could not afford healthcare, did not learn about HeLa until decades after Henrietta’s death.”

Amos: “The forest has reclaimed much of Henrietta’s childhood home which lies a stone’s throw away from the cemetery. Henrietta moved to Clover at the age of four to be raised by her grandfather after her mother died. For decades, Henrietta Lacks was virtually unknown to the public, but in contrast, HeLa became absolutely vital to the scientific community. Some scientists spent their entire careers studying HeLa cells. In 2010, author Rebecca Skloot brought Henrietta’s story to light with the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”

📍100 Main St., South Boston

Amos: “In 2024, the nearby city of South Boston unveiled this statue of Henrietta Lacks and an adjacent placard with information about both Henrietta and HeLa.”

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2. Staunton River State Park

📍1170 Staunton Trail, Scottsburg

The Staunton River State Park provides access to both the Dan and Staunton Rivers.

Staunton River

Dan River

The park also features miles and miles of hiking trails, all rated ‘highly sniffable’ by our pack.

As a designated Dark Sky Park, the party really gets started when the Sun goes down.

Amos is Sirius about stargazing.

We suggest bringing camping chairs, snacks, and a telescope if you have one (We didn’t.) and heading to the field next to the Visitor Center for an evening of stargazing. We lucked out and had perfect conditions to see stars: clear skies and a new moon.

The Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast offers up a great listen on Dark Sky Parks for your Halifax County road trip.

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3. Staunton River Battlefield Park

📍1035 Fort Hill Trail, Randolph

The Staunton River Bridge dominates the landscape of the Staunton River Battlefield State Park. This bridge, built in 1902, replaced its predecessor—the object of the Civil War Battle of Staunton River Bridge.

Amos: “I like telling this underdog story of the Battle of Staunton River Bridge. On June 25, 1864, a Confederate troop of about 900 boys and old men successfully defended the bridge against 5,000 Union soldiers who aimed to destroy this vital Confederate supply line. The Confederates continually ran a train back and forth to trick the Union troops into thinking that reinforcements were steadily arriving during the battle.”

The park also maintains some impressive earthworks which were used during the battle.

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4. Halifax County Animal Shelter

📍1040 Farm Rd., South Boston

The shelter desperately needs people to provide temporary or permanent homes through fostering or adoption. Here are a few sweeties who are ready to meet their new families:

Photos from Facebook | Halifax County Va Animal Shelter

The shelter recently posted on its Facebook page, “We are beyond full and we need your help.”

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5. Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens

📍3164 Dan River Church Rd., South Boston

The Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens provides a treasure trove of information about plants… for decoration, sustenance, health, enjoyment, and historical uses by Native Americans.

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6. South Boston Fire Hydrant Tour

📍Parking lot at Short St., across from the Fire Department, South Boston

Map from downtownsobo.com

Q. What’s the most dog friendly activity we’ve ever encountered?

A. South Boston’s fire hydrant walking tour

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7. Tobacco Heritage Trail

📍Cotton Mill Park Trailhead, 196 Railroad Ave., South Boston / 36.697413, -78.910272

The dog friendly, horse friendly, and bicycle friendly Tobacco Heritage Trail spans several counties, including Halifax. This well-maintained trail makes effective use of former railroad corridors.

Amos was excited to learn that the South Boston trailhead is located at an important Revolutionary War site on the Dan River.

Amos: “During the winter months of 1781, General Nathanael Greene led the American Army across the Carolinas towards Halifax County, Virginia with the British in hot pursuit. The American Army was forced to march without adequate supplies, including shoes, to avoid getting caught by the British. This ‘Race to the Dan’ culminated in the American Army reaching safety, and getting ferried across the River before the British closed the gap. This left the British at a great disadvantage and helped lead to an eventual American victory.”

Ferry replica

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8. Dairy Dell

📍1041 Bill Tuck Hwy., South Boston

Jake serves as our pack’s Chief Executive Gastronome and it’s no surprise that he considers our visit to the Dairy Dell as the highlight of our trip.

Jake: “The Dairy Dell serves Pup Cups. Say no more.”

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9. This AirBnb

📍Paradise Farm, Alton

On this trip, we got a taste of the RV life when we stayed in an RV for the first time ever. We could definitely imagine RVing with the pack around Virginia and maybe beyond.

Paradise Farm offers different dog friendly RV options, from cozy to spacious, on 175-acres.

Hey Grendel, what did you think about the woodland trails that started right outside our front door?

Grendel: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

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Before our visit, we learned a lot about the dog friendly restaurants, attractions, and lodging in Halifax County from this blogpost.

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Paw-some Local Attractions to Enjoy with Your Dog

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Thanks for all the LOVE, Halifax County!

1180 Bill Tuck Hwy., South Boston

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P. S. We recommend the following audiobooks during your trip to Halifax County.

This amazing book about Henrietta Lacks, her family, and HeLa, won numerous awards and spent 75 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.

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I found this book to be a terrific resource. Starting with basics, the authors explain what we see when we look up and provide lots of tips to put us in the right place at the right time with the right equipment.

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The father and daughter co-authors of the Rucksack Kids series live in Halifax County.

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