Deep in the heart of Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, Holliday Lake State Park is a paradise for the outdoor enthusiast. Fishing for largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill is a popular activity in the 150-acre lake within the park. The nearby state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries delayed-harvest trout stream allows anglers to fish for brown and rainbow trout. The park also features excellent trails open to hikers, bikers and equestrians. Swimming is a popular summer activity at the park's life-guarded beach where the "Critter Hole" play area is a favorite of young visitors. Park facilities include a 30-site campground, a large shaded picnic area, two picnic shelters, two playgrounds, a boat ramp, a seasonal full-service concession stand and campstore, and canoe, rowboat and paddle boat rentals. Interpretive and environmental education programs also are available for school and scout groups. This park is just minutes from the famous Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, the site of General Robert E. Lee's surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant in 1865.

The area encompassing Holliday Lake State Park and the surrounding state forest was cleared in the 1800s for farmland. In the 1930s the federal government, through the Resettlement Administration, began buying the farms to return the land to its former productive hardwood forest state. Construction of a dam was begun at Fish Pond Creek, then relocated to Holliday Creek where a lake could be developed. Traces of family cemeteries can still be found in the area. After Holliday Lake was completed in 1938, the Commonwealth of Virginia, through an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, took over the management of the new day-use recreational area. In 1972, with the addition of campgrounds, the area became a state park.