The park is currently under development, with the Sugar Hill Unit in St. Paul (Wise County) open for hiking, biking and fishing. The Sugar Hill Unit currently has 8 miles of hiking trails, a picnic shelter, over 2 miles of river frontage, and significant cultural and historical attributes. The property contains remnants of an 18th-century French settlement. There is a public boat launch available for boat access to the Clinch River at Artrip (Russell County).

Once developed, Clinch River State Park will highlight the Clinch River's natural, historical and recreational resources. It will be the first blueway state park in Virginia. It will consist of several smaller (250-400 acres) anchor properties connected by multiple canoe/kayak access points along a 100-mile stretch of the Clinch River. Some of the access points will be part of the state park, while other partner agencies and localities will own additional launch access points. These properties will comprise a "string of pearls," or a collection of properties along the Clinch River for outdoor enthusiasts to access the river, participate in educational programming about the river's ecological diversity, and enjoy the beauty of what The Nature Conservancy has deemed "One of the Last, Great Places."