Posted Nov 13, 2015 | Updated Aug 2, 2018

Virginia has 40 fabulous state parks that range from the Cumberland Gap in the furthest Southwestern corner of our state to the Atlantic Ocean. We have parks that are small, medium and expansive, with activities that range from horseback riding to fossil hunting.

And many of these Virginia State Parks are based in and around a water feature like a river, lake or bay, which gives them an even grander appeal. Everyone loves water, from recreational activities, breathtaking scenery to the abundance of wildlife found there.

There are many reasons to fall in love with Virginia State Parks, but for this series I am showcasing 10 reasons that immediately come to mind, and we hope you'll agree.

PART 1: THE PEOPLE

Ranger Parker Redfox joined our staff in January 2014

Many of our visitors comment favorably that Virginia State Park staff and volunteers are the friendliest and most knowledgeable they have encountered. These parks take an army of staff (both paid and unpaid) to keep operating. They provide the background and behind the scenes stuff you may not even realize from mowing, trimming, planting to housekeeping, building, safety and programming.

Inside and out Virginia State Parks takes operating the 40 state parks seriously, and wants your experience to be the best it can be. To highlight just a few of our volunteers and staff programs:

Youth Conservation Corps

YCC Volunteers use elbow grease in some labor intensive tasks to help make our parks up to snuff for visitors. This is an environmental stewardship program and not a summer camp. YCC participants work very hard, sometimes in difficult conditions including deep mud, heat, with mosquitoes, ticks and flies.

They learn stewardship for the land in a hands on way, teamwork, self-esteem, respect for the environment is all part of what they do. We are very proud of our YCC participants, they make a very discernable difference in our parks. Learn more about the Youth Conservation Corps here.

Did you know our Director of State Parks Craig Seaver cut his teeth on Virginia State Parks, so to speak? Director Seaver worked as a crew member in the Youth Conservation Corp (YCC) for 4 weeks during the summer of 1978? That experience led him to work the next 3 summers during high school and the first few years of college as a Parks Maintenance Ranger, and on into an internship and so on and so on.

AmeriCorps

Trail building, habitat restoration, disaster relief, and other environmental stewardship programs are what AmeriCorps is all about. Learn more about the AmeriCorps program here.

AmeriCorps ready and eager to get to work

Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park dedicating the boat they fundraised for visitor experiences

Alternative Spring Break

College students stay and work in a state park during spring break. Learn more about Alternative Spring Break programs here.

Friends Groups

Many Virginia State Parks have “Friends of” volunteer groups. These groups organize special events, raise money, schedule workdays and partner with local businesses for their specific park. 33 parks have friends groups, you can contact them directly or email the director of volunteer services here for more information on a specific friends group. You can also see a list of groups here.

Park and Camp Hosts

It is said to be one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself and your family, and Virginia's outdoors. You get to camp for free for from 30 to 60 days at any of 19 participating Virginia State Parks across the state in exchange for volunteer services at a campground (camp host) or a variety of other projects (park host). 

Many campers ask us about becoming a camp host, what are the responsibilities of a camp host and more. If you are interested we have a page devoted to providing this information here.

Interns

The program is for high school and college students and can be paid or non-paid. Our Park Ranger Career Development Path is the perfect internship if you are considering a future working for Virginia State Parks. This is a paid internship for 10 to 12 weeks each summer at a mentoring park. The student goes to a different mentoring park each summer. The Visitor Services Staff have enjoyed interaction and training unpaid marketing interns the past few years at Virginia State Parks. DCR also offers internships through its Natural Heritage Program. Many of our seasonal positions can serve as internships as well.

Virginia Master Naturalists

Are certified groups of naturalists with chapters across Virginia and DCR is a sponsoring agency. They volunteer hours upon hours at our parks in many different facets from leading seasonal activities like earth day hikes to stewardship and environmental projects like building wood duck boxes and other citizen science like toad, butterfly and bird counts annually. You can learn more about this program itself here, and find a chapter involved at a park near you. 

Seasonal Staff

Each year as the sun warms up the parks fill with outdoor recreation seekers. Seasonal staff hold key positions and may be the smiling faces of the parks you encounter on your vacation. Before you even arrive at the park, the staff are preparing and training in all aspects of safety for your visit. Click here to learn more about available jobs.

Canoe training before the summer season

Interpretive workshops at the Ranger Academy

Visitor Experiences are an integral part of all staff training

Rangers and Law Enforcement

Our Park Rangers and law enforcement staff undergo continual in-service training to cover the many facets of their jobs from emergency management to visitor safety. 

Law Enforcement inservice training is paramount to smooth operations at our parks, providing the most highly trained for guest safety and security

Training and preparing as best we can for emergencies like fires, and natural disasters

Multi-talented Staff

Sometimes we discover hidden talents from staff like housekeeper/artist Kay Henderson who painted the beautiful mural at Grayson Highlands State Park visitor center.

We love and appreciate that Kay put her heart and soul into this stunning mural at the visitor center

Our visitors appreciate all that the staff and volunteers offer at Virginia State Parks

Now it's your turn

We invite you to come on over to our house to play, we have a big back yard. Virginia State Parks are like coming home to family. We love seeing you laugh and enjoying all the hard work staff and volunteers put into making the parks the best they can be, award winning Virginia State Parks.

Group Projects - Group projects are great teambuilding and fellowship times for church, civic and scout groups. As a reward you may be able to enjoy overnight stays or picnic shelter use in exchange for work projects.

Corporate Partnerships - Some companies such as Dominion Power, Alcoa and Smurfit-Stone provide funding and their staff volunteers on special projects in our state parks. You may discover it as a fantastic day away from the office with your coworkers volunteering in a corporate project.

To learn more about group or corporate volunteering, send us an email here.

If you are interested in seasonal or full time employment with DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) in Virginia, click here to explore. Or if you are interested in volunteering at a Virginia State Park, click here.

Without a doubt, it's the people of the parks that is the secret sauce of our success. We are grateful for every ounce of energy and time spent to make Virginia State Parks what they are today.

Posted Nov 13, 2015 | Updated Aug 2, 2018

Also, in 2017 we began the Recognize a Ranger program at Virginia State Parks. It's just a small way to show appreciation to our staff who went above and beyond to make your experience a memorable one. Learn more about that here.