Summertime brings the heavy afternoon thunderstorms in Virginia, the sky turns dark, and you may hear rumbles off in the distance just as the lifeguards announce the pool or beach is immediately closed.

When it rains on your fun parade what else can you find to do at a Virginia State Park?

Don't worry, help is on the way. I asked some of our parks experts what they would do if faced with such a scenario and they kindly offered us some great suggestions to keep the fun going at Virginia State Parks.

When it rains it pours in Virginia

When you're on vacation or spending the day at a Virginia State Park you want to find other fun stuff to do when the rain rolls in and sends you running from the beach or hiking trail. You may be at the park for just that day and after getting all your gear together for some fun in the sun at the beach, it is a huge disappointment for the whole family to have to lug it all back home again.

Typically the afternoon thunderstorms arrive at the hottest part of the day, and move out as quickly as they move in. So we have a few suggestions to help extend your stay.

Stop by the campstore and send postcards to friends and family

Do you remember the excitement of getting a real postcard in the mail? It was something special to hold in your hand and pin up on the refrigerator that meant someone was thinking about you. Send one to a family member or friend and let them know what a great time you are having at Virginia State Parks.

Nature notebooks

You can make your own nature notebooks out of old paper grocery bags then when the rain stops take a hike and draw/write about what you see. 

Learn about Daniel Boone

At Wilderness Road State Park, guests can come inside the Visitor Center and view an award-winning 20-minute high definition film, Wilderness Road: Spirit of a Nation which details pioneer Daniel Boone's 200+ mile trek cutting the Wilderness Road, opening the gateway to the west. It also details Joseph Martin's relentless quest to settle in Powell's Valley where he constructed a fort in 1775, the most westward settlement of its time, a true refuge in the Wilderness. The film acts as an orientation for the park's accurately reconstructed fort replica of the one built by Martin more than 200 years ago. The reconstructed fort serves as an outdoor living history museum with costumed interpreters providing daily demonstrations you may have witnessed if you were traveling the Wilderness Road.

We also offer a frontier museum inside the Visitor Center with a diorama of the treaty of Sycamore Shoals, authentic Native American artifacts, and original displays featuring tools and weapons from the 18th century time period.

Check out a park pack

Did you know that almost every Virginia State Park has park packs for you to borrow? You can also find them at your local library. Each park offers different packs, but all of them offer fun. Packs are equipped with binoculars, field guides, storybooks, games, and much more. Packs are free to use and are first-come, first-serve. You may check out a pack for up to three calendar days (if you are staying in a cabin or campground). Ask about them at the Park office or Discovery Center.

The park pack at Westmoreland State Park even comes with a net and sifter to help you find shark's teeth on Fossil Beach

Twin Lakes State Park says:

• Find a picnic shelter and it's time for some priceless photographs…taken by you. It's fun and you don’t have to be an expert! Use your camera or phone. Share your favorite Twin Lakes photo to Virginia State Park’s Facebook page here.
• The park office has some great indoor games, “Toasted or Roasted”, board games, cards, etc.
• Watch a movie on your portable DVD player, laptop or tablet
• Visit Twin Lakes State Park NATURE NOOK indoors and experience live snakes, turtles, etc. Crafts are available. Test your knowledge of animal skins and skulls.
• Eat ice cream and pizza! “The Spot” at the beach at Twin Lakes has amazing hand-dipped ice cream, nachos, hot dogs, candy, snacks, drinks, etc
• Take a driving tour of the park (conference center, cabins, boat landings, and campground.
• Sailors Creek Historical Battlefield State Park is just 20 minutes away - an indoor museum to learn about the last major battle of the Civil War on Virginia soil.
• Go shopping in Farmville - 20 minutes away.
• Visit the Heartland Regional Visitor Center in Farmville, they have a museum display of High Bridge Trail photographs and a model railroad.

Get your games on and explore

•     Fairy Stone State Park – listen to the rain on the tin roof of the cabin (assuming you are in a cabin); play I spy, a boardgame or a card game (you can buy cards at the Visitor Center gift shop. 
•     Occoneechee State Park – visit the Occaneechi exhibit in the visitor center and take time to read all the panels. 
•     Smith Mountain Lake State Park – go to the Discovery Center or watch the fish in the Visitor Center aquarium. 
•     Staunton River State Park – work on a puzzle, color in a coloring book (even if you are a grown-up) If you left your games and crayons at home you can find things in the Visitor Center gift shop. 
•     Staunton River Battlefield State Park – check out the exhibits in the Visitor Center.

Get wet

It's cooler to hike in the rain like here at High Bridge Trail State Park

If it’s just rainy and not stormy, I think that’s the best time to hike if they don’t mind getting wet. That’s when many creatures come out to play, and the sounds of frogs might even be deafening. 

I will admit that when I’m camping and it gets stormy – I nap.

See the animals or visit a museum

Gabby and Chip at Chippokes State Park

Visit the animals at Chippokes State Park and tour the Farm and Forestry Museum. Just across the James River from historic Jamestown in beautiful Surry County, Chippokes is one of the oldest continually farmed plantations in the country. A working farm since 1619, the park offers modern recreational activities and a glimpse of life in a bygone era.

Southwest Virginia Historical Museum State Park in Big Stone Gap is a fun way to stay out of the rain as you explore their exhibits. A National Historic Landmark, the Southwest Virginia Museum is in an 1890s Victorian stone mansion with an original oak interior. The museum's collection includes more than 25,000 pieces and state-of-the-art exhibits telling the story of the exploration and development of Southwest Virginia from the pioneer era of the 1700s to the mining "boom and bust" era of the late 1800s. The museum also offers many interpretive and special events.

Look for rainbows

Beautiful rainbow over the lake at Hungry Mother State Park

This too shall pass, and in the meantime keep your eyes peeled to always see the silver lining and maybe even a rainbow after heavy rain.

Discover

All of our parks have a neat visitor or discovery centers, and if you are at the park, just ask a Ranger what's happening today. Check out our events database to see more cool stuff here.

There is always fun in store when you visit a Virginia State Park.