The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is now accepting entries for its “Stitch in Time” Quilt Show.

Hungry Mother is pleased to join with the Nature Conservancy of Southwest Virginia to encourage our guests to participate in the City Nature Challenge.

Take a 4-hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

What can we see, hear, smell, and possibly touch in nature? The goal of this guided hike is to stay as quiet as possible to avoid scaring away wildlife and to experience using our senses.

Join a ranger to hike along a section of the Mountain View Trail and cut through the woods for a short distance, seeing the ruins of an old moonshine still along the way.

Join a ranger and learn about the natural history of Westmoreland State Park and about the particular fossils you can find here.

Do you have an eye for finding things?

Earth Day is a time of celebration and appreciation here at First Landing.

Read a tale as you walk the trail. Begin at the visitor center to find out which trail will have the story and then begin your exploration and storytime at your own pace.

The use of bows to shoot arrows has been a part of global history for thousands of years whether for defense, survival, or sport.

We all enjoy a yummy meal and that’s the same for our resident snake that lives here in our Visitor Center.

Overlooking the New River, the Shot Tower was built in the 1800s to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers.

Pasture Pals is a special program at Chippokes, where guests are introduced to and able to spend quality time with our ambassador farm animals. Have you ever wondered exactly why donkeys have such long ears?

Stop by the Visitor Center and have the opportunity to view the sun through a telescope.

Come make seed bombs to take home and use in your yard!

Surviving as a colonist was drastically different and more complex than the 21st century, but we can still find similarities between them and us.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.

This historical building tour is designed to highlight the architecture of the time, designs, furnishings, special touches, ornate decor, and stories within the walls of the Jones-Stewart Mansion.

The Bear Creek Lake State Park Archery Club is open to beginner and intermediate level archers 18 years old and older.

Leesylvania State Park is home to many different turtles!

Of all the mammals, opossums are the most misunderstood. They are fascinating creatures with very unique characteristics.

Join a park ranger to hike the Stuart's Knob Trail while discovering the history of Fayerdale and the importance Stuart's Knob played to in helping the residents earn money throughout its short tenure.

Did you ever wish you could see as well as an eagle?

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the picnic areas and beaches with interesting animal or historical artifacts from the park.

We can tell a great deal about an animal’s adaptations by looking at their skins and skulls.

Peak songbird migration along the New River is mid-April to mid-May.

The Fairfield Foundation opens the Timberneck house for free walk-in tours every Tuesday.

Witness the amphibian life cycle and see aquatic invertebrates up-close when you join us in this partnership program with our local Central Piedmont Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists (CPVMN).

The Fairfield Foundation opens the Timberneck house for free walk-in tours every Tuesday.

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.  Meet with our on-the-go naturalist/ranger who will help you discover the aquatic, insect, mammal, and plant life in the park’s ecosystems.  Don't be surprised if he has a photo or two to share with you.

Perched upon a small hill overlooking the old Norfolk & Western railway station sits the old Foster Falls Hotel.

This historical building tour is designed to highlight the architecture of the time, designs, furnishings, special touches, ornate decor, and stories within the walls of the Jones-Stewart Mansion.

We need your help.

Follow the path taken by old miners of days gone by.

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will travel to the site.

Murders over moonshine rocked the town of Fayerdale in the 1920s and 30s, leaving a dying town remembered for tragedy rather than the mining operations that once made it a boomtown. Moonshining (illegal whiskey making) was quite prevalent in and around the Fairy Stone State Park area in the early 1900s. Jealousy, greed, and competition often led to feuds, brawls, and even killings.

Join rangers at the park for a fun nature reading session.

Through history, people have utilized plants to survive out of which can come special relationships.          On this walk we will use our senses to relate to and appreciate the textures and aromas of three forest species native to this part of Virginia - Sassafras, Sourwood, and Spice Bush - and their impact on human culture.

Just as caterpillars grow and change, our Caterpillar Club programs are designed to help your little one grow and change.

Join us to learn about the many raptors that live on the Potomac River!

Interested in the history of Westmoreland State Park?  Join a ranger to learn about the creation of Westmoreland State Park, and the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Are all snakes venomous?

My birdseed brings all the birds to the yard, and I'm like its better than yours.

While we sleep a whole new set of nocturnal animals come out to begin their "daily" activities.

Come view a resident Osprey nest along the New River in Fries, Virginia.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is excited to announce the spring semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program.

Come explore the historic town of Fries.

The 250-acre Hoover Mountain Bike Area is located on a reclaimed 20th century mine site.

Take a 4-hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will travel to the site.

Join us and Mount Rogers Community Services and immerse yourself in nature's grandeur while fueling your body, mind, and soul every Friday at noon.

This historical building tour is designed to highlight the architecture of the time, designs, furnishings, special touches, ornate decor, and stories within the walls of the Jones-Stewart Mansion.

During this one-mile trek, a ranger will guide you through this journey through time on Goodwin Lake Trail. Although rated easy, this trail may not be suitable for those with strollers or severe mobility issues.

Needing a new pet in your life?

Learn some of the trade secrets of what it takes to create the perfect "Fairy Stone" that everyone is looking for.

Discover the world of pollinators from Monarchs to beetles to bats!

Did you know there was once a thriving "boom town" located where our lake is today?

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Discover the magical realm of trees and their incredible role as habitats for a diverse array of creatures.

Join us at Estonoa Wetlands Center for a fun filled activity with arts and crafts.

Honoring the life of educator, coach, naturalist, and birder Randy Smith (1951-2023).

Vultures are a critical component of the ecosystem yet are frequently misunderstood and maligned.

Pollinator populations everywhere are in a steady decline, but why all the buzz about it?

Come experience the beautiful James River on this guided kayak tour. The trip includes a brief overview of paddling safety and techniques, as well as on-the-water interpretations of natural and cultural features.

Take a 4-hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park!

Enjoy a morning of family fun, fish, learn about the Potomac River, and maybe win a trophy!  Sponsored by the Friends of Leesylvania State Park, these fishing tournaments throughout the summer are suitable for all ability levels, ages 3-15.  No rod and reel?  No problem!  The Friends have suitable tackle on hand to loan.  We hope to see you there!

The Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon is the first open water swim triathlon in the western part of the state of Virginia.

The Central Piedmont Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists is hosting a Wildflower Symposium at Bear Creek Hall on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. Cynthia Wood is our featured speaker. After introducing the plants of the area, she will lead a wildflower walk over moderately level terrain. Attendees will receive a copy of the bloom calendar for native plants in our area.

Spring has SPRUNG, and with it comes the much-anticipated arrival of candy-colored visitors from the tropics!

Come join Clinch River State Park Rangers at the Pine Mountain Naturalist Rally for a fun talk and show of the Clinch River's native animal pelts and furs.

From woodlands to wetlands, fields and pastures, let's investigate the plants, animals and history of farming at Sky Meadows State Park.

Join us for a guided tour of the Overton-Hillsman House (circa 1780) at Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park to learn about everyday experiences during the 19th century.

Learn about birds of the woods and fields and how they utilize their habitat for survival and nesting.

Join our staff for a guided tour of Mulberry Hill, the plantation home of Judge Paul Carrington, Virginian and Founding Father. Mulberry Hill was a working tobacco farm owned by the McPhails during the American Civil War and was used by Union General Wilson as his headquarters during the 1864 cavalry raid into Southside Virginia.

Do your kids enjoy gardening?

Join us on a walk around Seven Bends State Park as we identify the “First Flowers of Spring” under the guidance of a volunteer from the Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association in Northern Virginia.

The use of bows to shoot arrows has been a part of global history for thousands of years whether for defense, survival, or sport.

Join a ranger on a guided hike to learn more about different ecosystems found in the park.

Overlooking the New River, the Shot Tower was built in the 1800s to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers.

How healthy is our soil?

Can you shout out BINGO first?  Join us for birding bingo, a guided birding hike along the Bluebell Trail.

Join us for an exciting journey into the world of butterflies with our Citizen Science Series, "Exploring Nature with eButterfly." We will explore how to utilize eButterfly, a cutting-edge citizen science platform, to identify, document, and contribute to butterfly research. Discover the rich diversity of butterflies in their local ecosystems and gain valuable skills in butterfly identification, observation, and data collection.

We let the dogs out!

Who was Elizabeth Hartwell?

Join us at Holliday Lake State Park for an immersive journey into the fascinating world of pollinators!

Help us tend a whole new type of garden - an oyster garden. Discover this easy past time, learn about the history of oysters in our region and how this humble bivalve takes care of our tidal waters.

A face only a mother could love?

The forge is fired up and the blacksmiths are hard at work showing off their skills.

Follow your nose to the Log Cabin to see what is cooking on the hearth.

Please join us for a very special afternoon with Carl “Gump” Blair and Gene Dunford.

Learn the legend behind the naturally occurring stone cross formations, and travel to the special location in the park to search for your own "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will travel to the site.

Nature journaling is the intersection of art, science, and curiosity.

Who goes there?

This historical building tour is designed to highlight the architecture of the time, designs, furnishings, special touches, ornate decor, and stories within the walls of the Jones-Stewart Mansion.

Families join us on an nature adventure through our most popular trail, The Potomac Trail.

In nearly every community across the country, cemeteries stand as places of reverence and serve to hold in memory those who came before.

Meet with a ranger and go on a guided hike along the Oak Hickory Trail.

Do you love art and nature?

Discover what tiny creatures call the edge of Goodwin Lake home at this dip netting activity.