The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is pleased to present the 30th Annual Festival of Trees.

During the Festival of Trees, the Friends of Natural Bridge State Park asks local organizations to decorate a holiday tree to represent themselves in the community.

Help ensure years of great fishing at Claytor Lake by recycling your old holiday tree at the park.

Help ensure years of great fishing at Fairy Stone Lake by recycling your old holiday tree at the park.

Grab a Bald Cypress Scavenger Hunt from the Trail Center and hit the trail!

Explore the crops that shaped the economy of the South before, during, and after the Civil War.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners from decades gone by.

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

Visit the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) museum to learn more about the CCC, the original six Virginia State Parks, and the creation of Pocahontas State Park.

Humans aren't the only ones who build amazing structures.  Insects, birds, and mammals are among the many animals who create complex homes for themselves.  Let's take a look into the world of these master builders of the animal kingdom.

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

Join us for "Turtle Time" at Holliday Lake State Park and meet our beloved turtle, Harrold Holliday!

Tundra Swans are known for their striking white plumage and long, graceful necks, making them a favorite among birdwatchers.

Explore the trails of Sweet Run and learn about how the season of winter impacted the inhabitants, both human and animal.

Just because we don’t always spot them, we know the animals are around by the tracks and traces they leave behind.

This field-based game is a fun and safe way to examine the remarkable abilities of bats and the importance of preserving their habitats.

Join us for a cozy afternoon of holiday cheer!

Peak into the microscope to view the tiny cells that make up your favorite plants and animals.

Trees have magical qualities that provide us with many important everyday items, as well as a large portion of the oxygen we breathe.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir Join our rangers on a guided hike and learn about our native species, park history, and wetland habitat.

Discover the “bear facts” about Fairy Stone State Park’s black bears at our ranger-led program. Learn about their characteristics, habits, how to avoid conflicts, and much more.

Nature Journals are great way to practice intentional observation of your surroundings.

End the year right by bundling up to explore the wonders of winter at our fun-filled day camp for young nature lovers!

End the year right by bundling up to explore the wonders of winter at our fun-filled day camp for young nature lovers!

A new discovery awaits your family with Sky Meadows' Discovery Backpacks.

The Visitor Center at Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park offers a museum filled with treasured artifacts discovered over the years where the last major fight of the American Civil War in Virginia occurred on April 6, 1865.

Tours of the Hillsman House, a National Historic Landmark, are available to the public by request.

A Self-Guided Driving Tour of Sailor's Creek Battlefield is available to visitors year-round from sunrise to sunset.

Sailor's Creek Battlefield offers six, self-guided Hiking Trails with historic markers for the public to explore year round during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).

Join us on a real or virtual hike through Claytor Lake State Park as we take a closer look at some of the beautiful native trees.

Stop by the fishing area behind Howe House to check out our EnChroma color blind scenic viewer.

Earn your junior ranger patch through a variety of programs and fun family activities.  Visit the park office, gift shop, or contact station for a copy of our Junior Ranger booklet, or you can download it from the link below.

Request a ranger to give your family or group a chance to engage in activities not otherwise available in our park.

Did you know that Haven Howe was an early advocate for environmental reform in Virginia? Participate in person or virtually as we examine the fine craftsmanship of the Howe House and learn of its builder, inhabitants, and history.

Contribute to citizen science by helping us create a time lapse of this mysterious site.

Go on a hiking adventure with Track Trails!

Take a hike back in time by visiting our tour points located at the same location as our collection of photos and videos from past years at Claytor Lake State Park and Claytor Lake.

Find out what it takes to be a ranger at Sky Meadows State Park.

Experience geocaching at Sky Meadows State Park with three park-themed caches.

Put on your boots and take your class outdoors with our new teacher-led Outdoor Educator Backpack.

Help us keep our trails beautiful.

Belle Isle State Park has some great activities that you can do on your own schedule.

Belle Isle State Park is looking for the next generation of ranger, are you ready to give it a try?

Discover the different habitats Sky Meadows has to offer on our Kids in Park's TRACK Trail!

Whether you are a teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or anything in between, we are inviting you to plan your groups' next field trip to Fairy Stone State Park.

No matter your role—teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or beyond—we invite you to plan your group’s next field trip to Twin Lakes State Park.

To arrange a ranger-led field trip for your school, homeschool group, youth organization or daycare; complete and submit a Field Trip Registration Form.

Be you a teacher, camp counselor, homeschool instructor, or troop leader, you are invited to schedule your group's next field trip or educational program with Widewater State Park!

Introduced by the National Parks, B.A.R.K.

Get your mid-week boost with a walk among the trees, meadows, with fellow nature lovers!

Make York River State Park your destination for field education and outdoor discoveries.  We offer hikes and netting programs that highlight fresh water and estuarine ecosystems as well as coastal woodlands to enhance Standards of Learning requirements.  Canoe and kayak trips are available from May until the end of September, weather conditions apply.  Contact our Park Interpreters at (757)566-8523 or email john.gresham@dcr.virginia.gov or zach.robertson@dcr.virginia.gov to help plan your trip.

Are you looking for a great activity for the kids that is both fun and educational?

James River State Park is teeming with hidden gems, from plants and animals to minerals and historic artifacts.

Are you curious about that songbird flitting through the bushes outside your cabin?

Geocaching combines GPS technology with nature to provide adventure for treasure hunters like you all over the world!

Not able to attend a ranger-led program?

Enjoy a self-guided tour as you walk down to see the Natural Tunnel.

As you explore the Wilderness Road Blockhouse and the surrounding area, discover what makes this building so unique as well as what was commonly used on the frontier for survival during the 18th Century.

Stop by the Visitor Center and pick up a copy of a self-guided brochure on the “Common Trees of Virginia,” or download it online.

Introduced by the National Parks, B.A.R.K.

The park has over 12 miles of beautiful hiking trails that range in difficulty from easy to moderate.

REGISTRATION HAS ENDED.

Ring in the New Year on a Midnight Hike at Lake Anna State Park!

Forgo the fireworks and crowded festivities and accompany a ranger on this guided hike through the quiet woods with the moon and stars lighting the way.

'Bigfoot' is on the roam in Occoneechee State Park.

Whether you are a teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or anything in between, we are inviting you to plan you groups' next field trip to Douthat State Park.

Start the New Year Outdoors at Sky Meadows State Park!

Kick off the New Year with a Sunrise Hike at Lake Anna!

First Day Hikes have been a tradition within state parks for years and we are happy to offer multiple hikes this year to fit with any schedule or hiking ability.

Greet the sun along Beaver Lake trail to start the new year off right.

Come join our Ranger on a sunrise hike through the Holly Marsh Trail! With sunrise at 7:30am over the Potomac River, the hike will begin at 7:00am sharp. Registration is required and you can register here.

Bundle up and celebrate the wonder of the season!

We are looking forward to starting off 2026 on the right foot with our series of First Day Hikes: December 31, 2025 New Year's Eve Night Hike (11 p.m. - 1 a.m.): Hike in the new year.

Join us for a guided hike through the diverse wetland ecosystems of First Landing State Park, where five unique trails come together to showcase nature’s own “trail mix.” This immersive journey will take you through a variety of wetland habitats- including cypress swamps, salt marshes, and maritime forests.

Stop by the Park Office and pick up a nature trail guide brochure and discover the different flora and fauna that can be found in the winter.

Start the new year with a photo scavenger hunt at Powhatan State Park.

Come ring in the New Year with a fresh start on the Clyburn Ridge Trail!

Start off the New Year on the right, or left, foot.

Hike into 2026 at Leesylvania State Park.

Get your heart pumping as you hike into the new year at Natural Tunnel!

Kick off the new year at Caledon!

Start 2025 by joining park rangers for our annual First Day Hike. This year we will be admiring the forests and beautiful panoramic views from Buck Hill Trail, which is a 2-mile, easy to moderate hike.  The guided hike will take about 1.5 hours as we journey through the park's forests and meadows in winter.

Explore the hidden hamlet of Wash Woods and see the various coastal habitats of False Cape.

Visit the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) museum to learn more about the CCC, the original six Virginia State Parks, and the creation of Pocahontas State Park.

Our Little Tyke Hike, designed for families with children ages 6 and under (but suitable for all ages), is perfect for letting your little one(s) discover the park and the natural world in their own special way and at their own pace.

Ring in the New Year by joining us on a Ranger led hike on the River Bank Trail.  Is your New Year's resolution to get in better shape, spend more time with friends and family, or to be in nature more?  This is the perfect opportunity to jump start those initiatives.  The hike will be about 2 miles with a difficulty level of easy/moderate.  We will have multiple opportunities to observe the Staunton River, Dan River and the largest lake in Virginia, the John H.

This place, this land, is as old as time itself.

Start the New Year off on a good foot with a ranger-led hike through a rich variety of landscapes: winter woods, the tranquil James River, and frosty golden meadows.

Join our rangers on the first day of the New Year with some fun hikes or blaze your own trail.

Join us in the New Year in exploring the future Mayo River State Park!

Sweet Run’s 11 miles of hiking trails will be open for you to enjoy on your own or with us on one of our two naturalist-led hikes.  10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Hike to Gordon Pond This moderately-paced hike will be approximately 5 miles on a variety of beautiful trails with varied terrain.

Start the new year with a refreshing walk through the quiet beauty of Douthat’s winter woods.

Step into the new year surrounded by the beauty and history of Wilderness Road State Park.

Join us at Occoneechee State Park for a ranger-led First Day Hike.

Have you ever wondered how flora and fauna survive in a winter wonderland?

Kick off 2026 with one of two amazing hikes!

What better way to kick off the New Year than a guided nature hike observing local wildlife!  Join Friends of Kiptopeke State Park for a First Day Hike.

Before or after your First Day Hike, stop by the Camp Douthat Picnic Shelter for some cozy fun hosted by the Friends of Douthat State Park.

Stretch your wings on this First Day Hike all about the birds that call Chippokes State park their nest!  Join a Ranger led excursion along College Run Trail to the shoreline of the James River.

Need a refreshing start to kick off your new year?