At Sky Meadows State Park, the 2022 spring season will be a time of rejuvenation, not just for our wildlife and plant life, but also for visitors looking for new ways to engage with the outdoors. We are proud to continue the Virginia State Parks tradition of offering ways for you to set your own agenda and learn about park resources on your own timeline, through self-guided programs and hiking activity sheets. Below are three ways to do just that!

Mt. Bleak House at Sky Meadows State Park.

1 - Pick up our new history booklet or free brochure for a self-guided tour

A newly published timeline of the history of Sky Meadows State Park, in booklet form, is now available for sale in the Visitor Center. Entitled “Sky Meadows State Park: A Timeline History of Its Resources and the People Who Shaped the Landscape” this booklet has been years in the making, and aspires to be a comprehensive telling of the park’s story.

Take the Historic Grounds Walking Tour to connect with the agricultural history which formed this unique landscape.

For a more succinct snapshot of the park history, pick up a free “Historic Grounds Walking Tour” brochure, which has recently undergone thoughtful and thorough revisions. Find the brochure in the Visitor Center. We invite you to take a self-paced tour of the Historic Area. There are twelve features along the tour, where you can stop and learn the history of each structure, using the brochure as your guide.

The view from the back door of Mt. Bleak. Enjoy a view similar to that enjoyed by residents of the past.

One of the stops on the tour is Mt. Bleak-Skye Farm, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been a continually operating working farm since the mid-nineteenth century. Sky Meadows State Park continues that tradition today through agricultural uses of the land, such as growing crops (in a historic kitchen garden) and raising livestock (including our popular flock of chickens).

2 - Go geocaching to find three new caches 

For more self-guided fun, try geocaching. After a brief hiatus, Sky Meadows State Park is proud to have three new caches waiting to be discovered. You can get a bookmark from our Visitor Center with more information that will offer clues to help you on your search!

Children exploring with their Discovery Backpacks.

3 - Choose from various self-guided programs for your kids

For self-guided adventures geared toward children, stop in the Visitor Center to check out a Discovery Backpacks, which includes a collection of checklists, field guides, maps and tools with a fun activity to help you enjoy your day at the park. 

Are your kids curious about out what it takes to be a park ranger? They can find out by completing a Junior Ranger Booklet. These books are available at the Visitor Center and the trailhead kiosk in the Children's Discovery Area. Children ages 5-12 can earn official Sky Meadows State Park Junior Rangers badges, after they complete the course of study and meet the requirements to be sworn protectors of park resources.

Sky Meadows Junior Rangers can select activity booklets to specialize as Junior Naturalists, Junior Farmers or Junior Historians. Why not complete all three?

The Children's Discovery Area is home to a multitude of other self-guided activities, including a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail. Children can earn prizes by TRACKing their adventures online. The Sky Meadows State Park Children’s Discovery Area is located in the Picnic Area and is open from 8 a.m. to dusk.

A family connecting to each other and the land’s agricultural history by building a “Frontier Settlement” at the Children’s Discovery Area.

The Visitor Center is open every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop by and say “hi!”