First time park visitor? Not sure what to do once you get to the park? Don't have any binoculars or field guides? Don't worry!!  

As part of our educational and stewardship initiative, many Virginia State Parks have Park Packs and Discovery Packs available for check out at no charge.  The five parks in Hampton Roads, First Landing State Park, False Cape State Park, York River State Park, Chippokes State Park, and Kiptopeke State Park all have these packs available for visitors.

Check out a Park Pack today!

Park Packs are backpacks that have a particular theme, like Colonial History or Nocturnal Animals, and contain storybooks, field guides, and equipment related to that particular theme.  Explore Packs are backpacks that are general interest and have basic field guides, binoculars, and songbird players.  Most parks keep these backpacks in their office or visitor center.  Park guests, after filling out some forms, can check out these backpacks at no charge.  All of the packs have a listed of suggested activities that will help you explore the park and have an excellent outdoor adventure.

Songbird players in the Park Packs can call in birds for great photos!

At First Landing State Park, we are doing a trial run with "Trail Packs."  These hip packs contain a monocular, a field guide, and a magnifying glass.  We are allowing visitors to use these only on guided hikes or school field trips.  If we get a positive response, we'll be applying for grant funds to have these in all of our parks.

Call the park near you to find out if they have Park Packs and/or Explore Packs. To find a park near you, click here.

Grab a pack and hit the trails!