What is the oldest way of cooking?

It's Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day!

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

Join Master Naturalist Kim Manion for a short walk to discover the basics of tree identification.

The Children's Garden Workshops are a great way to get your little one up, moving, creating and learning.

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

On the third Saturday of every June at Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, the Wayne C.

Discover the timeless art of pine needle basket weaving and unlock your creativity with this hands-on workshop.

June is National Pollinator Month!

Explore the mighty James River via canoe with your very own guide!

Ever wonder what animals call Kiptopeke home or what those shells on the beach are called?

Ride with a park guide as we experience Smith Mountain Lake from a boat.

Learn about the fascinating history of our park, our lake, and the surrounding area.

Join a ranger to create something special from natural elements found in the park.

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

Enjoy a scenic guided walk along the New River Trail. This easy one-mile round trip tour will take visitors outside one of the oldest mining operations in North America, the Austinville lead mines.

Travel through time during the 2024 Virginia State Parks History and Culture celebration at First Landing State Park.  Check out a replica artifact touch table, participate in games inspired by the indigenous cultures of Virginia Tribal Nations, and attend guided hikes all to do with the history of the park, CCC, and Cape Henry region.

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

In 1860, nearly half of Fauquier County's 21,706 residents were enslaved, with fourteen enslaved individuals living at the Mount Bleak Farm.

Get up close and personal with your wild neighbors and learn about their natural history.

Tree cookies might sound like a scrumptious new flavor, but unless you're a termite, please don't eat these cookies.

Did you know the park's lakes were built by humans?

One of the original 6, Westmoreland State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC); a New Deal era program intended to help restore morale during the Great Depression.

Flutter on over to meet with Master Naturalist Kim Manion to discuss all things butterflies.

Spend History and Culture Day at Natural Tunnel State Park and tour a replica of the Anderson Blockhouse as rangers provide information about the history of the building and area.

Spend History and Culture Day with us by stepping back in time to participate in games played in the 18th century.

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.

Who pooped in the park?

Watch and learn about our ambassador animals, Reba the Corn Snake or Stevie the King Snake, as they feed on a frozen mouse! .

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.

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.

Experience the wonders of the Tutelo trail with our park interpreter.

During this one-mile trek, a ranger will guide you through this journey through time on Goodwin Lake Trail. Goodwin Lake Trail is rated easy but does have a few areas that may make the trail unsuitable for those with moderate to severe mobility issues.

This Father's Day, explore some of the lineage of the two most famous Civil War generals: Lee and Grant.

Head on over to the park to meet Ranger Parker Redfox, the Virginia State Parks mascot.

Come learn about Palmer Hayden, a renowned Widewater artist who is known for his paintings of everyday life in African-American communities.

From the Colonial Era thru today, black watermen have been a part of the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry in all levels.  Discover the communities built on harvesting fish and shellfish giving African Americans financial freedom even in the Jim Crow years.  Even today, we can help improve the bay so that everyone can enjoy it’s beauty and bounty.

The are many different wildlife that call Leesylvania State Park their home.

What is the oldest way of cooking?

Come out of your shell and spend some time getting to know the Eastern Box Turtle.

Come join us at Lebanon Farmers Market for a fun learning program all about native animals to the Clinch River State Park.

A new way to find treasure at your own pace.  Geocaching makes use of the Global Positioning System to help you find caches of park information and small gifts.  We will supply you with a GPS unit and the ranger will point you to the path of a unique discovery. .

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.  Meet with our naturalist/ranger who will help you discover the aquatic, insect, mammal, and plant life in the park’s ecosystems.

Go back in time to the historic village of Foster Falls.

Join a ranger to learn how our beautiful lake came to be and the fascinating history of the lake's past inhabitants.

What is a gundalow?  A gundalow was a long wooden flatboat that was used to haul merchandise down the Shenandoah River.

Once the smoke cleared, Johnny Reb and Billy Yank would often collapse from exhaustion and set up camp for the night. What did a military camp look like? Was it dangerous to be in camp? Come out for an interactive experience with our rangers as we walk you through the lives of the soldiers from both North and South.

Celebrate the anniversary of Virginia State Parks with a scenic guided walk along the New River.

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

Have you ever wondered how snakes can swallow something as big as their own heads?

Explore the mighty James River via canoe with your very own guide!

Historically, trees have provided us with shelter as we've used them to make various structures and enjoyed the warmth they provide as we've built fires from them.

Frogs, turtles, and fish, oh my! Explore the life that exists in the pond while learning about the abundance of animals that call this ecosystem home.

Paddle the lower Potomac River on a fossil finding adventure as we scour the shoreline for clues to the past.

Boulder in the scenic mountains and boulder fields of Grayson Highlands State Park.

Come on out to the park and test your paddling skills.

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

Take a short walk with a ranger and explore the history of Douthat State Park.

The survival bracelet is the superhero utility belt of the outdoors.

Poles and bait will be provided.

Be on the lookout for a roaming ranger with a mini-program and learn something new.

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.

Participants who are interested in the Prowl the Powell nature series should meet volunteers and park staff at the front gate of the museum.

Join us for a short hike full of puns and other nature related dad jokes.

The York River is one of our nation's most historic waterways.  Discover Native American, Colonial, Civil War, and recent history by canoe or kayak.  Cost.

Frogs, crawdads, and children, oh my!

Did you know that Shenandoah County wasn't always called Shenandoah County?

Join us at the beach for an engaging interpretive program exploring the rich history of our park and the pivotal role of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Join our amazing volunteer and Master Naturalist, Darin Handy, as he shows us all sorts of amazing live critters from our region.

Mystery of History Hike - Interpretive Area.

Join us for the Westmoreland State Parks one and only Music on the Cliff!

Pack a picnic and come early to pick the best spot on the lawn for one of the highlights of the summer season on Virginia’s Northern Neck.

Turtles have a complex shield covered in a mosaic protein. Join us to look closer at these reptile shells as we recreate natures masterpiece.

Test your survival skills by learning to build a fire without a match or lighter!

Join Yoga Instructor Kelly Blevins to experience a more engaged form of yoga as you strike poses on our stand-up paddle boards out in the lake.

Join us on a ranger-led wagon ride through history. We will take you on a tour of our beautiful park, stopping at multiple places along the way to interpret the amazing history of Staunton River State Park.

Spend a nice summer's evening sitting around the campfire with storyteller Melanie Smith as she spins tales that span Appalachian culture.

Join us at New River Trail State Park for our Foster Falls Music Series!

Join us by the campfire for s’mores as April Martin from the Wilderness Road Regional Museum talks about the early history of our mountains.

Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Sky Meadows' campground provides you with a fantastic place to enjoy peaceful rejuvenation, but how much do you know about this wonderful park?

High Bridge Trail State Park invites you to witness the spectacular sight of nature's fireflies by the thousands in the treetops below High Bridge.

If you would like to hear what music sounded like in the 1840s before the Civil War, then we have a very unique experience for you. We will have a historically accurate live music program with reproduction banjos, fiddles, and more with some great history about the songs they are playing. This only happens once a year! Please bring some chairs or blankets and enjoy a wonderful evening with us.

In celebration of Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day, False Cape State Park will offer a special night tour to Wash Woods.

What do you know about Virginia's native predators?

Explore the marsh at night as you paddle up its placid waters.  Various creatures may be seen in the creek or along the shoreline, while bats fly above in the night sky.  You may even experience owls calling at a distance.  Take it all in as the light of the moon blankets the surroundings with mystery.  Reservations with pre-payment only.  Canoes  - $13/person or $8/person (family of 4+).

What better way to appreciate the dark of night than a moonlit owl prowl! A moonlit night can be a great time to hear and spot some native owl species of the area.

Did you know that coyotes are not naturally native to Virginia?

Join a ranger for an interactive evening by the campfire as we discuss the unique stories and critters of Pocahontas State Park and the Virginia State Park system.

Join astronomy volunteers as they share the stories written in the night sky.

On Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day, step back in time as we uncover the mysteries of those at rest in the park's historic cemetery.

Experience Douthat State Park's history and evening creatures all under the night stars in the middle of the lake.

Experience life in the early 19th century with live music, blacksmiths, cooking, period camp, boats, and much more. This event will focus on two important parts of history from this area that had a profound influence on transportation and music in America: “batteaux and banjos.” See what it was like to live in the middle of the 19th century.

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

10 and 2, 10 and 2, get into the rhythm of fly fishing.

Have you ever wondered what owls look like, what they eat, or where they live?

What better way to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the park than by kayak?

Kids’ Activity Book: This free book contains activities for the young (or young at heart).

Have you ever wondered about the birds in your area?

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

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