Events in Virginia State Parks

Join us for the first-ever Volunteer Camp-Out at Douthat State Park. This is your chance to enjoy a beautiful lakeside camping experience for free while giving back to the park you love.

Got a little explorer who’s beyond crawling, but isn’t ready to hike with the Kindergarten siblings?  The Tyke Hike is the perfect fit for little legs.  The hikes are less than a mile and mostly stroller friendly.  The ranger will help your little one discover neat things in nature in this one hour adventure.

Spring brings about lots of change in our natural world.

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).

Did you know that opossums roamed the earth with the dinosaurs and that raccoons have “hands” like ours? Wonder what other secrets these critters hold? Join us to discover little known facts about these amazing animals and how they benefit humans.

This program is designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

Spring brings about lots of change in our natural world.

"Beavers:  Nature's Engineers" examines the characteristics and habits of North America's largest rodent.  Learn about how beavers alter the environment more than any other creature except humans.  Find out how beavers contributed to the westward expansion as settlers arrived in the New World.  Following a short lecture about the beaver and a few "local stories", a beautiful movie will follow the life of a pair of beaver's lives throughout a year-long period.  Various items, including a beaver skull, pelt, and examples of wood cuttings, will be displayed.  A special gift will be given to all children who attend the program.

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.

Unsure or unable to participate in walks over uneven forested terrain but have a desire to know nature better?

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

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

Join our rangers in discovering the secrets of the magnificent White-tailed Deer.

Leave No Trace principles not only apply to you, but also your dog.

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is thrilled to announce the spring semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program!

Our Friends Group is an organization of citizens who support our park's operations, events, and material needs through fund raising.

Time to polish your beginner or advanced identification skills for the local fauna of Virginia.

Did you know Raccoons can remember solutions to tasks and have “hands” like ours?

From the small eastern screech owl to the great horned owl, eight species of owls call Virginia home part or all of the year.   Get a glimpse into the mysterious world of our elusive nocturnal raptors.

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 head to the site.

Join our rangers in discovering the secrets of the magnificent White-tailed Deer.

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

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

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

Join a ranger to learn about the wild animals found at Belle Isle State Park that delight your senses.

Come join the party!

Start off your weekend off right with s’mores and more! Join our rangers in a welcome campfire at the Outdoor Classroom behind the Discovery Center each Friday this month, where you can learn more about the wildlife and fossils that we have here in our park. Whether you want to learn more about Westmoreland, or you just want to hang out and eat s’mores, you know where to find us! Dress appropriately for the weather on the day of the event and bring water. .

Grab your binoculars and get outside.

Join a volunteer for a guided birding walk throughout the park.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.

The story of a man who lived life on a stage of his own making, this program dives into the sweeping presence of John B.

There’s nothing like the thrill of a first catch—bring your young anglers to reel in a big one at Kids Fishing Day.

Join us for a nature photography program with Samuels Public Library.  We will meet outside the Visitor Center to review tips for photographing spring flowers and wildlife.

Come visit our booth at the Gloucester County 2026 Daffodil festival!

Join a ranger on a volunteer workday!

Long before there was a York River State Park, or even a York River, 6,000 plus years ago, marine creatures swam here in a shallow sea.

There are many stories to tell about Sweet Run State Park.

If you get tired of the hustle and bustle of Downtown Historic Gloucester during the Daffodil Festival, but still want to be enriched in local history, stop by the first Timberneck Open House of the year!

Become a steward of nature while building your local community and connecting with the people near you that share a passion for the outdoors. Meet with rangers at the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center for a short talk about conservation and to get supplies to clean up the trash that washes onto the shoreline or is left and scattered along the trails and recreational areas. Clean-Up days are self-paced, so come clean our shoreline for as much time as you can spare to make a difference at the park.

Would you like to have the chance to explore the trails in Powhatan State Park and meet new people?

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

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.

Where do our amphibians and reptiles live?

Step out on the trail to search for springtime renewal.

Have you ever wanted to identify the different birds in your yard or even start bird watching as a hobby?  If so, this program is for you.  We'll go over the basics of finding and identifying birds, the basic equipment you might need, as well as some tips to help you make the most of your birding adventures!

Become an owl pellet detective as we dissect the clues an owl leaves behind.

Walk through history by touring Sky Meadows' historic Mount Bleak House.

Each month, volunteers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to work together on a project that helps improve and maintain our beautiful park.

Leaf your worries behind and tree-t yourself to a ranger-led hike that shows how trees are everything but still!   We will be hiking ~0.5 miles down an accessible paved trail to Rock Spring Pond.

Join a ranger led tour to reveal what the landscape of Cedar Creek is trying to tell you.

Children ages 1 to 10 will hop along with the Easter Bunny as they search for elusive candy-filled eggs, some containing prizes.

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

Did you know using sticks on your hike may conserve your energy on treks through all different terrains?

Before leaves return to trees, the sun reaches the forest floor to give early spring flowers energy to pop up!

Meet Maverick, our corn snake animal ambassador, as he helps teach us all about our scaly friends and the good that they do for our environment.

Grab your GPS (or smartphone) and step back in time to celebrate the 93rd anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

Unsure or unable to participate in walks over uneven forested terrain but have a desire to know nature better?

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 head to the site.

Step into the shoes of a 19th-century farmer and help care for our heritage breed chickens and goats!

Join our rangers as we complete the new 2026 Junior Ranger Activity Booklet to earn a badge and become a certified Junior Ranger!

Careful hair and skin care routines, and the desire to keep up with fashion trends, might be a characteristic more closely related to the 21st century rather than the 18th century.

Think you’ve got sharp eyes?

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.

Join the rangers on a hunt for three of James River's 14 geocaches.

Join author and photographer Jack Gates for an engaging presentation and book signing celebrating the beauty and history of spring wildflowers in the Eastern Woodlands.

Westmoreland State Park is home to four different ambassador animals: Reba the corn snake, Stevie the king snake, and two red-eared sliders, Venus and Jennika.

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 boom town. 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.

Drawing on years of dog training experience and a passion for our parks, join Ranger Rachel in the pilot program designed to bring training to the trails and help your dog become their best park-ready companion.

If you're curious about trees, satisfy your curiosity on this Arbor Adventure!  Join a ranger on Chippoax Trace Trail to identify Chippokes' fauna, specifically trees.  This trail takes visitors from rolling farm fields, into canopied woodlands, and to a worthwhile scenic view of the beautiful salt marshes of Chippokes.

Join us on a ranger-led hike to certify your canine companion as a New River Trail State Park B.A.R.K Ranger!    The B.A.R.K.

Long ago, giant beasts roamed these lands...put yourself into the shoes of an Ice Age hunter in this spear-throwing workshop using an ancient spear-throwing device: the atlatl! The atlatl was used on the North American continent and all over the world, enabling both men and women to efficiently hunt megafauna such as woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths.

There's no work without play.

Vernal pools are shallow, temporary pools that typically form in early spring.

 Deep in the forest lies the perfect amphibian retreat - vernal pools.  These special pools fill up each winter to provide a safe habitat for salamanders, fingernail clams, fairy shrimp, and more!

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

Join a ranger on a guided hike along one of the park’s less traveled trails to experience the tunnel from a unique angle.

Build your very own bug hotel to help provide a habitat for beneficial insects. Your creation will offer pollinators a special space where they can breed and grow!

Bloodroot, Dutchman's Breeches, Cutleaf Toothwort, oh my!

When a tree falls in the forest, what happens next?

Our animal ambassadors Hisstopher and Harrold want to meet you!

Join a ranger to learn about meteorological vs.

Join our rangers for a bit of fun around the campfire as we welcome you to the park.

Deep in the forest lies the perfect amphibian retreat - vernal pools. These special pools fill up each winter to provide a safe habitat for salamanders, fingernail clams, fairy shrimp, and more!

Hike through the forest after dark in search of sights and sounds from the owls who are hunting there.

The story of a man who lived life on a stage of his own making, this program dives into the sweeping presence of John B.

There are many stories to tell about Sweet Run State Park.

This archery session for beginners and provides shooting time for the more experienced. It begins with instruction time on archery equipment, technique, and safety.

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

Come visit our booth at the Gloucester County 2026 Daffodil festival!

Did you know Raccoons can remember solutions to tasks and have “hands” like ours?

Walk through history by touring Sky Meadows' historic Mount Bleak House.

Virginia is home to a very smart, and often mischievous animal, Ursus americanus, or the American Black Bear.

Before leaves return to trees, the sun reaches the forest floor to give early spring flowers energy to pop up!

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.

Water, no matter if it comes from oceans, rivers, or rain, tells us a story.

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

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 head to the site.

From spring migrations to nighttime choruses, amphibians follow nature's rhythms and signal the changing seasons.

Early spring is a time of subtle but exciting change, and this guided hike invites visitors to look closely for the first signs of the season waking up the forest and fields with your B.A.R.K Ranger.

Ever heard of a seed bomb?