The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is now accepting entries for the “Stitch in Time” Quilt Show.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is an above average meteor shower with about 30 meteors per hour at its peak in the Northern Hemisphere.

Mom does everything for you.

Join a ranger on a spring birding hike at beautiful New River Trail State Park. Peak songbird migration along the New River is mid-April to mid-May.

Looking for a fun way to explore the park at your own pace?

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.

In the spring of 1775, men, women, and children head west, deep into the untamed wilderness.

Bows and arrows have been a part of human society for thousands of years and used for both survival and sport.

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

Join a ranger at the Discovery Center and ask any questions you may have about Westmoreland State Park.  Feel free to drop in and check out the items on display.  Do you have a fossil you need help to identify?

Are you participating in No Meat May?

Explore the Chesapeake Bay through the animals that live in it!

Stop by the Visitor Center and have the opportunity to view the sun through a telescope.

Flowers always make a great gift, so come make your own bouquet of flowers with us!

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.

Flowers are a traditional Mother’s Day gift, but they only last so long! Why not join us in making some flowers that are a bit more permanent?

"Love is like wildflowers; it's often found in the most unlikely places." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson Just as there are thousands of flowers in the world, there are as many ways to be shown love by a mother, grandmother, stepparent, and other caregivers. This Mother's Day weekend, come on a hike to discover the variety of wildflowers that can be found around Widewater State Park.

Spring has sprung and planting season has arrived at Sky Meadows.

There are many stories to tell about Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some will be tactile, and most do not use words.

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.

Interested in learning more about archery while having fun?

Interested in learning more about archery while having fun?

Yes, this is an honest-to-goodness game show with buzzers, lights, excitement, and prizes (without the TV cameras). We will put your knowledge to the test about everything from history, animals, plants, and more.

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

Join us at the Visitor Center as the Virginia Museum of Natural History's scientists will be presenting a selection of live reptiles from their collection. This program complies with Virginia law, with park and museum staff properly trained to responsibly handle and collect wildlife.

Practice your detective skills by uncovering snakes hidden in images of their habitat, and discover how best to avoid those with venom.

Team up with a Virginia Museum of Natural History expert as we explore Hale Creek in search of amphibians. Find out more about our area's native wildlife and threats to their habitat.

The visitor center is one of the best spots to search for bald eagles hunting fish and soaring through the sky, so stop by and search for eagles along with our park rangers.

Did you know mommy opossums carry their young on their backs for three to five months?

Ever wonder what dolls of the 18th century frontier looked like or what they were made of?

Ready, set, crawl, to join General Raphael, our non-releasable rescue eastern box turtle, as we explore more about her and the animal friends she shares her habitat with.

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

Want to know a secret?

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Of all the mammals, opossums are the most misunderstood. They are fascinating creatures with very unique characteristics.

Team up with a Virginia Museum of Natural History expert as we hike the Oak Hickory Trail and find out more about the park's native amphibians.

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.

Join a ranger for a guided hike along one of the fingers of Fairy Stone Lake that leads to an abandoned iron mine.

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

Every Monday evening from May to the first week of September you can find local fresh produce, baked goods, honey, jams and jellies, soap, and local artisan crafters, as well as food vendors, here at Fairy Stone State Park.

The Fairfield Foundation opens the Timberneck house for free walk-in tours every Tuesday.

Master plans are updated every 10 years and help guide park development and conservation.

Meet at the Big Water Visitor Center and help our resident box turtle have some fun in the sun.

Come along on a hike through Kiptopeke's trails to learn about the nature in our park.

Come over to Picnic Shelter #2 and get inspired by the great outdoors.

This is a fantastic time of year to take-in the beautiful scenery of Southwest Virginia.

Want to experience the New River Trail State Park in a way few people get a chance to?

The Senior Ranger Series is geared towards citizens 55 and older who are interested in learning more about nature. Join us to learn all about trees at Leesylvania State Park.

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

Using our senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing, we can come to appreciate unique qualities of plants and trees that have made them partners in our survival.

Join us as we learn more about the prehistoric history of Chippokes through fossils that can be found right on our beaches!

Did you know that 11 to 3 million years ago Chippokes, the James River, and most of the Tidewater area of Virginia was all under water and at the bottom of the Claremont Manor Sea? Join an interpreter on an adventure through the Fossil Beds of Chippokes to see what we can find...

The peepers are peepin', and Spring has sprung; come enjoy the park while the season is young!

Are all snakes venomous?

Have you ever wanted to enjoy the wonders of fossil beach after dark?

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

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

Meet at the Big Water Visitor Center and help our resident box turtle have some fun in the sun.

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.

Ready to learn the ins and outs of canoeing?

Help park rangers get the Hollingsworth access ready for the upcoming summer season!

Some of Virginia's coolest mammals are rarely seen by humans.

Come along on a hike through Kiptopeke's trails to learn about the nature in our park.

Geocaching combines Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with nature to provide adventure for treasure hunters all over the world.

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

Frogs, crawdads, and children, oh my!

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Make the outdoors your classroom!  Schedule a field trip at Shenandoah River State Park!

Come meet and greet Ranger Myrtle (our Red-Eared Slider turtle), Ranger Scout (our Western Hognose snake), and Ranger Brutus (our Copperhead snake) to discover what makes these rangers so special to Twin Lakes State Park.  Parks are for everyone.

Slither and splash into the world of reptiles.

Come over to Picnic Shelter #2 and get inspired by the great outdoors.

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

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

What does fire mean to you?

Slip on your closed-toe shoes and get ready to explore the creek.

Ever wonder what a ranger does from day to day?

Hoot have thought reconstructing skeletons could be so cool? Learn about some of our native owl species while you dissect a Great Horned Owl pellet.

Pollinator populations everywhere are in a steady decline, but why all the buzz about it?

Join us for a night of 'bat-tastic' fun at Twin Lakes State Park!

Get Tickets!

Humans have lived with fire for a very long time.

Kick off your stay at our ranger-led campfire.

Welcome to the park, kick off your stay with an evening by the fire at water's edge.

Kids to Parks Day is a national day of outdoor play celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May.

Start your day with a peaceful and invigorating ranger-led hike at High Bridge Trail State Park.

Do you want your kids to learn how to kayak?

Event Registration is full!

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

Ready to learn the ins and outs of kayaking?

Get knee-deep in the Shenandoah during Fly Fishing 101!  During this program, our fly-fishing instructor will go over all the basics to get you catching your first fish on a fly!

Celebrate National Kids to Parks Day by discovering more about Pocahontas State Park.

Nature journaling is the intersection of art, science, and curiosity.

Come and join us for our volunteer-based beach clean up.

Join us for our nature photography series!  April 19 - Wildflowers and Wildlife  May 17 - Bird ID and Photography  June 21 - Wildlife Photography and Scavenger Hunt  On May 17, we will meet at the visitor center to review bird identification and tips for photographing birds.  After the meeting at the visitor center, we will explore habitats that birds frequent to observe them and photograph these flying wonders.

Kids to Parks Day is a nationwide celebration connecting families with the beauty and wonder of our public lands.

On February 19, 2019, one of our beloved rangers, Anna, left us too soon.

Start your weekend with fresh air, beautiful scenery, comradery, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Join the Friends of Mason Neck and Fairfax Master Naturalists for a rewarding day of volunteer garden work!

Bring your family and join us for National Kids to Parks Day!