Events in Virginia State Parks

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

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

Volunteer your time this Earth Day and help stop pollution. Learn about how pollution can spread in an aquatic environment and help us protect ourselves and our wildlife by cleaning up our shoreline.

In Virginia, a lot of pre-contact Indigenous history was obscured by colonization.

As the sun dips low and the night draws near, we humans usually turn in for the night...but this is show time for bats!

Join us for a special night hike through False Cape State Park.

Join us by the campfire for a relaxing evening as we welcome you back to the park.

A nearly century-long tradition continues as the Natural Bridge is bathed in light the last Saturday night of every month, April through October. Experience the 200-foot-tall arch as it is lit from above and below by dozens of lights, with the only sound being the murmuring of Cedar Creek running below.

Calling all amateur astronomers and people who enjoy the night sky!

Discover our International Dark-Sky Park!

Come join the storytellers from CHAOS (Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society) on the Observation Field to share the stories of the stars.

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

Spring has sprung and it's time to look for wildflowers in our park.

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

Looking for that perfect selfie spot?

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, enjoy Big Meadow Trail, and learn about the natural history of Westmoreland State Park.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Grab your journal and come on down to the park and try your hand at a new skill - Nature Journaling!

Have you ever wondered what kind of tree you're walking past on a hike?

Chippokes State Park welcomes visitors to accompany an interpretive guide on a very unique historical building tour experience to explore the oldest dwelling on the grounds.

Hear the tale of star-crossed lovers that the trail is named after and view the tunnel from above.

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

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'.

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?

Interested in learning more about archery while having fun?

Join volunteer Lee Diggs to learn about and hunt for mushrooms and other fungi in Appalachia.

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

Does Virginia even have any native lizards?

Put on your hiking boots, grab a water bottle, and get ready for a floral-filled excursion at Chippokes State Park!

Did you know owls get 'hairballs?' About once a day, an owl spits up a ball of hair and bones called an owl pellet which is actually the 'leftovers' from their most recent meals.

Learn some of the trade secrets of what it takes to create the perfect 'fairy stone' that everyone is looking for.

The Bay can hold many secrets.

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

Did you know there was once a thriving Boom Town located where our lake is today?

"The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson With the use of the Celestron automated telescope, view the astral bodies up close and learn about the history of the stars.

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nestboxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

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

Join rangers at the Prince William Public Libraries this Spring for a fun nature reading session.

"The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson With the use of the Celestron automated telescope, view the astral bodies up close and learn about the history of the stars.

Are you age 55+ with an interest in spending time in nature?

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

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

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

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is excited to announce the Spring semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program.

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

Live birds in the historical Lincoln Theater!

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.

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

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

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

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...

Learn the legend behind these 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.

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.

Leesylvania State Park is home to many different turtles!

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

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.

Come join us for an Outdoor Adventure Hunt!

Slither and splash into the world of reptiles.

Create a hand-made, nature-inspired souvenir to take home.

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

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

Join us to hear about the impacts of fire; from the habitats it touches to how humans have learned to use it to our advantage throughout the ages.

Ever wonder what a ranger does from day to day?

Humans have lived with fire for a very long time.

Kick off your stay at our ranger-led campfire.

Explore some of Machicomoco’s best views during golden hour while stopping in to talk with a Ranger about some of their favorite park topics.

Who, who, who are you?

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

What could be a better way to kick off your Saturday morning than enjoying a lovely two-mile round trip hike while searching for your favorite winged friends?

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

May the Forest Be With You as part of the Caledon Trail Race Series!

The Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon is the first open water swim triathlon in the western part of the state of Virginia.

How can a person kayak by ear?

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

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!

Join us for a rewarding morning of gardening alongside fellow plant enthusiasts.

The Friends of the Southwest Virginia Museum to host a Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Plant Sale will offer a variety of indoor and outdoor plants and flowers for purchase, and all proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park.

From May to August, the Overton-Hillsman House will be open to the public on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The historic home was a witness to war, a battlefield hospital, and the birthplace of one of the nation’s foremost Black educators.

International Astronomy Day is an annual event created to celebrate the importance of astronomy, a long-standing science throughout the world.

It's time for a tail waggin' good time!

Join us on the first Saturday of the month to experience the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of history at Sky Meadows.

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

Explore the park's expansive wetlands with us as we search for and identify the plants and animals that call this unique habitat their home.

Join a ranger on a guided hike to learn more about different ecosystems found in the park.

Come to Staunton River Battlefield State Park and learn the basics of archery! This class will teach you the basics of how to properly hold a bow, correct stance, how to aim, and most importantly, how to be safe while doing so.

Join us for a guided tour of the Visitor Center at High Bridge Trail State Park, where history and nature come together!

Join certified Forest Therapy volunteer, Tina Hayes, for a relaxing program made to calm the mind.

Begin your canoe and kayak adventure with a rite of Spring on the Chesapeake Bay.  Burning socks is a tradition among sailors near Annapolis.  We will not need them with our water shoes.  Please bring a pair of natural fiber socks for the ritual fire.  Then, join us for the first paddle of the season.  Cost.

Take a closer look at your surroundings in our monthly nature journaling classes.

Let's take a hike on the Mulberry Creek Boardwalk Trail and beyond!

Find out what lurks below the surface of the swamp in this fun dip-netting adventure!

It's feeding time for our ambassador reptiles.  How do we feed our animals?