Events in Virginia State Parks

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.

You may think you know all about turtles, but come join us for Earth Week to discover how amazing they really are! How long can they really live?

On the morning of April 6, 1865, Confederate General Robert E.

Turn trash into treasure at Caledon!

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

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.

We all know that hiker who likes to stop every few steps to point out some cool fungi, or stop to examine a freshly fallen feather.

Enjoy a naturalist-led hike learning all about what's blooming and growing around you.  This easy hike will take visitors through our park's deciduous woodlands along the river granting an opportunity to see some of the New River’s native wildflowers and trees in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet! Please wear comfortable walking shoes, dress for the weather, and bring plenty of water and snacks.

Did you know that it takes nine steps to load an American Civil War musket?

 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!

Hold the whole world or at least a mini ecosystem in your hands.

Join a ranger to discover park history and how the tunnel was formed during this guided hike down Tunnel Trail.

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

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

Frogs, crawdads, and children - oh my!

Celebrate Earth Week by giving back to your park and making a positive impact on the environment!

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

The Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park is a volunteer organization of interested citizens who actively support the park. The group works on behalf of the park by assisting in daily programs, special events, fund raising, and public education. The partnership provides a mechanism to use the skills, contacts, and resources of private citizens and businesses to improve services that may not otherwise be available.

April showers bring May flowers.  For the month of April, homeschoolers will learn about the water cycle, water pollution, and how it affects us and the environment.

Enjoy maximum bluff and shoreline views on this ranger guided hike.  The hike is just about a mile and includes a portion of the new Hognose Trail.  We will explore the popular Fossil Beach and the secluded Pete's Overlook.  .

All are welcome at the Friends of Sailor's Creek Battlefield volunteer support group during their monthly meeting as they focus on a variety of objectives designed to assist the park's mission in preserving the hallowed grounds of the last major battle of the American Civil War in Virginia on April 6, 1865.

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).

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

Celebrate Earth Week by giving back to your park and making a positive impact on the environment!

This special activity is a part of Virginia Volunteer Week as well as Earth Day Week activities.

To celebrate the 56th Earth Day, visit our fun display of solar powered gizmos.

Have you ever wondered how long it takes for our trash to fully decompose?  This program will explore our trash and its effect on the environment.

Help support the park you love.

The Friends of Powhatan State Park is a group made up of citizen volunteers from Virginia’s Piedmont region who are passionate about supporting the park’s mission.

Virginia State Park license plate owners will receive free parking on the following dates, as well as special discounts and offers provided throughout the year.

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

Join park staff, Friends of Grayson Highlands State Park and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy volunteers for the High-Country Clean-up!

Join us this Earth Day at Douthat State Park to make a lasting impact on our forest ecosystem.

Do you feel safer walking with a friend?

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

Celebrate Earth Week by giving back to your park and making a positive impact on the environment!

Join us on Earth Day to help restore some of the natural habitat at the Ivanhoe Birding Trail.

This Virginia Volunteer Week and Earth Day Week activity will have us cutting down invasive Autumn Olive shrubs encroaching into the archery range and in the campgrounds.

Join a park ranger on a three-mile hike to the waterfall and back.

Volunteer your time this Earth Day with a shoreline cleanup at our park. Learn about how pollution can spread in an aquatic environment and help us protect ourselves and our wildlife.

This program introduces young participants to the wonders of the natural world while encouraging an appreciation for the environment.

Grab your gloves and boots as we go hunting for non-native species that are disrupting the native ecosystem.

Join us for a self guided Earth Day cleanup at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park.

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” — Elizabeth Andrew Join the staff at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park for a meaningful day of service!

April showers bring May flowers.  For the month of April, homeschoolers will learn about the water cycle, water pollution, and how it affects us and the environment.

“Animals of Fairy Stone” explores the habits and characteristics of a variety of animals found in the Park.  Find out who may be sneaking through your back yard or even around your campsite after you’ve gone to sleep.  While at the program, examine pelts, bones, and more!

 This Earth Day join our rangers in protecting the environment by leaving nothing but foot prints and taking only photos.

Turtle time in our front yard.

Join Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes and park staff for a night amphibian walk! We will start the evening at the River Bend Discovery Center to learn about amphibian conservation and ecology. As the sun starts setting, we will take a walk in the woods to look and listen for frogs and toads!

On the night of April 21–22, 2026, the Lyrid meteor shower will peak, offering a prime stargazing opportunity to see roughly 10–20 meteors per hour.

Come out and enjoy a beautiful meteor shower.

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

Celebrate Earth Week by giving back to your park and making a positive impact on the environment!

Meet with a ranger and go on a guided hike along the Lakeshore Trail (0.81mi.).

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

National Picnic Day is the perfect excuse to take your lunch outside and enjoy the fresh air.

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

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.(The Roaming Ranger will be at Woodstock Pond).

New life is springing up all over the park.  Kick off an hour of sights and sounds at the Discovery Room and view nesting herons and osprey.  .

Children will explore the vast ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay and Cape Henry.

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

Virginia State Park license plate owners will receive free parking on the following dates, as well as special discounts and offers provided throughout the year.

Our park is known for its biodiversity and is home to many species of birds.

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

Celebrate Earth Week by giving back to your park and making a positive impact on the environment!

This trail begins on Iron Mine Trail and features an iron mine once used by Fayerdale residents, as well as an overlook of Fairy Stone Lake.

Celebrate Earth Week and Arbor Day with staff from The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) in partnership with Sky Meadows State Park Rangers for an unforgettable hike to the Piedmont Memorial Overlook.

April 24, 2026: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Let's Go on an Archery Adventure @ Shelter 4: Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Stretch your wings on this 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.

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

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.

The Senior Ranger series is geared towards senior citizens who are interested in learning more about nature, outdoor skills, and history.

Take care of your mother Earth by joining the more than one billion people worldwide who celebrate Earth Day annually.

Let your creativity flow at our Creation Station, where you can create your favorite animal mask, opossum puppet, turkey, butterfly, or batteau craft.

With warmer wetter weather comes springtime fungi!

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.

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

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

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

New life is springing up all over the park.  Kick off an hour of sights and sounds at the Discovery Room and view nesting herons and osprey.  .

Help us celebrate our planet with some special Earth Day programs: Friday, April 24: 3 p.m. - Tree Identification Hike @ the Howe House  Join us for a scenic hike around the historical Howe House and learn how to identify some of our native trees.

Come celebrate Arbor Day with us! Join our rangers for a scenic hike from the Howe House to the beach as we learn how to identify some of our common native trees using our handheld identification sheets.

Ever wondered how a beaver’s fur keeps it warm and dry, or how a white-tailed deer communicates within its herd?

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

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

Come join the party!

Meet a park ranger and volunteer team at the High Knob Destination Center in Norton, VA, and explore the natural history of the Appalachian Mountains.

Join a park ranger at the High Knob Destination Center in Norton, VA, for an immersive journey through the natural history of the Appalachian Mountains.

Start off your weekend off right with s’mores and more!

'Whooo' will hear 'whooo' first?

Whooooo’s calling in the night!?

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.

Take a chance, step outside and discover your local "flew" crew.

Grab your binoculars and go birding.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.

History comes roaring to life as the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park kicks off a thrilling day-long expedition along the famed Wilderness Road.

In a partnership program with High Bridge Trail, the Margaret Watson Bird Club will have volunteers available to share their knowledge during this birding adventure.

Join us for the tenth annual running of the Osprey 10K Run/5K Run-Walk, which will highlight the wonderful attributes of the area as participants make their way along the beautiful roadways in Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

On this special edition of "Ranger-led Hikes", we will celebrate Earth Week as we hike through areas of the park that show signs of human impact.

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.