Events in Virginia State Parks

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

Have you ever wondered what a plant would sound like if it could speak...or play music?

A breeding colony of great blue herons is not a rookery, it is a heronry (we didn't make that word up).

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.

Take your first shot at archery in this beginner-friendly workshop.

Attract the local pollinator friends with these seed bombs for your garden!

Help bring history back to life alongside park staff and volunteers from the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in a dynamic historic cemetery preservation workshop.

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.

Create your own Mini Garden and take a little piece of nature home!

Join us on Earth Week for a Hungry Mother Lake clean-up.

Parents, you spoke, and we listened!  We're excited to introduce our first toddler series: Little Wanderers. This series is for parents/guardians with toddlers ages 2-5. Once a month, on a Saturday, we will explore the natural world through short hikes, engaging games, and reading stories.

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.

Frogs calling are a true sign of spring.   Frogs and toads rely on water from places like ponds and wetlands to lay their eggs, and many species never stray far from a body of water.

Ahoy, nature-loving engineers.

What are microplastics and what do they do to our ecosystem?

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.

Ever wondered what stories Douthat State Park holds?

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

What better way to support Mother Earth on this Earth Day than to plant an eco-friendly garden?

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

Take a guided stroll through the vibrant salt marsh along the Cape Henry Trail and uncover the hidden life of this vital wetland ecosystem.

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

Find out what's at Staunton River State Park!

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

What is paracord, and what is it used for?

Step into the hidden world of nocturnal insects as Fairy Stone State Park comes alive after dark.

Experience Sky Meadows, an International Dark-Sky Park, at this monthly astronomical celebration!

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

The Rappahannock Astronomy Club is pleased to present an evening of deep space viewing.

Take a relaxing stroll along our lake shore as you visit several lights that have been placed in or along the lake to attract critters of all sizes.

Celebrate International Dark Sky Week by learning how to call for owls on Cedar Creek.  There is a whole world that wakes up when daylight ends.

Join the Friends of Hayfield's for a night of beautiful views and new experiences at the parks first ever star party.

James River State Park is a designated International Dark Sky park.

The Eta Aquarids is an above average meteor shower capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.

Create a recycled flowerpot out of newspaper that you can place right in the ground with native flower seeds.

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

After the iron industry moved away from the area, residents of Fayerdale went from mining to 'shining.

Join fellow nature-lovers to help safe-guard our native birds during Earth Week! On this guided birding walk, you will be encouraged to practice identification and record the species observed using the eBird app by the Cornell Lab.

Get down and dirty with this two-hour wild cave tour.

Westmoreland State Park is a special place known for rare and common fossils, including, the most desirable and sought after - shark teeth you can find along our shoreline.

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

Why throw away old magazines,  water bottles, or old craft materials when you could use them for an art project?

Get outside and join volunteers at Caledon State Park to help improve Caledon's trail system.

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

What better craft to celebrate Earth Week than one using earth! After a brief talk about the geology of the park, air-dry clay and modeling tools will be available for your inner artist to mold into sculpted art or a utilitarian sort of pencil holder.  Stop in at the Park Office during posted open hours to purchase a ticket good for a lump of clay for $2 per person, or $6 for four people.

Spring is arriving in the mountains!

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

Celebrate Earth Week by stepping into the forest and discovering why there’s truly no place like home for the incredible array of life that depends on it.

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.

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

Let's Go on an Archery Adventure: Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Kick off Earth Week with creativity and turn old tees into new treasures!

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.

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.

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!