Events in Virginia State Parks

As you soak up the sun this July 4th, it is important to stay cool.

End your week with a relaxing paddle along Swift Creek Lake.

Friends, family, and fun can be found at our ranger-led campfire.

Enjoy the sounds of local musicians as you take in our beautiful park.

Come join the party!

Join our rangers for a bit of fun around the campfire.

Come chow down at the campfire and share some s’mores as we settle into the weekend and leave our marks on a fiery take-home souvenir!

What's a camping trip without a campfire?

Welcome to Staunton River State Park!

Join us at the Community Fire Ring to relax, enjoy a roasted marshmallow, and get to know your camping neighbors.

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

Join your fellow campers to hear about all of the different trails and activities the park has to offer and discover the history of the park. This is a great chance to ask questions about the park, local activities in the area, and future events at Fairy Stone State Park.

Enjoy a movie under the stars.

Take a stroll along our lake shore as you visit several mesmerizing lights that have been placed in or along the lake.

Join us for a glow-in-the-dark wagon ride!  Our wagon will be shining bright with our nation's colors as we cross over fields and creeks.

A light glows beneath the surface of Holliday Lake.

Join us for a glow-in-the-dark wagon ride!  Our wagon will be shining bright with our nation's colors as we cross over fields and creeks.

Have you ever heard a bird call and wanted to know what bird made that noise?

Start your morning with a scenic and inspiring bike ride led by a park ranger on High Bridge Trail!

Perfect for beginners, this class will help you connect with nature and start your bird-watching journey.

Join our Park Rangers as they discuss the history, ecology, and culture of the Widewater Peninsula.

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!

Explore the shoreline of the Potomac by kayak! Enjoy a daytime paddle on the lower Potomac River as we look and listen for bald eagles.

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

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

Join us to learn some cool tricks and tips about stand-up paddle boarding.

Join a ranger to hike the Stuart's Knob Trail on National Trails Day and learn about the history of Fayerdale and the importance Stuart's Knob played to in helping the residents earn money throughout its short tenure.

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the trail around High Bridge with interesting historical items from the park.

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

Archery programs are some of the best recreational activities that State Parks have to offer.

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

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.

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.

Come and explore a dynamic ecosystem that prevents erosion and brings life to the river.  The living shoreline between the rip-rap and water’s edge is attracting interesting estuarine and marine creatures and plants.  Discover them and how living shorelines enhance and protect our waterfronts.

Owls, bats, and bugs, oh my!

The trash and litter we leave behind can hurt the environment.

Bring your canine companion and join the B.A.R.K.

This week's theme for Junior Rangers is An Island in the Sky.

Ever wonder what animals call Kiptopeke home, or what shells you can find on our beaches?

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

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?

Hot diggity dog, the Friends of False Cape are having a FUNdraiser!

Feel our fuzzy forest friends’ furs as you learn about the mammals found in our forests.

Celebrate the weekend with a burst of color and creativity by creating your very own patriotic masterpiece.

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

Scurry on over to the tent below the pavilion to investigate the secret life of a bug.

Stop by the nature booth to borrow a Family Learning Adventures adventure pack for the day.

Ever wonder what creatures live in the dark depths of a freshwater marsh?

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

Ever wondered how the cabins you stay in and the shelters you enjoy were built without modern technology?

Join our staff for a guided tour of Mulberry Hill, the plantation home of Judge Paul Carrington, Virginian and Founding Father. Mulberry Hill was also a working tobacco farm owned by the McPhails during the American Civil War.

Northern Virginia runs deep with rich history and Mason Neck is no exception.

Did you know the park's lakes were built by humans?

Join us for an opportunity to get "a-head" on wildlife knowledge and learn to identify skulls based upon their characteristics.

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

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.

Have you ever seen a tree grow out of a rock?

We would like to introduce you to “Boxer” the box turtle.

You might be smarter than a 5th grader but are you smarter than a crow?

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.

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.

Come join us for a fun day in the river looking at mussels!

Meet Natural Tunnel's wildlife ambassador, Popcorn the corn snake.

During the spring and summer, ospreys dominate the skies over Leesylvania as they build nests and raise their young.

Celebrate July 4th weekend with us by making your very own Bald Eagle for you to keep!

Ever wanted to learn how to crab?

It is July 4th weekend and we are bringing the BLING!

Take some time to get out of the hot sun and join our park nature interpreter under the tent for some fun crafts. Independence Day is a time to reflect on our freedom. Design your own butterfly, create a picture using the sun, or "scratch-up" some art.

Create a tie dye masterpiece you can wear all summer!

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

This ranger-led hike will teach you the principles of "Leave No Trace".

Have you ever wondered how snakes can swallow something as big as their own heads?

This "crab" is actually more closely related to spiders and scorpions!

Have you ever picked wild blackberries or collected wild herbs for a recipe?

Create your own up-cycled Nature Journal!

Enjoy a refreshing cup of lemonade with a ranger and engage in interesting discussions to gain a unique insight into local wildlife and conservation efforts.

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...

Come join us as we make nature journals; we'll draw what we see and document the plants around us the way the pioneers of the past did.

Visit a ranger and learn about bear safety.

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.

The natural world around us is like a game of Jenga, and when species are removed, the balance becomes increasingly unstable.

Enjoy an evening of painting at Natural Tunnel. Join Rangers Jessi and Kenley as they walk you through creating a nature themed painting.

Express yourself on the trail with a stylish and unique hiking stick you designed and decorated yourself.

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

Come say hello to Ranger Shelly, our red-eared slider and local shellebrity. Join us at the beach as she enjoys some sunshine and enrichment time.

Meet us at the Camp Store to learn about the 7 Leave No Trace principles while we come together to clean our beaches!

As you soak up the sun this July 4th, it is important to stay cool.

Belle Isle is home to songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors, just to name a few.

You don't need a boat or fishing license to learn how to fish with the rangers at Holliday Lake State Park.

Come out to Chestnut Creek, get your feet wet, and explore life underwater.

Learn basic survival skills such as fire staring, basic shelter building, water purification, and more from our rangers.

Joining a park ranger for a fun reading adventure!

Join us for a refreshing blend of learning and outdoor fun that promotes environmental awareness and sparks a sense of wonder about the tiny worlds hidden in plain sight, right by the pool.

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.

Hit the lake and join us in canoeing on the historic John H.

Who made those footprints?

Throughout the summer we offer multiple opportunities for you to take a tour of our beautiful park by wagon ride.

Autumn is not the only season that is perfect to take a wagon ride. Take a relaxing ride through the park and campground, experiencing the sounds of summertime.

Did you know that people have been using plants to dye fabric for centuries?