Events in Virginia State Parks

Visiting the Natural Bridge could bring out your inner artist this weekend as Roni Navroski teaches you how to paint on a feather.

"Echoes of the Past: Guardians of History" is a park ranger-led program dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and celebration of history.

Paddle the lower Potomac River on a fossil finding adventure! Millions of years ago, Virginia was covered in a shallow sea that was teeming with life, leaving behind prolific fossil beds.

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

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

Without pollinators, people and all of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems would not survive.

Join our rangers in exploring the wildlife along our central trails.

Follow a ranger on a walk through agricultural history in this guided tour of the Farm and Forestry Museum.

Want to learn how to go geocaching? Join one of our rangers on a guided program on how to start your geocache adventure. Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure.

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.

Just how powerful is the sun?

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

"Echoes of the Past: Guardians of History" is a park ranger-led program dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and celebration of history.

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.

Do you know how many common "weeds" have historic use as food and medicine?

Interested in learning more about archery while having fun?

What is a seed bomb?

Ever wanted to learn how to crab?

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the picnic areas and beaches with interesting animals or historical artifacts from the park.

Spend your Sunday by the river!  A ranger will be stationed or roving in the picnic area with a fun activity for the whole family!  Activities may include a fur and skull table, meeting the wildlife ambassadors, dip netting, crafts, and more!

Want to save the bees, butterflies, birds, and more? Just plant native! Even the smallest pollinator-friendly patch will make a difference. Come to our pollinator garden workshop and learn everything you need to know to get started.

Practice your casting and reeling in the grass.

Follow a ranger on a walk through agricultural history in this guided tour of the Farm and Forestry Museum.

Get crafty with us as we make our own shark tooth necklaces.

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Trees have magical qualities which give us many important everyday items and the oxygen we breathe.

Virginia is home to a very smart, and often mischievous animal, Ursus americanus, or the American Black Bear.

"Echoes of the Past: Guardians of History" is a park ranger-led program dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and celebration of history.

What bird lives most of its life on the ground, can fly as fast as a car, and was almost our national bird?

What's that big net used for?

Three out of every ten bites of food we consume were grown with the help of pollinators.

What helps keep the Chesapeake Bay clean and safe for everyone to enjoy?

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

Explore the life cycle of butterflies.

Gather around the glowing campfire for an evening of laughter, friendly competition, and gooey s'mores!

Do you feel safer walking with a friend?

Get ready for summer discoveries and fun!  Our kid's camps are a great way for children to be immersed in the estuarine ecosystem.  We offer two sessions of the Nature Explorers (children who have completed Kindergarten* through 2nd grades) to introduce younger campers to unique creatures and basic outdoor activities.  Our Junior Rangers (one session for children who have completed 3rd through 5th grades) will be more engaged in wildlife mapping and outdoor skills.  Registration begins February 10th.  Cost is $40 per child.

Early morning is one of the best times to experience the lake.

See First Landing in a whole new lens in this guided program through one of the most vital ecosystems around: the marsh!

This summer, the Junior Ranger program is exploring different biomes, and Week 6 is Urban Landscapes! Programs run Monday - Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Outdoor and weather appropriate clothing must be worn as we will be exploring the park; getting dirty and wet are both strong possibilities. Closed-toed shoes are required every day. Please don't forget to bring a lunch and a reusable water bottle, as well as apply sunscreen and bugspray before the program begins.

Hop onto the FLSP Express and take a guided tour of the park!

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.

Ever wonder what the fish are doing when they dive deep under water?

Have you been fishing before?

Seine netting is a skill that has allowed countless people over time to enjoy the bounty of the seas.

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

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.

Ride with a park guide as we experience the shores of Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Paddle your way around the park’s unique ecosystem.

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

Have you ever bumped into one of our tall bark-covered residents and wondered who it is you've just run into?

This summer, the Junior Ranger program is exploring different biomes, and Week 6 is Urban Landscapes! Programs run Monday - Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Outdoor and weather appropriate clothing must be worn as we will be exploring the park; getting dirty and wet are both strong possibilities. Closed-toed shoes are required every day. Please don't forget to bring a lunch and a reusable water bottle, as well as apply sunscreen and bugspray before the program begins.

Energy makes sense; it helps all living things grow but is not always the same.

Trees are some of the most crucial organisms on the planet.

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Is the opossum misunderstood?

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.

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

Animals may be shy, but they leave plenty of clues behind.

Pine needle crafting can rise to an art form, but one has to start somewhere.

Step back in time and test your skills with an atlatl!  An atlatl (spear thrower) was a tool used by some Indigenous tribes during the Paleoindian culture and Archaic period.

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

Did you know that whales are closely related to hoofed land animals, such as cows and hippopotamuses?

Take a stroll down our beachfront to learn all about our country's largest estuary.

Get creative and be inspired by the beautiful scenery of Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Ever wondered how you stack up against some of the largest birds in the sky?

Our beautiful park is the perfect place to pick up a fun new workout routine.

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

Allow the evening to envelop you and enjoy a hay wagon ride with our park guide.

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

Yes, you too can canoe!

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

Spend time paddling down the Clinch River.

This summer, the Junior Ranger program is exploring different biomes, and Week 6 is Urban Landscapes! Programs run Monday - Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Outdoor and weather appropriate clothing must be worn as we will be exploring the park; getting dirty and wet are both strong possibilities. Closed-toed shoes are required every day. Please don't forget to bring a lunch and a reusable water bottle, as well as apply sunscreen and bugspray before the program begins.

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 the Rangers on a guided hike through our most popular trail!

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Can you catch the biggest fish?  Discover native fish species in the Shenandoah River and responsible fishing practices by catching some “fish” that represent the different species!

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

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.

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

Did you know that spiders are one of nature's best pest controls?

Help our resident box turtle have some fun in the sun!

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

Trees are so important to our environment. They give us air to breathe, homes for animals, wood to build our homes and help control erosion.

Join our rangers in discovering the secrets held by the magnificent White-tailed Deer.

“What does the fox say?” Did you know that there are two different foxes found in Virginia, the red fox and the grey fox?

Step back in time and test your skills with an atlatl!  An atlatl (spear thrower) was a tool used by some Indigenous tribes during the Paleoindian culture and Archaic period.

Get your feet wet and explore life in the creek.

Did you know that owls regurgitate their hard-earned snacks in a small hard pellet?

Do you want to learn the history of the land where Kiptopeke State Park is today?

How can we be more sustainable when practicing our favorite hobbies?

Whether you're fascinated or a little rattled, snakes are a vital part of healthy ecosystems, and they’re not as scary as they seem.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, or is that a bat?

Right now in Fairy Stone Lake, giant gelatinous blobs resembling brains can be found attached to stationary objects in the water, using their tentacles to feed.