Events in Virginia State Parks

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

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.

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

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.

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

As you make your way to the shoreline, stop and visit the live creature displays of fish & shellfish that were recently captured in the York River and Woodstock Pond.  The ranger on duty will share about these creatures and their role in the ecosystem.

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

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.

Turtles love worms, fish love worms, birds love worms, and our interpretive rangers love worms.

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

Visit a ranger and learn about bear safety, including how to store food, what to do when you come across a bear while hiking, camping in bear country, and more.

Join us in paying homage to 70,000 years of history and human tradition as we learn the sport of Archery.

Find time to head down to the Tunnel Platform where you’ll find amazing views of the 300-foot-tall amphitheater walls of the Natural Tunnel, rock pigeons, and if you’re lucky, a train.

Join a ranger to learn about a few of the cool, crawly creatures you may see around Belle Isle State Park and make your own dirt treat to eat.

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

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

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

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

Come meet and greet Ranger Myrtle (our Red-Eared Slider turtle), Ranger Scout (our Western Hognose snake), and Ranger Brutus (our Copperhead snake) to discover what makes these rangers so special to Twin Lakes State Park.  Parks are for everyone.

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

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.

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.

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

Bread and meat are common fare found along the western fringes of the Virginia frontier.

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

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

When it comes to carrying survival materials with you on the trail, every little bit of space counts, so hikers come up with creative ways to carry their gear.

Ever wondered what a skunk’s fur feels like, or how big a bobcat’s skull really is?

Wanting to hone your outdoor skills?

Our friends Hisstopher and Harrold planned a lunch date, and they want you to join.

You never know what critters you will see around Belle Isle State Park, there's dozens to pick from.

Ever wonder about the tracks that you see while hiking?

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

How do you tell trees apart? Join us 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.

Are you a crafty critter?

Did you know your shoes leave more than tracks behind?

Evenings are a wonderful time in the park to be on the water.

The Tobacco Road Band features four Southside Virginia musicians with roots deep in the popular tunes of our times.

Join our friends from Whitetop Yoga to experience a more engaged form of yoga as you strike poses on our standup paddleboards out in the lake.

Take your camping skills to the next level in this camping workshop!

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. Pre-registration is required; the cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12. For more information and to register please call the park office at 276-940-2674.  Natural Tunnel State Park is proud to offer red/green colorblindness correcting outdoor glasses by EnChroma during all offered programming; three protan red sensitivity and three deutan green sensitivity are available for use during programs.

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

Come rock and roll with local band "Candy Machine" live as they perform music from the 1950s through the 1980s on the water's edge at the beach amphitheater.

Take a wagon ride to the scenic Tye Overlook and enjoy the prettiest view for miles around.

Join our rangers for a bit of fun around the campfire as we welcome you to the park.

Who-who's there?

Secrets and spiders and campfires?

Where do our amphibians and reptiles live?

Discover our International Dark-Sky Park!

We'll be closing out our 2025 season of music with a new offering.

What are those glowing shiny orbs low in the grass?

Who is that calling to you in the night?

Experience the park at night with a ranger guide pointing out stars and planets, nocturnal wildlife, and the joys of a natural night with low light pollution.

What creatures rule our beaches at night?

Ever wondered what it’s like to paddle under a sky full of stars?

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

Have you ever seen or heard an actual owl call in the night?

A light glows beneath the surface of Holliday Lake.

Join our picturesque trail run hosted by Bishop's Events.

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

What better way to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the park than by kayak?

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

Start your day with birdsong and discovery by joining a park ranger for a bird-watching walk.

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

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

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

Stop by this Chesapeake Bay display on your way to the beach to hear a short talk all about one of the nation’s most valuable waterways.

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

This self-guided activity is suitable for all ages and can be done on your own, with a canine companion, or as a group.

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

Learn the essentials of basic target archery, a skill that, thanks to artifacts found at the park, we know humans have been practicing here for thousands of years.

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.

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

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!

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

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?

What is a seed bomb?

Ever wanted to learn how to crab?

Dive into an ancient craft with a ranger, known as Gyotaku fish printing.

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

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

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!

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

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

Practice your casting and reeling in the grass.

Join a ranger on for some fishing fun, on dry land!

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Discover the wonders beneath the waves while keeping your feet dry.

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?

Have you ever seen a squirrel fly?

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?