Events in Virginia State Parks

The leaves are changing, and the nights are growing cold, it's the perfect time for a hayride!

Join us for a peaceful evening walk along the shores of Douthat Lake as the sun dips behind the mountains, casting golden light across the water and fall foliage.

Join this ranger and/or volunteer-guided bike ride to High Bridge and back with bonus views of the full moon.

Join us for a compelling exploration of the mysteries surrounding the Historic Overton-Hillsman House at Sailor's Creek Battlefield.

Visit the Trail Center Museum to discover the park’s coastal habitats with this seek and find activity.

On the first Sunday of every month, our Self-care Sunday Series invites you to join in on various activities specially created to help us engage with the beautiful surroundings of Powhatan State Park.

Celebrate the 20th annual Art & Wine Festival!

Read a tale as you walk the trail. Begin at the CCC Museum to begin your exploration and story time at your own pace.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners from decades gone by.

Join a park interpreter on a scavenger hunt along one of our less explored trails to find all of the colors, shapes, and sizes that are found in nature.

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

Make your own pig and meet our ambassador animal: Tazewell the potbellied pig!

Who was Elizabeth Hartwell?

Fly fishing is a fun and relaxing hobby that immerses you in nature.  With a little guidance, you can learn how to cast a fly rod and start experiencing nature in a whole new way!

It is that time of the year for fall colors in Westmoreland State Park, join our rangers in a fun art in the park activity while learning about fall foliage!

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

Although they haven't always looked the way they do now, scarecrows have been around a long time and have been used in a number of different cultures.

Have you ever been walking along a trail and come across a pile of "meatballs"?

Discover how flowers are more than just beautiful; they’re essential partners in plant reproduction.

Just because we don’t always spot them, we know the animals are around by the tracks and traces they leave behind.

Feathers are more than just for flying; they help birds survive, stay warm, and communicate, showing how perfectly nature designs every detail for life in the sky.

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

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

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

We all love the great outdoors and enjoy nature. Sometimes we are in a hurry and miss out on all the little things nature has to offer. The James River and its lush landscapes have always been a source of life and inspiration. So, let's take that inspiration and have a “brush” with nature while we paint what we see and talk about what we are painting.

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

Join York River park interpreters for a one-mile hike that explores Virginia's unique and diverse native tree species.

Enjoy the beauty of York River State Park, while having the opportunity to take pictures along the way.

Rangers from Leesylvania State Park will take your little ones on a nature adventure with reading, games, and crafts.

"Hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt action." - Ralph Ellison For the last month of Autumn, homeschoolers will learn about all the ways that different animal species prepare for the cold winter days ahead.

Trees are life-givers and inspiration for many art forms.

Make Tuesday your Trail Day.

Would you love to learn how to make your own holiday ornament?

Join us at Douthat State Park for Homeschool Naturalists, a monthly outdoor education series designed for homeschool students of all ages.

"Hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt action." - Ralph Ellison For the last month of Autumn, homeschoolers will learn about all the ways that different animal species prepare for the cold winter days ahead.

Join us for a special night hike through False Cape State Park.

Want to experience the New River Trail State Park in a way few people get a chance to?

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

Autumn brings many seasonal changes to the forest.

Will you take up the bow and try your hand at the sport of archery?

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is excited to announce the fall semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program.

The Leonids meteor shower is an average meteor shower producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak.

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

Join a Ranger to learn about science, history, and nature at Leesylvania State Park! This series is intended for children ages 5-17 years old. Rangers are prepared for rain or shine so dress for the weather.

From the small eastern screech owl to the great horned owl, eight species of owls call Virginia home part or all of the year.   Get a glimpse into the mysterious world of our elusive nocturnal raptors.

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.

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.

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

Hoot have thought reconstructing skeletons could be so cool?!

Explore an enchanting evening amidst the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains as the sun sets and the world transitions from day to night!

Hit the trail with one of our rangers to see which birds of Fairy Stone State Park are hiding in plain sight along Oak Hickory Trail.

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

Explore an enchanting evening amidst the Blue Ridge foothills as the sun sets and the world transitions from day to night!

Join us for ranger-led campfire with S'mores!

Come see the stars and explore our night sky with our park rangers at this International Dark Sky Park.

Come join the party!

Owl prowl is a guided hiking program where individuals can connect with nature and wildlife of Virginia State Parks while learning whooo might be lurking in the evening hours at Westmoreland State Park.

Back by Popular Demand!

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will offer a monthly "Birding in the Gap" program on the second Saturday of each month (with the exception of October and December).

Each month, volunteers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to work together on a project that helps improve and maintain our beautiful park.

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

Watch our ecosystem change before your very eyes on this Ranger led program!

Westmoreland State Park cares very much about our beautiful gardens and the pollinators that visit them every year.

Come help mussels and plan to get muddy!

Join us every second Saturday at the Mayo River Trails to explore the future Mayo River State Park. You will also discover some interesting facts about local wildlife, and about the exploration of the area by William Byrd.

Even after the chilly breezes of autumn have stripped them of their leaves, trees provide clues to their identification by way of their bark, leaf scars and other individual characteristics.

Enjoy a pleasant wagon ride through the park as we look for signs of fall. Relax in the splendor of the woods as migrations commence and leaves begin to change.

There are many stories to tell about Sweet Run State Park.

Take a guided walk with a ranger in the autumn woods to find out who is out and about. Fall is here, and that means the winter bird migrants are coming!

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

As the seasons shift and the landscape quiets, November offers a perfect time to slow down and notice the subtle beauty of nature.

Turkeys are terrific.

Make them this morning, use them tonight.

Observe and capture the natural world of Chippokes State Park with writing and drawing in this introductory session.

What better way to start the day than with a hot cup of coffee.

Put away your smart phone and plot a course for adventure with this introduction to the sport of orienteering.

It's time for a tail waggin' good time!

Black bears are one of the many incredible mammals that dwell in Douthat State Park.

Join us for a tail-wagging adventure along the scenic Bluebell Trail of Shenandoah River State Park!

There's something happening in White Oak Swamp, Beavers!

Fishing is a timeliness tradition passed down from generation to generation.

Happy fall, y'all!

Practice your detective skills by uncovering snakes hidden in images of their habitat, and discover how best to avoid those with venom.

Are there actually beavers in Beaver Lake?

Stop by the Wilderness Road Blockhouse and step back in time to experience aspects of life on the frontier.

Join in this sweet-ending activity using global positioning system (GPS) technology.

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.

What makes leaves change color?

Step back in time as we uncover the mysteries of those at rest in the park's historic cemetery.

Take in the crisp air and the brilliant colors of autumn as we stroll along Douthat’s scenic lakefront.

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.

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

What is your favorite camping activity: roasting marshmallows, hiking a trail, staying up late and looking at the stars, using a flashlight, or sleeping in a tent? Tell the ranger why you think camping is so much fun, then explore camping life as you create some awesome crafts.

Colder weather is right around the corner and so are the holidays!

Put away your smart phone and plot a course for adventure with this introduction to the sport of orienteering.

Join a park ranger for this competitive adventure on the one-mile loop Goodwin Lake Trail.

From skunks to coyotes, many nocturnal animals call Mason Neck home and rely heavily on their senses to survive in the dark.

Dive into the history of the Occaneechi Tribe that once called Occoneechee State Park home.

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