Events in Virginia State Parks

Experience Natural Bridge State Park like never before, with festive lighting and roaring fires; the park is awash in the holiday spirit this December.

A beloved holiday tradition, the Festival of Trees celebrates its 30th year.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

"The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson With the use of a Celestron telescope, view the astral bodies up close and learn about the history of the stars.

Experience the park at night, illuminated with lights and decorations.

Various Demonstrations from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lantern Tour at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. As cold winds and long shadows fill Powell’s Valley, journey to Joseph Martin’s station for an evening of glad tidings and good cheer.

 As you ride down on the chairlift and make your way to the tunnel, you will be surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights and see animated Christmas displays.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Gather along the Shenandoah River (aka the Daughter of Stars) to watch the Geminid Meteor Shower!  Visitors can expect to see as many as 100 meteors per hour!

Witness the Geminids Meteor Shower, one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners from decades gone by.

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

During the Festival of Trees, local organizations are asked to decorate a holiday tree to represent themselves in the community.

Craft a keepsake for the upcoming holiday season.

Chippokes State Park welcomes visitors to accompany an interpretive guide on a very unique historical building tour experience to explore one of the oldest dwellings on property.

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

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

Join us for "Turtle Time" at Holliday Lake State Park and meet our beloved turtle, Harrold Holliday!

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

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

York River State Park is a great place to see mushrooms.  With the parks miles of woodland trails and grassy expanses, you’re sure to see some of the mushrooms that are native to this part of the east coast year-round.  Join us for a basic introduction to fungi in our Visitors Center Discovery Room, then come with us on a short hike to see what fungi we can discover.

Join us for a magical and entertaining view of one of our most treasured holidays at the Karlan Mansion.

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

Westmoreland State Park is filled with all sorts of natural wonders and history, including the horsehead cliffs which are full of fossils, millions of years old!

Tundra Swans are known for their striking white plumage and long, graceful necks, making them a favorite among birdwatchers.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir Join our rangers on a guided hike and learn about our native species, park history, and wetland habitat.

Join us at the campfire near the interpretive Center to discover how the change of seasons impacted the historical community and our current animals.

Discover the “bear facts” about Fairy Stone State Park’s black bears at our ranger-led program. Learn about their characteristics, habits, how to avoid conflicts, and much more.

Nature Journals are great way to practice intentional observation of your surroundings.

Sponsored by the Friends of Bear Creek Lake State Park, this spectacular annual event is a drive-through light show that also offers free activities and seasonal merchandise for purchase.

Experience Natural Bridge State Park like never before, with festive lighting and roaring fires; the park is awash in the holiday spirit this December.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Experience the park at night, illuminated with lights and decorations.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Winter is a time when everything seems to slow down, but nature never truly stays still.

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.

Get your mid-week boost with a walk among the trees, meadows, with fellow nature lovers!

This program is designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

Winter is a time when everything seems to slow down, but nature never truly stays still.

Aside from enjoying a breakfast worthy of real maple syrup today, now is a great time to get ready for maple syrup season in just a few weeks.

The Ursids meteor shower is a minor meteor shower producing 5-10 meteors per hour at its peak.

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

Join us for a festive, family-friendly workshop where we’ll transform natural materials into beautiful, one-of-a-kind Christmas ornaments.

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.

Did you know that coyotes are not naturally native to Virginia?

Join a ranger for a guided hike along one of the fingers of Fairy Stone Lake that leads to an abandoned iron mine.

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 us for a magical and entertaining view of one of our most treasured holidays at the Karlan Mansion.

Experience Natural Bridge State Park like never before, with festive lighting and roaring fires; the park is awash in the holiday spirit this December.

A beloved holiday tradition, the Festival of Trees celebrates its 30th year.

Don your ugliest holiday attire and join us for a night of festivities!

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

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

Take advantage of our remote location far from city lights to see brilliant night skies over the lake.

Carol your way through the winter woods on a wagon decorated with holiday lights!

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.

Bundle up and explore the frosty beauty of First Landing State Park with our Self-Guided Winter Adventure Scavenger Hunt!

Event Registration is full!

Behind every general was a horse that carried them into history.

This trail begins on Iron Mine Trail and features an iron mine once used by Fayerdale residents, as well as an overlook of Fairy Stone Lake.

Start your weekend with fresh air, beautiful scenery, comradery, and a feeling of accomplishment.

Would you like to have the chance to explore the trails in Powhatan State Park and meet new people?

Join us for a guided Winter Discovery Hike along the Buck Lick Trail and experience the quiet beauty of the forest in its cold-weather stillness.

Join a ranger for a guided hike to look for winter birds.

Travel through time on this scavenger hunt.

Enjoy a winter birding adventure to discover duck species and habitats.  In less than a mile we will look for waterfowl from a shallow pond, tidal creek, and the river.  Bald eagles are also frequently found in the area.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir Join our rangers on a guided hike and learn about our native species, park history, and wetland habitat.

As you gather with your families during the holidays, visit our discovery hours at Shenandoah River State Park!  Activities available may include making your own animal track, meeting Henry the turtle, exploring under a microscope, and more!

Marshes are more than great spots for fishing, canoeing, and bird-watching.

Have you ever wanted to identify the different birds in your yard or even start bird watching as a hobby?  If so, this program is for you.  We'll go over the basics of finding and identifying birds, the basic equipment you might need, as well as some tips to help you make the most of your birding adventures!

Winter’s snow-covered trails are full of mysteries—each footprint a clue left behind by the animals that call this place home.

Our animal ambassadors Hisstopher and Harrold want to meet you!

Put your animal knowledge to the test in this fun, interactive guessing game!

Winter will be here before you know it, so join us to discover more about "Hibernation, Adaptation, and Migration" or, what animals do to survive the colder, winter months.

Come make a craft to brighten the shortest day of the year and welcome the longer and lighter days ahead!

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.

Ever wonder what stories a tree can tell?

Let your creativity flow at our Creation Station, where you can create your favorite animal mask, opossum puppet, turkey, butterfly, or batteau craft.

Join us for a festive celebration filled with holiday activities and music.

Step into the shoes of a 19th-century farmer and help care for our heritage breed chickens and goats!

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

Long ago, giant beasts roamed these lands...put yourself into the shoes of an Ice Age hunter in this spear-throwing workshop using an ancient spear-throwing device: the atlatl! The atlatl was used on the North American continent and all over the world, enabling both men and women to efficiently hunt megafauna such as woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths.

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

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.

Get creative when you build your very own bug at this ranger-led program.

Step into a world where science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) converge with the magic of winter at our snow-themed STEAM event.

Slither on over to the Visitors Center for an in-depth look into the fascinating lives of local reptiles.

Are you in need of some fun holiday decorations?

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

Through trail, stone, and timber, the CCC carved a legacy that still shapes Douthat today.

Join us for a lesson in the unique adaptations that make animals well suited for surviving the colder winter months.

Discover our International Dark-Sky Park!

Join us for a magical and entertaining view of one of our most treasured holidays at the Karlan Mansion.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is pleased to present “The Festival of Trees: An Evening Aglow” on November 28 and December 20 from 5-8 p.m. For these two evenings only, visitors will be offered an opportunity to view the museum in a different light.

Experience Natural Bridge State Park like never before, with festive lighting and roaring fires; the park is awash in the holiday spirit this December.

A beloved holiday tradition, the Festival of Trees celebrates its 30th year.