Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park.   We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.  Each visit will be a new tale or tail.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.  Each visit will be a new tale or tail.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park.   We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Butterflies are self-propelled flowers - Robert A.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.   .

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.  Each visit will be a new tale or tail.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.  Each visit will be a new tale or tail.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.   .

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.  Each visit will be a new tale or tail.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park.   We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Celebrate National Public Lands Day by learning how to identify and remove invasive plants so native species have a chance to thrive.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.   .

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.  Each visit will be a new tale or tail.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.   .

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park.   We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Dusk is a magical time at the park.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme. November we will learn about Rocks and Minerals!

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

A fox, a bird, and frog get ready for winter, but each of them prepares differently.

Be a citizen science volunteer at this annual survey that is held all over North America.  The results are important indicators of bird populations and dynamics. The Charlestown, WV count, which includes Sweet Run State Park in Northwestern Loudoun County will take place on Dec 17th.   Registration required.  Please email Joe Coleman  jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org  to register.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.

Answer the riddles, Your clues may surprise.

Hike to Gordon Pond and Legacy Loop.  This moderately paced hike will be approximately 5 miles on a variety of beautiful trails with varied terrain, unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs, nor strollers.  There will be stops along the way, including at Gordon Pond to pause and see the beauty of the park, and mindfully experience the winter natural environment.   It may not take the full 3 hours, but we want to plan for a nice comfortable pace.   Please meet us at the main parking lot, near the pollinator garden.  Registration is FREE please sign up here so we know how many people to expect.   If it says we are sold out.  Please sign up for the waitlist.  We will add more guides to the hike.  Go Take a Hike!  The goal of First Day Hikes is to inspire healthy New Year’s resolutions and encourage everyone to get outside.

The 4 Senses Scavenger Hunt Hike will take us out to Wortman Pond, and around the picnic shelter area.  Along the way we will learn how animals use their senses for survival and see if we can use our senses to fill in our scavenger hunt card.

Try something new in January!

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park.

Let’s see what Winter has in store along the trail.

It’s February, have you kept up with your resolutions?  No worries.  Here is one you don’t want to miss.  Park Interpreter, Meg Doppée will take you on a slow hike around Farmstead Loop.  We will look at the remnants of the 1840’s farming community that once stood in the area, and learn a little about the history of this community.    The hike is about 1.5 miles on a varied terrain.  It should take us about 1.5 hours as we will stop along the way to discuss the park’s history.  Meet Meg at the main parking lot near the pollinator garden at 10:00.  Dress for the weather.  Binoculars will help us view the old farm houses from the trail.

The interpretive Center will be open from 11:00am -1:00pm.  There will be displays, and activities to do.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Have you ever found yourself asking, “What is that plant, or bug, or bird?”  There is an app for that, and you can participate in Citizen Science along the way by recording your observations so others can learn too.   We will have an introduction to iNaturalist and it’s companion app Seek.    The class will be a brief introduction to the app, and then we will go out and see if we can identify a few plants or animals we find. You will need to have a smart device with the apps already downloaded before the class.  You will also need to create a free account.    Meet, Park Interpreter, Meg Doppee, at the Interpretive Center.  Dress for the weather, we will be outside for a portion of the time.   .

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost Whose woods these are I think I know.

Play is important work for kids!  Getting outside to play allows kids to develop social-emotional, gross motor, creative thinking and other skills needed for life.  While you can come to our Nature Play Area anytime, during our Pop-In Playtime adventures, volunteers and park staff will be available and have a learning activity or craft that you can do.  All ages welcome, activities are geared for ages 3-5.  Each month will have a different theme.

Dusk is a magical time at the park.

Project Learning Tree is a Nationally recognized Pre K-12 curriculum.  PLT advances environmental literacy, stewardship, and career pathways  using trees and forests as our Windows on the World.   This workshop if for K-8 teachers, home school families, and community educators.    During this 6 hour workshop you will learn about Project Learning Tree, and it's sponsors,  Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.   You will get a chance to test some of the activities from the curriculum, meet with other educators, and take home the book Explore your Environment and some other goodies!    This workshop is for educators and is not appropriate for children under 18.  The fee for this workshop is $11 and must be paid when you register.  Please register online at  https://project-learning-tree.odoo.com/event/sweet-run-state-park-k-8-workshop-16/register.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.

Have you seen the Bluebird boxes at Sweet Run State Park?

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.

Designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

We are hosting a Solar Eclipse viewing event. Bring your approved 2024 solar viewing glasses.  We may have a few for sale, please call ahead to see.

Dusk is a magical time at the park.

Celebrate Earth Day with a service project to enhance the park's pollinator garden.

1:00 pm  Earth Day was created back in 1970 as a way to raise awareness of Environmental Issues.  We will celebrate this day with a reading of Dr.

Designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and even some stories.

There are many stories to tell about Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some will be tactile, and most do not use words.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and yes even some words.

Join us for an evening presentation at 7:30 in the interpretive center.  Dr.

Growing up in the park trail walk.  What is it like raising a baby in the park?   From insects to birds, animals have different strategies for raising their young.  We will meet at the Pollinator Garden, share some different ways animals raise their young,  then walk towards Wortman Pond to see if we can find any young tadpoles, or froglets in the pond. .

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Growing up in the park.  What is it like raising a baby in the park?   Animals have different strategies for raising their young.   Stop by the table and find out who is living in the park and how they grow up.   .

National Kids to Parks Day was created to encourage kids and their families to visit one of America's national, state or local parks and promote environmental stewardship and healthy outdoor activity.  10:00 am  Connect with Nature on a mini adventure to explore the Nature Play Area.

Designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Turtles!

Start the day off with a wonderful morning hike.  This gentle paced hike will take one of our favorite trails and be greeted with sounds of the forest and meadows along the way.    Meet our hike guide at the Trail Head near the  parking lot and the pollinator garden.   Be prepared for a variety of terrain.

Do you know which watershed you live in?

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

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

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

 What was a typical day like on the farm in the 1840’s.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Can you hear the park talking?  There are many tales and tails throughout Sweet Run State Park.  Some are visual, some are tactile, most don’t use words, so how does the park share its stories?  Park Interpreters will help you discover the park through hands on activities, artifacts and even some stories.