Events in Virginia State Parks

Kick off your week with us as we explore the natural world from the stars above to the depths below!

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Kick off your week with us as we explore the natural world from the stars above to the depths below!

Visit a ranger at Massie Gap to learn about different creatures that live within the park.

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

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

Come find us at the Splash Park as we get hands on with skulls and furs from Virginia’s native animals.

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

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Challenge yourself to identify animals not by what they look like, but by what their tracks look like.

While we sleep a whole new set of nocturnal animals come out to begin their "daily" activities.

Holliday Lake State Park is buzzing with life this time of year.

This program is all about learning how to identify wild animals by the tracks that they leave behind.

Watch the last traces of daylight strike the Blue Ridge Mountains on this haywagon ride.

Come along on a one-mile hike through our trails with a knowledgeable ranger to learn about the plants and animals who live in Kiptopeke State Park. .

Join us on the first Saturday of the month to experience the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of history at Sky Meadows.

Get a bird's eye view of some of nature's most fascinating and elusive predators in this one-hour program featuring live birds of prey.

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Westmoreland State Park is home to four different ambassador animals: Reba the corn snake, Stevie the eastern king snake, and our two red-eared sliders, Venus and Jennika.

Let's give a warm welcome to the park's new ambassador animal, a spunky little Mud Turtle!

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

Step into the shoes of an archaeologist and uncover the secrets of an owl’s diet!

Slime is survival.

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?

Join our park ranger for this fascinating workshop on owls and what they eat.

Join a ranger to see what critters live amongst the oysters and learn how these important bi-valves help clean the waters in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Oysters not only filter water, but create habitat and provide food for both humans and other animals.

Did you know your shoes leave more than tracks behind?

Who made those footprints?

Paddle around the lake with us and discover the variety of habitats the lake provides.

As the sun dips low and the night draws near, we humans usually turn in for the night...but this is show time for bats!

What are those glowing shiny orbs low in the grass?

What creatures rule our beaches at night?

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

Join us for "Tree Topia" as we uncover the magical realm of trees and their incredible role as habitats!

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

Some of Virginia's coolest mammals are rarely seen by humans.

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.

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

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Come "shell-ebrate" some of the coolest animals around and meet Hungry Mother State Park's ambassador turtles.

What's that big net used for?

Are there beavers at Smith Mountain Lake?

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Have you ever wondered what secrets the natural world holds? This drop-in program offers a unique opportunity to meet with Virginia Master Naturalists who will be available to answer all your nature-related questions.

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

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

Is the opossum misunderstood?

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

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

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

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.

Can you guess what critter I am?

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

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

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

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.

The day has been filled with fun activities, but now it is time to wind down with a peaceful paddle on the lake.

It's feeding time in our Chesapeake Bay Lab!

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

Second only to humans in the ability to change their environment to fit their needs, learn just how smart a beaver can be.

First Landing is home to many creatures both large and small.

Have you been to the Discovery Center and seen all the animals that live at Hungry Mother?

Did you know that opossums roamed the earth with the dinosaurs and that raccoons have “hands” like ours? Wonder what other secrets these critters hold? Join us to discover little known facts about these amazing animals and how they benefit humans.

Can you name some of the fish that inhabit Hungry Mother Lake?

Join a ranger on a guided hike to learn more about different birds, plants, and ecosystems found in the park.

Beat the heat at our new River Bend Discovery Center!

Get up close and personal with the wildlife of Natural Tunnel State Park, without ever seeing a live animal!

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

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

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

The Bay can hold many secrets.

Challenge yourself to identify animals not by what they look like, but by what their tracks look like.

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

Holliday Lake State Park is buzzing with life this time of year.

Twilight Paddle Adventures are a great way to spend an evening away from the hustle and bustle of work, traffic and the cares of life.

Watch the last traces of daylight strike the Blue Ridge Mountains on this haywagon ride.

Join us after dark to observe moths and other insects of the night. Entomologists Dr.

Come along on a one-mile hike through our trails with a knowledgeable ranger to learn about the plants and animals who live in Kiptopeke State Park. .

Come learn what makes cave ecosystems so delicate and special.

Westmoreland State Park is home to four different ambassador animals: Reba the corn snake, Stevie the eastern king snake, and our two red-eared sliders, Venus and Jennika.

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

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

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?

Ever wonder about the tracks that you see while hiking?

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

Staunton River State Park is home for many different types of wild animals. Hike around the park and see if you can spot some of these homes. Remember to think outside the box on this one. Some animals live in trees, some live in the ground, and some live in the water.

Twilight Paddle Adventures are a great way to spend an evening away from the hustle and bustle of work, traffic and the cares of life.

What are those glowing shiny orbs low in the grass?

What creatures rule our beaches at night?

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

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

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

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.

The Bay can hold many secrets.

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