Get your mid-week boost with a walk among the trees, meadows, with fellow nature lovers!  You don't have to read the countless scientific studies to know that being in nature and getting exercise in the fresh air is good for your body and your mind. So let's get together, make friends, and enjoy the outdoors while improving our health!  Each week will feature a different trail, each with a distance of about 2-2.5 miles.

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

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

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.

"For a scavenger, patience is the key to the pantry." - Delia Owens For the first month of homeschool, visitors will learn about the hidden lives of scavengers: nature's clean-up crew!

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

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

Meet with a ranger and go on a one-mile guided hike along the Oak Hickory Trail, rated as a moderate hike.

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.

Are all snakes venomous?

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.

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

Slither and splash into the world of reptiles.

Discover the “bear facts” about Fairy Stone State Park’s black bears in our ranger-led program.

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

The waters around False Cape State Park provide some of the most breathtaking views in Virginia Beach.

This is a fantastic time of year to take-in the beautiful scenery of Southwest Virginia.

Slip on your closed-toe shoes and get ready to explore the creek.

Step into the quiet, mysterious woods of Douthat State Park after dark for an unforgettable experience.

The Orionids meteor shower is an average meteor shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak.

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

Join us along the New River for a FREE hour-long guided yoga flow session, led by a Yoga Alliance Certified Instructor.

Calling all homeschoolers!

Discover the fascinating natural history of Westmoreland State Park on this guided hike down to Fossil Beach.

Join a ranger on this guided hike and learn about the fascinating world of fungi.

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

Have you ever heard the sound of a pack of coyotes howling in the middle of the night?

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.

Step into the wings of a bat!

Have you ever fished the Chesapeake Bay?

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

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.

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

Celebrate the season at our River Bend Discovery Center with crisp air, colorful leaves, and hands-on fun for all ages!

Do you want to learn the history of the land where Kiptopeke State Park is today?

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

Put your creativity to the test as you design your very own bird!

Glide across Douthat Lake on the Canoe of Many Colors and take in the vibrant reds, oranges, and golds of autumn.

Come get crafty with us!

Come out to picnic shelter #2 and get inspired by the great outdoors.

Play with clay and find out how you can connect with Virginia's Indigenous cultures through pottery.

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

This October, spirits from the past will guide you along the trail to the Natural Bridge, lit only by lantern light.

Join us for a lantern-lit walk through the historic village of Foster Falls.

Ever wonder what goes on at night in a park?

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

Join us at picnic shelter #1 for a late-night hike as we search for owls and other nocturnal animals that call Kiptopeke home.

Hike through the forest after dark in search of sights and sounds from the owls who are hunting there.

This October, spirits from the past will guide you along the trail to the Natural Bridge, lit only by lantern light.

Join us for an evening by the fire as we shine a light on one of nature’s most fascinating nighttime creatures—bats!

Are you ready for an outdoor challenge?

Join the Friends of Caledon Race series for the Howlin Coyote, a non-profit event allowing runners to enjoy a challenging race with varying terrain.

Explore First Landing on your own and stop by the Trail Center to pick up your nature journal booklet.

Event Registration is full!

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

Join us for a rewarding morning of gardening alongside fellow plant enthusiasts.

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

Take a closer look at your surroundings in our monthly nature journaling classes.

Immerse yourself in the vibrant traditions of local farming and celebrate the harvest season in the picturesque Crooked Run Valley.

Explore the shoreline of the Potomac by kayak! Enjoy a daytime paddle on the lower Potomac River as we look for monarch butterflies and bald eagles.

With fall comes fungi!

Join certified Forest Therapy volunteer, Tina Hayes, for a relaxing program made to calm the mind.

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

Slither on down to the Visitor Center to weave a web of knowledge on the spookier side of nature.

The York River was home to four manned lighthouses: Bells Rock, Pages Rock, Tue Marshes, and York Spit.  Bells Rock was the uppermost, just two miles below West Point.  Pages Rock was the only other light above the Coleman (Rt.

Explore the park’s expansive wetlands with us as we search for and identify the plants and animals that call this unique habitat home.

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

Are all snakes venomous?

Join us on Oct.

Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Stop by our table near the playground area and learn about the amazing wildlife that call Mason Neck State Park home.

Over the hills and through the fields we go!  Climb aboard our open-air hay wagon, outfitted with wooden benches and a cozy layer of hay for a classic fall adventure.

This place, this land, is as old as time itself.

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

Join our staff for a guided tour of Mulberry Hill, the plantation home of Judge Paul Carrington, Virginian and Founding Father. Mulberry Hill was also a working tobacco farm owned by the McPhails during the American Civil War.

Join us at the Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park Visitor Center on Saturday, October 4th at 12:00 p.m. for a compelling presentation on the pivotal presidential election of 1864.

Have you ever wondered how fabric was dyed in the 18th and 19th century?

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

Get your morning caffeine fix and join us around the campfire by Big Poplar Trail.

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.

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.

Reds, yellows, oranges and deep purplish colored leaves are dancing in the breeze this fall.

You don't have to go to the mountains to enjoy the stunning fall colors that Virginia has to offer!

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

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.

Happy fall, y'all!

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.

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.

Enjoy this activity with a sweet ending using global positioning system (GPS) technology.

Build your very own bug hotel to help provide a habitat for beneficial insects. Your creation will offer pollinators a special space where they can breed and grow!

Celebrate the season at our River Bend Discovery Center with crisp air, colorful leaves, and hands-on fun for all ages!

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

Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Mason Neck is home to many Osprey.

Learn how Mother Nature can both inspire and help you create your next masterpiece.

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

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

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

Leaf peep in style on a wagon ride with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains during the fall color change.