Join Natural Bridge State Park and help your local community by voting for your favorite tree by bringing non-perishable foods and gently used books to this year's Festival of Trees.

Represent your business, club, or organization this year at Natural Bridge State Park's Festival of Trees and help worthy causes.

It's the most wonderful time of the year at the park.

Help ensure years of great fishing at Claytor Lake by recycling your old Christmas tree at the park.

Forgo the fireworks and crowded festivities and accompany a ranger on this guided hike through the quiet woods with the moon and stars lighting the way.

While the American tradition of celebrating the New Year occurs at midnight on New Year's Eve, other cultures celebrate by enjoying the sunrise on New Year's Day.

Experience the spectacular bird sounds of January.

Whether you attend our guided hike or select a self-guided option, visit Bear Creek Lake State Park to celebrate with a First Day Hike.

We are looking forward to 2022 and our series of Ranger led First Day Hikes.

See one of the crown jewels within the park.

Self-Guided Opportunities Enjoy a self-guided hike on your way down to the Tunnel, learn about trees native to this area, or head over to the Wilderness Road Blockhouse for a self-guided tour. Brochures can be picked up at the Visitor Center or you can download your very own copy by clicking here.

The Park will offer a variety of opportunities to get out and welcome the new year.

Join Rangers for the Annual First Day Hike!

The first day hike has been a tradition within state parks for years and we are happy to join in this tradition again.

Enjoy a special winter-themed self-guided hike along the Wilderness Trail and to Martin's Station (about 1.5 miles).

Start the New Year with Natural Bridge State Park by exploring the views and trees of Buck Hill Trail.

Enjoy the first day of the new year with a guided hike from Dannelly Fitness Complex to Chestnut Falls.

Pop Up StoryWalks are part of a national trend encouraging movement and reading.

This year's "First Day Hike" event will be a self-guided Scavenger Hunt with clues found on all of our hiking trails and a few other points of interest.

From the tiniest of shark teeth to a colossal whale skeleton, the fossils found near the Horsehead Cliffs show that life was once very different at Westmoreland State Park.  This ranger guided hike will take you 0.6 miles down to Fossil Beach.

With 2021 behind us, what better way to start the new year than with a day at Powhatan State Park.

Looking to hike three-mile Otter's Path trail for First Day Hikes?

While jumping into the new year, join some guided hikes or take in the beauty of nature on your own.

Join a ranger on a longer, more energetic and hilly guided hike at Caledon State Park to get a jump on your New Year's Resolutions by getting out, getting active, and enjoying nature.

The Visitor Center, which houses the Nature Center, allows you to grab a map, see native wildlife, and fill up on souvenirs and snacks before you hit the trails.

In 1933, the country was in the grips of the Great Depression.

Happy New Year and Happy Hiking!

Investigate tributaries and learn some secrets of Swift Creek along this 1-mile loop.

Start the new year off on the right foot with our annual guided First Day Hike.

Just because it's winter doesn't mean there aren't exciting things to find.

Start your year off  'hike!' Celebrate the new year by joining us in the morning or afternoon for a guided hike through our Interpretive Area where you'll hear about the history of our park and the tribes who once flourished in this region, many of which still remain today.

Join a park interpreter on a hike to the Fairy Stone Dam and Spillway.

Join a ranger for an approximate 2 mile hike to start the new year.  Meet at shelter 2 and hike portions of Lakeshore Trail, Northridge Trail, Dogwood loop, Saunders Creek and finish back at shelter 2.        .

Let's start this year off on the right foot and hike our way into 2022.

Celebrate the New Year with Virginia State Parks!

Let's start out the new year on the right foot!  We are looking for some folks who love the great outdoors and what better way to do that than a relaxing hike through James River State Park.  You can choose between two hikes depending on what your interest is.

Join a Park Ranger and Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory Volunteers as we hike Kiptopeke to ring in the New Year.

Meet at the Visitor Center for a Park Ranger led hike of the River Bank Trail.

Start your new year off on the right foot by joining us for the annual Virginia State Parks First Day Hike at Belle Isle State Park.

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

Take a hike through the mining history of the New River.

Start the New Year with a visit to Chippokes State Park.

Do you think winter is important or have you ever thought about the survival modes of plants and animals?

Ring in the New Year with a guided hike led by Leesylvania State Park experts.

Start your new year with a constructive and invigorating action by joining us for our First Day Hike.

Our Little Tyke Hike, designed for families with children 6 and under, but suitable for all ages, is perfect for letting your little one(s) discover the park and the natural world in their own special way and at their own pace.

Head out into the woods and work on your navigation skills with Central Virginia Orienteering Club.

How did a railroad give hope to a community and how does the creation of a park continue to offer that hope?

Join the Friends of Shenandoah River for a hike celebrating the new year.

Long before Captain John Smith explored the area, this area was the home of the Patawomeck Tribe.

Start the New Year off right by joining Master Naturalist, Kim Manion, for a First Day Tree ID Hike.  This 0.5 mile easy hike will follow Buck Like Trail.

Enjoy special tours of our Historic Mount Bleak house during this festive season.

This special program, for all ages, is designed to be an introduction to tree rounds of the northeast region.  Participants can closely observe tree rings and patterns of growth.  “Trees are sanctuaries.

Celebrate the New Year with Virginia State Parks!

Have you ever done a leaf rubbing or created your very own leaf print masterpiece?  This special craft activity is a fun way to combine art and the natural world around us.

The park will host its annual First Day Hike with a guided hike on Lake Keokee. The Lake Keokee loop trail is a beautiful 3.5 miles and features beautiful scenic views of the forest and Lake Keokee.

Join members of the Pocahontas Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist  to see one of the biggest, and most "poplar" trees in the park.

This ranger led hike, designed for friends, families, and well behaved pets on leashes, will bring you on all or portions of Big Poplar, Ground Pine Path, Beaver Lake and Old Mill trails.

Start the New Year with a special winter hike and get a "behind the scenes" look at False Cape State Park! This program includes an open-air tram ride through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and into False Cape, where participants will get to see features of the park that are not located on the trails and not normally accessible to visitors.

Join a park ranger as we hike along the lake's edge and explore a beautiful view and diverse ecosystem.

Travel back in time as we explore the hidden history behind Virginia's Hidden River: the Clinch.

Bring in 2022 the right way and burn some of those holiday season calories on a First Day Hike in the high country.

Explore often overlooked Forest Trails, including Moseley and Wilkinson with Black Girls Hike RVA.

Start the New Year off right by joining a master naturalist for Douthat's First Day Hike.

Start the New Year with a visit to Chippokes State Park.

Ring in the New Year with a guided hike led by Leesylvania State Park experts.

Start your year off  'hike!' Celebrate the new year by joining us in the morning or afternoon for a guided hike through our Interpretive Area where you'll hear about the history of our park and the tribes who once flourished in this region, many of which still remain today.

The legendary Christmas Opossum has come again and has hidden ornaments around the Fern Hollow 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 Staurolite crystal or "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for and the telling of the legend, we will travel to the site.

Many of us can get stressed out during the holiday season and everyday life.

Celebrate the New Year with Virginia State Parks!

Venture into the woods with a ranger and learn about the best ways to journal in nature.

Bring your tail wagging walking buddies that are itching to hit the trail with you!

Learn some of the trade secrets of what it takes to create the perfect "Fairy Stone" that everyone is looking for.

Explore Bright Hope and Otter Lick Loop trails to learn more about the once segregated section of the park and how the African American community used the area.

Fossils are fascinating!  This unique craft, using homemade dough, allows you to create your very own fossil imprint from real life fossils found along the Potomac River.

This ranger guided tour is a journey into the historical past of Virginia State Parks through a close observance of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  This hike will take you to multiple significant points within Westmoreland State Park.  Note: This will be a longer hike in order to reach each infrastructure point.

The park has over 12 miles of beautiful hiking trails that range in difficulty from easy to moderate.

Biking is a wonderful activity to do here in the park.

Smith Mountain Lake is the perfect location for fishing.

Are you looking for a great activity for the kids that is both fun and educational?

Discover the secrets of the park through geocaching.

Become a railroad detective and explore the history and nature along New River Trail State Park.

Nature Knapsacks are designed to help you explore Douthat State Park and surrounding areas.

Douthat State Park is the perfect place to look up and do some stargazing.

Geocaching is a popular outdoor treasure hunting activity that requires the use of a GPS (Geographic Positioning System) device that uses longitude and latitude coordinates to lead you to a "geocache”, typically a small, sealed plastic container.  We have created a multi-cache system for beginner geocachers that follows Buck Lick trail. The terrain of the Buck Lick trail is rated “EASY” and does not involve any strenuous or difficult hiking.  The trail begins just across the Douthat State Park Road from the Park Restaurant.  At the trailhead you should follow the trail that bears toward the right (the southeast).  The Buck Lick trail follows a circular route that will bring you back to the trailhead.  The coordinates of the geocaches are:  GPS units and geocache coordinates may be rented from the park office.   Geocache 1 = N 37° 54.199                          W 79° 47.894 Geocache 2 = N 37° 54.174                          W 79° 47.842 Geocache 3 = N 37° 54.219                           W 79° 47.865 Geocache 4 = N 37° 54.232                          W 79° 47.924  .

Claytor Lake State Park is a great place for education in an outdoor setting.  Reserve a ranger and give your family or group a chance to engage in activities not otherwise available in our park.

Take a hike back in time by visiting our tour points located at the same location as our collection of photos and videos from past years at Claytor Lake State Park and Claytor Lake.

Open your eyes to the diversity of plant life at Claytor Lake by joining us on this virtual plant tour.

Download the free UniGuide app and begin listening to the fascinating history of this land's past inhabitants.

Within the trail system lies the Troop 244 5K Cross Country Trail.

TRACK Trail Adventures are designed to help kids explore nature through the use of self-guided brochures.

Take a walk with words, recreate your mind, and enjoy a divergent adventure in the park.

Belle Isle State Park is looking for the next generation of ranger, are you ready to give it a try?

Belle Isle State Park has some great activities that you can do on your own schedule.

What is Geocaching ?

Become a Junior Ranger at Fairy Stone State Park!

Stop by the Visitor Center and pick up a copy of a self-guided brochure on the 22 Trees of Virginia Tour.

Our Junior Ranger brochure allow kids the option of achieving a badge on their own through supervised self-guided activities, or by attending a few park activities, such as nature programs, when scheduled. The brochures are available at the park office during office hours.

The park offers several trails ranging from easy to difficult in terrain difficulty.