Young explorers (ages 4-7) will learn forest skills through activities and exploration.

Come meet and greet Ranger Myrtle (our Red-Eared Slider Turtle), Ranger Scout (our Western Hognose Snake), and Ranger Brutus (our Northern Copperhead Snake) and discover what makes these rangers super special to Twin Lakes State Park.  Parks are for everyone.

Ever wonder what dolls of the 18th century frontier looked like or what they were made of?

Join the Park Ranger on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in April and May as we kick off the Spring season with our homeschool programming.

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.

Ever wonder what owls eat?

Much like us, trees celebrate birthdays and important milestones.

Create a hand-made, nature-inspired souvenir to take home.

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 boomtown. 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. "Moonshine Murders" reveals the events which sparked a number of these murders.  Due to the gruesome nature of this topic, we ask that no one under age 15 attend.   .

Get your feet wet and explore life in the creek.

Did you know your shoes leave more than tracks behind?

Join The Friends of Kiptopeke State Park for their 2023 Spring Meeting on April 5th.  The meeting will start at 5:30pm at the Big Water Visitor Center.  There will also be a guest speaker at this meeting; Richard Snyder of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.  Richard is a broadly trained ecologist and marine scientist.  He has published papers on a wide range of scientific topics including taxonomy and ecology of microorganisms, water quality, physical and biological oceanography, plant communities on barrier islands and in wetlands, fish ecology, and aquaculture.  Richard has a wealth of knowledge about our Bay and will be speaking on the rebuilding of the VIMS Eastern Shore Lab in Wachapreague, VIMS current projects, and plans for the future. His talk then will focus on some of the fish work being done at the lab, and common species found in the area, with life history information and some species range shifts we are seeing with warming coastal waters, together with the importance of collecting annual data for long-term ecological records.

It’s Spring and frogs are singing their hearts out.

Help us recycle 500 lbs.

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

Join rangers at the park for a fun nature reading session.

Have you ever wondered how old a tree really is?

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

Enjoy a guided walk with a park interpreter down to the Natural Tunnel.

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Chippokes welcomes you to immerse yourself in the history, culture, and stories of our park.  Enjoy a relaxing tram ride as we explore the vast timeline and dive into the history of Chippokes.

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.

Have you ever wondered what sort of fish and other creatures live in the York River's brackish waters?  Visit the friendly neighborhood park ranger who has examples of fish and shellfish families.  Be sure to stop by the Aquariums inside of the Visitor Center to see the wonders of aquatic life. .

Take a look at the fascinating lives of insects and let your creative juices flow.

Step back in time and participate in games played in the 18th century.

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

Have you ever looked closely at the landscape of a particular area as an artifact?

This year we will follow in the footsteps of the 18th Georgia Battalion (Savannah Volunteer Guard) and the 121st New York Infantry. Visitors will be divided into two groups and led by park rangers and historians Joshua Lindamood and Zachary Pittard. The tour will help commemorate the 158th anniversary of the battle. The tour will begin and end at the Visitor Center. This program will include a hike out to where these two units engaged along with an interpretive program.

Join a ranger-led hike down Powhatan Trail, through the campground, to catch glimpses of the full moon.

Join us for a wagon ride to Jones Pond for a short nature hike followed by collecting driftwood and a few other natural objects.  We will return to the Visitor Center to make and take our own unique craft from the objects and supplies provided by the park rangers.

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

Calling all science enthusiasts!

Did you know owls get 'hairballs?' About once a day, an owl spits up a ball of hair and bones--leftovers from their most recent meals--called an owl pellet.

In celebration of International Beaver Day, Bear Creek Lake State Park is offering a day dedicated to our favorite rodent, the American Beaver.

Over 200 years ago, early adventurers like Daniel Boone walked these same hills and valleys we see today.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Join us for a true Bald Cypress Swamp adventure.

A breeding colony of great blue herons is not a rookery, it is a heronry (we didn't make that word up).

Join us as we build a beaver to find out if the beaver's teeth, and other body parts, are useful or just a cruel joke played by Mother Nature.

The Jones-Stewart Mansion is a stunning example of an antebellum plantation house.

Are you someone that finds the different types of fossils found here at Chippokes State Park, absolutely fascinating?

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

Uncover the parks history by using your detective skills to place the historical artifacts in the correct order.  To ensure an enjoyable time, please alert park staff to any necessary special accommodations you or your group may need. Parks are for everyone; this is an inclusive program open to all people.

Come visit our one-of-a-kind science lab all to do with the Chesapeake Bay.

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

Just like people, animals homes come in all shapes and sizes.

What's next?

Discover how fire was used by Virginia’s First Peoples to fell trees and build canoes, followed by a tasty treat *Pre-registration recommended.

On April 6-7, 1865, High Bridge became a victim of the American Civil War.

It's International Beaver Day, so join us to learn more about the beaver's adaptations and take a short hike to (hopefully) see these engineers of the animal world at work.

Come and learn about the science that happens all around us!

Where's the best place to fish?

Discover the resident owls of Caledon  State Park as the park comes alive at night.

Come take a walk with us under a full moon to search for some of the park's most illusive night-time predators -- owls!  As we walk along under the quiet cover of darkness, we'll listen for their haunting voices as they cry out across the meadows.

Learn how to build a campfire and then enjoy time sharing stories by the glow of the fire.

Take a ride into the past and discover a fascinating topic in regional history that offers a close view of areas important to mining in Southwest Virginia.  The Coal Camp Bus Tour will depart the park and travel on a comfortable bus to area coal camps of Stonega, Derby, Keokee, Imboden, Exeter, Dunbar and Inman.

Spring is here, and the birds know it.

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

Join False Cape staff and volunteers in helping keep our beaches pristine by picking up shoreline debris.

Spring is here and we want to help our pollinator friends like the bee and butterfly.

The Rangers invite you to hike through the tidal marsh, a vital and often overlooked ecosystem.

Join a ranger for a guided bike ride on historic High Bridge Trail.

Join us every second Saturday at the Mayo River Trails to explore the future Mayo River State Park. You will also discover some interesting facts about local wildlife, the history of the Native Americans who inhabited the area, and about the exploration of the area by William Byrd.

Curious about how the light green house looks from the inside and its restoration process?

From woodlands to wetlands, fields and pastures, let's investigate the plants, animals and history of farming at Sky Meadows State Park.

Join Machicomoco and the Fairfield Foundation as we team up to offer prospective Junior Rangers hands-on archaeological dig opportunities at the Timberneck House in order to earn a Junior Ranger patch!

The bald eagle, one of America's greatest comeback stories, soars free over the Potomac River.

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

Watch Ranger Scout the snake stretch his jaw muscles as he consumes his favorite snack...a mouse!  Parks are for everyone.

Enjoy a scenic guided hike along the New River Trail with local Virginia Naturalist Gary Lavallee.

The Children's Garden Workshops are a great way to get your little one up, moving, creating and learning.

Spring has arrived and so have many of our migrating visitors. We’ll tap into our senses as we use sight, sound, and even touch to become more familiar with some of Virginia's feathered beauties.

Come and discover the majestic aerial hunters and their habitats.  Bald eagles, red shouldered and red tailed hawks make their home here year round.  Osprey return to the area to feed and breed.   We may find other birds of prey as well as we hike through the woods and into the marshes.

Welcome springtime back by making a bird feeder using leftover Easter eggs as molds.

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.

Break out of your shell and join us as we crack open facts about eggs.

Come and discover the majestic aerial hunters and their habitats.  Bald eagles, red shouldered and red tailed hawks make their home here year round.  Osprey return to the area to feed and breed.   We may find other birds of prey as well as we hike through the woods and into the marshes.

Overlooking the New River, the Shot Tower was built in the 1800s to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers.

Children ages infant to 13 will hop along with the Easter Bunny as they search for elusive candy-filled eggs, some containing prizes.

Eggs are popping up all over Sky Meadows State Park.

Join our Annual Easter Egg Hunt for prize-filled Easter eggs starting at 11:00 am.

Ever wonder what creatures live in the dark depths of a freshwater marsh?

Like them or loathe them, snakes are important to our ecosystems.

As spring unfolds at Natural Tunnel, the forest floor begins to come to life with the vibrant colors that Mother Nature offers.

Blooming flowers is one of the best signs on Spring.

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.

Wander down our Main Boardwalk to hear the story of the Chesapeake Bay, highlighting its formation, biodiversity, and economic value, while getting hands-on with several beach artifacts. Meet at the Main Boardwalk.

This year we will follow in the footsteps of the 18th Georgia Battalion (Savannah Volunteer Guard) and the 121st New York Infantry. Visitors will be divided into two groups and led by park rangers and historians Joshua Lindamood and Zachary Pittard. The tour will help commemorate the 158th anniversary of the battle. The tour will begin and end at the Visitor Center. This program will include a hike out to where these two units engaged along with an interpretive program.

Make and take your own Eagle Mask, so you can look and soar like the eagles at Caledon.

Spring has sprung, and there is no better place to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather than at Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Have you ever heard of a vernal pool?

Soon, the arrival of spring will be upon us.

The Jones-Stewart Mansion is a stunning example of an antebellum plantation house.

Join a park ranger to set off on a .5 mile hike that will offer an excellent view of Douthat Lake with informational stops along the way.

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

Every animal has unique features and traits that make them special and suited for their natural environment.

Have you ever wondered what sort of fish and other creatures live in the York River's brackish waters?  Visit the friendly neighborhood park ranger who has examples of fish and shellfish families.  Be sure to stop by the Aquariums inside of the Visitor Center to see the wonders of aquatic life. .

Farmville is a wonderful place to visit in the spring.

The Friends of Chippokes, park staff, and volunteers welcome one and all to our annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Join us as we build a beaver to find out if the beaver's teeth, and other body parts, are useful, or just a cruel joke played by Mother Nature.