Staunton River Battlefield State Park and Virginia Master Naturalists invite you to learn all about Eastern Bluebirds through the seasons.

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

Otters, wildcats, and bears, oh my!

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.

Explore the 18th century through the eyes of a child.

Join a ranger to create something special from natural elements found around the park.

It's National Kids to Parks Day and we are celebrating with a Butterfly Safari! Are you quick enough to catch a butterfly?

Join us at Smith Mountain Lake State Park for National Kids to Parks Day.

Adventure into the outdoors and discover wildlife along the Trail with a ranger. All tiny participants will be given helpful hands-on bug finding tools for investigating nature signs.   Let's try to use all of our senses to see, smell, touch, track and observe.

Join us for a day of fun outdoor activities that will help kids enjoy the natural world.

During the Civil War, Union soldiers were always ready for the challenges of marching, training, or engaging in battle.

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.

Come celebrate National Kids to Parks Day at Caledon!

Do you like to get hands-on experience looking for cool critters?

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 travel 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.

The Friends of Twin Lakes State Park is hosting its second annual 'shellebration' of World Turtle Day® with the following activities: turtle-themed games and face painting, a 'shellfie' station (with wearable turtle shells!), a turtle-themed craft, and visits from turtle experts with live turtles, as well as the beloved local 'shellebrity' Ranger Myrtle the turtle.

To celebrate National Kids to Parks Day, the park is offering a Children's Prowl the Powell program.

Spend National Kids to Park Day at Natural Tunnel State Park as we celebrate our outdoor resources and get everyone excited about parks; there's more than just meets the eye!

Bring the family out to enjoy an afternoon flying kites at our Historic Hillsman House location, which offers a perfect open space for some high-flying fun.

Kids to Parks Day is a national day of outdoor play celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May.

Seven Bends State Park is inviting you to an afternoon of outdoor games, education, and conservation programming.

Long before there was a York River State Park, or even a York River, 6,000 plus years ago, marine creatures swam here in a shallow sea.

What is the oldest way of cooking?

Move over NASCAR, NASDUCK is here!

We would like to introduce you to “Boxer” the box turtle.

Kick your summer off with Kids to Parks Day at Staunton River State Park. We will be hosting several programs throughout the day that are perfect for the whole family: Feeding Frenzy (2 p.m.): Observe the beautiful animals in our Nature Center during their feeding times. From snakes to turtles to fish, you will be able to see all of these park animals devouring a meal.   Wagon Ride (5 p.m.): Take a tour of our beautiful park by wagon ride. Enjoy the scenic views of the Staunton and Dan Rivers and witness some of the original work that the Civilian Conservation Corps did to build the park.

Use all your senses to learn something new about the environment.

Kids love Virginia State Parks!

Come celebrate National Kids to Parks Day at Caledon!

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

Come join seasoned leather craftsman Matt Bennett at Shenandoah River State Park!

Spend National Kids to Park Day at Natural Tunnel State Park as we celebrate our outdoor resources and get everyone excited about parks; there's more than just meets the eye!

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the picnic areas and beaches with interesting animal or historical artifacts from the park.

Join our amazing volunteer Darin Handy as he shows us all sorts of amazing critters, live!

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

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

Trees have magical qualities which give us many important everyday items and the oxygen we breathe.

What do you know about our scaly friends?

Frogs, crawdads, and children, oh my!

Participants who are interested in the Prowl the Powell nature series should meet volunteers and park staff at the front gate of the museum.

Join a park ranger for interactive and hands on archery instruction. Have you ever wanted to try archery but have no idea where to start, then this is the program for you.

Come out and explore nature using tools like the park rangers use to investigate the park's wildlife in this self-guided adventure. Use your current outdoor skills and develop some new ones too as you learn to use binoculars, a magnifying glass, butterfly nets, and a compass to discover our park in a brand new way!

Celebrate National Kids to Parks Day with a fun-filled evening in nature!

Virginia State Park license plate holders park for free on some of our national event days.  Parking fees will be waived on Earth Day (4/22), Arbor Day (4/26), National Kids to Parks Day (5/18), Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day (6/15), Veterans Day (11/11), and #OptOutside Day (11/29) for individuals with a Virginia State Park license plate.

Bring a picnic and lawn chair for a family friendly evening of live music at the Park's Interpretive Area! The Tidewinders, a local band, will be performing bluegrass music with a modern flare.  The event is free but the $5/vehicle parking fee applies.

Join us at New River Trail State Park for our Foster Falls Music Series!

What would it be like to be able to see in the dark, strike prey like lightning, or soar through the air thousands of feet above the earth?

Enjoy a cool fall evening with a short, moderate hike to the highest point in the park, Little Pinnacle, to witness one of the most stunning sunsets in Virginia.

It's a bird!

Join astronomy volunteers as they share the stories written in the night sky.

Kids love Virginia State Parks!

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

Kids’ Activity Book: This free book contains activities for the young (or young at heart).

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

The use of bows to shoot arrows has been a part of global history for thousands of years whether for defense, survival, or sport.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

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

The Civilian Conservation Corps (1933-1942) developed patches that were used by the enrollees as a means to identify others of their duties.

Find out what it takes to be an avid birder!

What's all the buzz about?

We all enjoy a yummy meal and that’s the same for our resident snake that lives here in our Visitor Center.

Think you know the difference between toads and frogs?

Inspired by our very own Red-Eared Slider, Myrtle, come learn about all the turtles that call Mason Neck their home and how you can act to protect them during their vulnerable nesting season.

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

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

Enjoy historical interpretation inside the Brick Kitchen to learn more about this ancient, practical, and culinary craft tradition that is at the center of European cuisine.

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.

The Bear Creek Lake State Park Archery Club is open to beginner and intermediate level archers 18 years old and older.

Families join us on an nature adventure through our most popular trail, The Potomac Trail.

Check out the spring swing of Caledon and breathe in the fresh air of the forest.

Join us at Holliday Lake State Park for an immersive journey into the fascinating world of pollinators!

As animals explore their surroundings they leave us lots of clues.

Yes, this is an honest-to-goodness game show with buzzers, lights, excitement, and prizes (without the TV cameras). We will put your knowledge to the test about everything from history, animals, plants, and more.

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 'boom town.' 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.

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

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the picnic areas and beaches with interesting animal or historical artifacts from the park.

Scurry on over to investigate the secret life of bugs and understand how important these tiny creatures are to our ecosystems. We'll catch bugs of all shapes and sizes and then view them under magnification.

Of all the mammals, opossums are the most misunderstood. They are fascinating creatures with very unique characteristics.

Evenings are a wonderful time in the park to be on the water.

Evening is the perfect time to search for salamanders.

Calling all homeschoolers to join the rangers at Pocahontas State Park for monthly programs on the third Monday of the month.

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.  Meet with our on-the-go naturalist/ranger who will help you discover the aquatic, insect, mammal, and plant life in the park’s ecosystems.  Don't be surprised if he has a photo or two to share with you.

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.

Calling all homeschoolers to join the rangers at Pocahontas State Park for monthly programs on the third Monday of the month.

Every Monday you can find local fresh produce, baked goods, honey, jams and jellies, soap, and local artisan crafters, as well as food vendors, here at Fairy Stone State Park.

The Fairfield Foundation opens the Timberneck house for free walk-in tours every Tuesday.

We need your help.

If you love nature and the outdoors, come check out the Friends of Powhatan State Park monthly meetings and gather with like-minded people who are passionate about supporting Virginia State Parks through volunteerism and legislation.

FLSP is excited about our 2024 Junior Ranger Camp!  Online registration will begin Monday, Feb. 19th, at 9:00 a.m. via SignUpGenius.

The Archery Range opens for the season daily from 8 a.m. until dusk.

The Visitor Center at Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park offers a museum filled with treasured artifacts discovered over the years where the last major fight of the American Civil War in Virginia occurred on April 6, 1865.

Tours of the Hillsman House, a National Historic Landmark, are available to the public by request.

A Self-Guided Driving Tour of Sailor's Creek Battlefield is available to visitors year-round from sunrise to sunset.

Sailor's Creek Battlefield offers six, self-guided Hiking Trails with historic markers for the public to explore year round during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).

Join us on a real or virtual hike through Claytor Lake State Park as we take a closer look at some of the beautiful native trees.

The Staunton River Scavenger Hunt is a self-guided program that you can enjoy with family and friends.

Pick up the Staunton River State Park bird identification list in the Visitor Center for this self-guided program.

Pick up the Junior Ranger booklet at the Visitor Center to begin this self-guided program.

Pick up this Ranger Quest guide at the Visitor Center to begin this self-guided program.