Events in Virginia State Parks

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is now accepting entries for the “Stitch in Time” Quilt Show.

The Lyrids meteor shower is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak.

Come celebrate our planet with First Landing Rangers during Earth Week!

The Eta Aquarids is an above average meteor shower capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.

Virginia State Park license plate owners will receive free parking on the following dates, as well as special discounts and offers provided throughout the year.

Our park is known for its biodiversity and is home to many species of birds.

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

This trail begins on Iron Mine Trail and features an iron mine once used by Fayerdale residents, as well as an overlook of Fairy Stone Lake.

Celebrate Earth Week and Arbor Day with staff from The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) in partnership with Sky Meadows State Park Rangers for an unforgettable hike to the Piedmont Memorial Overlook.

April 24, 2026: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Let's Go on an Archery Adventure @ Shelter 4: Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

Stretch your wings on this hike all about the birds that call Chippokes State Park their nest!  Join a Ranger led excursion along College Run Trail to the shoreline of the James River.

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

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.

Take care of your mother Earth by joining the more than one billion people worldwide who celebrate Earth Day annually.

Let your creativity flow at our Creation Station, where you can create your favorite animal mask, opossum puppet, turkey, butterfly, or batteau craft.

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.

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

Trees have magical qualities that provide us with many important everyday items, as well as a large portion of the oxygen we breathe.

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

New life is springing up all over the park.  Kick off an hour of sights and sounds at the Discovery Room and view nesting herons and osprey.  .

Help us celebrate our planet with some special Earth Day programs: Friday, April 24: 3 p.m. - Tree Identification Hike @ the Howe House  Join us for a scenic hike around the historical Howe House and learn how to identify some of our native trees.

Come celebrate Arbor Day with us! Join our rangers for a scenic hike from the Howe House to the beach as we learn how to identify some of our common native trees using our handheld identification sheets.

Ever wondered how a beaver’s fur keeps it warm and dry, or how a white-tailed deer communicates within its herd?

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

Join a ranger to learn about the wild animals found at Belle Isle State Park that delight your senses.

Come join the party!

Meet a park ranger and volunteer team at the High Knob Destination Center in Norton, VA, and explore the natural history of the Appalachian Mountains.

Join a park ranger at the High Knob Destination Center in Norton, VA, for an immersive journey through the natural history of the Appalachian Mountains.

Start off your weekend off right with s’mores and more!

'Whooo' will hear 'whooo' first?

Whooooo’s calling in the night!?

Explore some of Machicomoco’s best views during golden hour while stopping in to talk with a Ranger about some of their favorite park topics.

Take a chance, step outside and discover your local "flew" crew.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.

History comes roaring to life as the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park kicks off a thrilling day-long expedition along the famed Wilderness Road.

Join us for the tenth annual running of the Osprey 10K Run/5K Run-Walk, which will highlight the wonderful attributes of the area as participants make their way along the beautiful roadways in Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.

Come out to Kid's Fishing Day at Natural Tunnel!

Fancy a spot of volunteering this Spring?    Saturday, April 25th : Waterway Cleanups Spring Cleanup on the Aquia Creek  Join this Stafford-based non-profit as they help keep Aquia Creek clean of trash and debris via kayaks in their Spring cleanup at the park.

Give back to our beautiful planet and create art at Caledon State Park as part of our annual Earth Week celebration.

Celebrate Earth Day with Wilderness Road State Park and create a personalized micro environment.

Have you ever walked by the Timberneck house and wondered what it looks like from the inside and its restoration process?

Join us for a Ranger-led Nature Search to celebrate Earth Week!

The Dogwood Garden Club of Big Stone Gap, Va., will host “Bee” Power for Our Planet Exhibit in observance for Earth Week.

Blink and you might miss them—spring’s wildflowers don’t stick around for long!

Have you ever wondered what lies under your feet?

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.

The Survival bracelet is the superhero utility belt of the outdoors.

Celebrate Earth Day in a big way at James River State Park!

Discover the hidden world of James River State Park’s grasslands, and the beauty of its riverfront, on a special Earth Day guided hike.

Join costumed interpreters for a demonstration of historical cooking methods in the Jones-Stewart Mansion's original brick kitchen. .

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners from decades gone by.

Leaf your worries behind and tree-t yourself to a ranger-led hike that shows how trees are everything but still!   We will be hiking ~0.5 miles down an accessible paved trail to Rock Spring Pond.

Join a ranger led tour to reveal what the landscape of Cedar Creek is trying to tell you.

Have some old hiking, camping, fishing, or any other kinds of outdoorsy gear that you no longer need?

Did you know Twin Lakes State Park is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

International Astronomy Day is an annual event created to celebrate the importance of astronomy, a long-standing science throughout the world.

Join us in celebrating Earth Day with a special outdoor story time featuring the beloved book The Lorax by Dr.

River Otters are one of many incredible animals that reside here at Staunton River Battlefield State Park.

Celebrate Earth Week by learning the 7 principles of Leave No Trace.

Meet two of our wildlife ambassadors, Henry and Sam, during Turtle Time!

Celebrate Earth Day by discovering the magic of vernal pools!

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

Join us in an Earth Week discussion while making earth crafts. We will gather at the Campfire Circle to express our creativity and our care for the earth. We would love to have you join us, even if you don't want to make a craft.

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.

Join us for an engaging lecture that explores the history of Point Lookout, the largest Union prison camp of the American Civil War.

Step into the shoes of a 19th-century farmer and help care for our heritage breed chickens and goats!

Join our rangers as we complete the new 2026 Junior Ranger Activity Booklet to earn a badge and become a certified Junior Ranger!

Celebrate Earth Day by diving into the fascinating world of native fish.

Come and explore a dynamic ecosystem that prevents erosion and brings life to the river.  The living shoreline between the rip-rap and water’s edge is attracting interesting estuarine and marine creatures and plants.  Discover them and how living shorelines enhance and protect our waterfronts.

Come join the fun.

We only have one planet, and it is up to all of us to help care for it, for ourselves as well as future generations.

Observe and capture the natural world of Chippokes State Park with writing and drawing in this introductory session.

Slime is survival.

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

Discover the hidden world of James River State Park’s grasslands, and the beauty of its riverfront, on a special Earth Day guided hike.

The Friends of Chippokes are sponsoring a Garden Tea at the Chippokes Conference Shelter.  Park visitors can enjoy savory and sweet treats, along with several types of tea.

Kayak season is here!

Join costumed interpreters for a demonstration of historical cooking methods in the Jones-Stewart Mansion's original brick kitchen. .

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

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.

Have you ever been walking along a trail and come across a pile of "meatballs"?

Come discover the world of self-publishing!

Join the rangers for a fun tree craft!

Have you ever thought about what it'd be like with no access to medicine?

 Deep in the forest lies the perfect amphibian retreat - vernal pools.  These special pools fill up each winter to provide a safe habitat for salamanders, fingernail clams, fairy shrimp, and more!

Join use for a garden clean-up at Holliday Lake State Park as we work together to support and enhance vital pollinator habitat.

Give trash a second chance.

Ever wondered what stories Douthat State Park holds?

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

Come celebrate national bird day with this fun Birding Bingo.

The creek, flora and fauna have a deep-rooted story, can you read it?

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

Learn about how pollution can spread in an aquatic environment and help us protect ourselves and our wildlife by cleaning up our shoreline.

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!

Can you match the skull to its pelt?

From a vantage point above the Appomattox River’s floodplain, visitors can explore the cosmos from High Bridge with our local Crewe Astronomy Club.

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

Celebrate Earth week by getting close up with frogs and toads under the Natural Bridge during the Illumination.  Late spring is the perfect time to check the creek for frogs and toads, and as evening falls they are more common on the trail.

Celebrate Earth Week 2026 at False Cape State Park all week long by supporting healthy and happy beaches.