Events in Virginia State Parks

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

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

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

April showers bring May flowers.  For the month of April, homeschoolers will learn about the water cycle, water pollution, and how it affects us and the environment.

Join us for a special hike at False Cape State Park!

Ever wonder what goes on at night in a park?

Join a park ranger on a three-mile hike to the waterfall and back.

April showers bring May flowers.  For the month of April, homeschoolers will learn about the water cycle, water pollution, and how it affects us and the environment.

"Beavers:  Nature's Engineers" examines the characteristics and habits of North America's largest rodent.  Learn about how beavers alter the environment more than any other creature except humans.  Find out how beavers contributed to the westward expansion as settlers arrived in the New World.  .

Join our rangers in discovering the secrets of the magnificent White-tailed Deer.

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

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

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

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is thrilled to announce the spring semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program!

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

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

Join us in discovering the hidden wonders of these temporary seasonal wetlands.

Explore the museum as your learn about the history of Pocahontas State Park and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

From the small eastern screech owl to the great horned owl, eight species of owls call Virginia home part or all of the year.   Get a glimpse into the mysterious world of our elusive nocturnal raptors.

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.

Look up and learn about tree diversity in the park!

Humans aren't the only ones who build amazing structures.  Insects, birds, and mammals are among the many animals who create complex homes for themselves.  Let's take a look into the world of these master builders of the animal kingdom.

How did Pocahontas State Park come to be? What are the "Original 6" State Parks?

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

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

Tonight is the Full Flower Moon so let's celebrate by helping our pollinator friends like bees, birds and butterflies.

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

We can tell a great deal about an animal’s adaptations by looking at their skins and skulls.

Tracks tell a story, but do you know how to read them?

Ever wondered what you could do with what's under your feet?

Join your fellow campers to hear about all of the different trails and activities the park has to offer and discover the history of the park. This is a great chance to ask questions about the park, local activities in the area, and future events at Fairy Stone State Park.

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

Come join the party!

Where's the best place to fish at the park?

It's that time of the year to not only celebrate birds, but our wonderful volunteers, especially Randy Smith who gave a lot of himself to nature, to birds, and to Hungry Mother State Park.  Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. – Owl Prowl Set out on a night time adventure with Hungry Mother interpreters as we explore how owls thrive in the dark.

Set out on a night time adventure with Hungry Mother interpreters as we explore how owls thrive in the dark.

Join a ranger-led hike to catch glimpses of the full moon.

Start your morning with fresh air, feathered friends, and great company.

May the Forest Be With You as part of the Caledon Trail Race Series!

For Clean the Bay Day 2026, park rangers at Widewater State Park will be leading a volunteer shoreline cleanup along the Potomac River!

For Clean the Bay Day 2026, park rangers at Widewater State Park will be leading a volunteer shoreline cleanup from kayaks along the Aquia Creek!  Nitrile gloves and trash grabbers will be supplied by the park, but they are in limited supply.

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.

Get knee-deep in the Shenandoah during Fly Fishing 101!  Join us for an introductory fly-fishing program designed to teach you all the basics you need to start catching fish on a fly.

Join Douthat State Park and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for the 2026 Clean the Bay Day Event.

Did you know Twin Lakes State Park is in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed?

Join us as we open the doors to the old Norfolk and Western caboose 518517.

Enjoy the clean fresh air and beautiful views provided by the park's riverside forest, and help clean it up along the way!

Help us keep our park clean!  Join us for a trash pickup along the Bluebell Trail and the shoreline along the picnic area.

Join Leesylvania State Park Rangers and volunteers to help keep the park and Chesapeake Bay clean.

Help our rangers and volunteers keep our park clean! Westmoreland State Park beaches and waterways are full of marine wildlife, fossils, shells, birds, and more!

Chippokes State Park is proud to partner with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for Clean the Bay Day!

Would you like to help preserve the Chesapeake Bay for future generations? Join Kiptopeke State Park and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for the 2026 Clean the Bay Day Event.

Each year on a bright Saturday morning, thousands of Virginians simultaneously descend on the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove harmful litter and debris.

First Landing State Park invites you to participate in a Chesapeake Bay tradition by volunteering in Clean the Bay Day, an annual event organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to promote and protect the health of our Bay watershed. Volunteers are invited to help collect litter along our shorelines and to collect data to help CBF promote environmental stewardship of our waterways.  Registration is now full for both park sites, but you can find more cleanups on the CBF website.

The health of the Chesapeake Bay begins right here along the beautiful James River — and we need your help to protect it!

Clean the Bay Day is sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and is an ongoing effort towards creating a clean and healthy Chesapeake Bay.

If you’ve mastered spotting birds by sight, take your skills to the next level by learning their songs.

The Chesapeake Bay is a cradle of our nation's infancy.

Take a spring walk of exploration with two Virginia Master Naturalists in this first of a series of seasonal walks planned for children.

Join a ranger in the Education Room at the Visitors Center at 10 a.m. for information about Belle Isle's wetlands, creeks, river, and watershed and learn the many ways you can decrease pollution in our waterways.

Did you know that the Chesapeake Bay watershed reaches all the way to the Allegheny mountains?

Experience the anticipation of seeing what lies around each "bend" of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River from a kayaker's point of view.

Get ready for a day of discovery!

Meaningful, spontaneous conversations can inspire curiosity and foster deeper engagement with community programs!

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners from decades gone by.

Practice casting a fishing pole, no hooks required!

Go back in time in the historic village of Foster Falls.

Did you know that Sky Meadows is in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed?

Where does your water go?

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

Without pollinators, people and all of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems would not survive.

Whether you're fascinated or a little rattled, snakes are a vital part of healthy ecosystems, and they’re not as scary as they seem.

Join our rangers for a guided tour of Mulberry Hill, the plantation home of Judge Paul Carrington, Virginian and Founding Father. This month we will focus on the American Revolution and its impact throughout Southside Virginia.

Happy 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 "fairy stone." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will head to the site.

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

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.

History usually tells us how the battle ended.

Are bees the only pollinator?

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

Make a splash this Clean the Bay Day with a fun, hands-on creek adventure. Families will grab a seine net and wade into the water to catch fascinating macroinvertebrates—tiny critters like mayfly nymphs and crayfish that live in our streams.

Step inside the Discovery Center to learn from a park ranger about local wildlife, the park's history, and the New River! All ages welcome.

This archery session for beginners and provides shooting time for the more experienced. It begins with instruction time on archery equipment, technique, and safety.

The health of the Chesapeake Bay starts right here at Seven Bends State Park!

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.

Get up close and personal with the wildlife of Natural Tunnel State Park, without ever seeing a live animal!

Want to save the bees, butterflies, birds, and more?  Just plant native!  Even the smallest pollinator-friendly patch will make a difference.  At our pollinator garden workshop, you'll learn everything you need to know to get started and receive a planning packet to help create your own pollinator habitat at home.

Help park rangers keep the park and the lake clean with this Litter Patrol.

Put on your hiking boots, grab a water bottle, and get ready for a floral-filled excursion at Chippokes State Park!

Parents, you spoke, and we listened!  We're excited to introduce our first toddler series: Little Wanderers.

Experience the anticipation of seeing what lies around each "bend" of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River from a kayaker's point of view.

Join a ranger to look for butterflies.

Stop by for a sneak peek into the developing Virginia State Park's B.A.R.K Ranger program and upcoming dog focused events at Belle Isle.

Enjoy a relaxed afternoon walk with HMSP volunteer Mike Evans while we search for birds in a diverse section of the park that includes multiple mini-biomes.

Ever wonder where rainwater goes after it hits the ground?

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

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

Ever wonder where rainwater goes after it hits the ground?

Description: Join a ranger for an eye-opening look at nature’s clean-up crew!