Geocaching combines Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with nature to provide adventure for 'treasure hunters' all over the world.

Want to express your patriotism and possibly win a prize?

The summer is in full swing at Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Have you ever heard a bird call and wanted to know what bird made that noise?

Start your morning with a scenic and inspiring bike ride led by a park ranger on High Bridge Trail!

Perfect for beginners, this class will help you connect with nature and start your bird-watching journey.

Join our Park Rangers as they discuss the history, ecology, and culture of the Widewater Peninsula.

Get knee-deep in the Shenandoah during Fly Fishing 101!  During this program, our fly-fishing instructor will go over all the basics to get you catching your first fish on a fly!

Explore the shoreline of the Potomac by kayak! Enjoy a daytime paddle on the lower Potomac River as we look and listen for bald eagles.

Join us for a rewarding morning of gardening alongside fellow plant enthusiasts.

Get down and dirty with this two-hour wild cave tour.

Join us to learn some cool tricks and tips about stand-up paddle boarding.

Join a ranger to hike the Stuart's Knob Trail on National Trails Day and learn about the history of Fayerdale and the importance Stuart's Knob played to in helping the residents earn money throughout its short tenure.

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the trail around High Bridge with interesting historical items from the park.

Join us on the first Saturday of the month to experience the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of history at Sky Meadows.

Archery programs are some of the best recreational activities that State Parks have to offer.

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

From May to August, the Overton-Hillsman House will be open to the public on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The historic home was a witness to war, a battlefield hospital, and the birthplace of one of the nation’s foremost Black educators.

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.

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.

Owls, bats, and bugs, oh my!

The trash and litter we leave behind can hurt the environment.

Bring your canine companion and join the B.A.R.K.

This week's theme for Junior Rangers is An Island in the Sky.

Ever wonder what animals call Kiptopeke home, or what shells you can find on our beaches?

Discover the timeless art of pine needle basket weaving and unlock your creativity with this hands-on workshop.

Find out what lurks below the surface of the swamp in this fun dip-netting adventure!

It's feeding time for our ambassador reptiles.  How do we feed our animals?

Hot diggity dog, the Friends of False Cape are having a FUNdraiser!

Feel our fuzzy forest friends’ furs as you learn about the mammals found in our forests.

Celebrate the weekend with a burst of color and creativity by creating your very own patriotic masterpiece.

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

Scurry on over to the tent below the pavilion to investigate the secret life of a bug.

Stop by the nature booth to borrow a Family Learning Adventures adventure pack for the day.

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

Join us for a guided tour of the Visitor Center at High Bridge Trail State Park, where history and nature come together!

Ever wondered how the cabins you stay in and the shelters you enjoy were built without modern technology?

Join our staff for a guided tour of Mulberry Hill, the plantation home of Judge Paul Carrington, Virginian and Founding Father. Mulberry Hill was also a working tobacco farm owned by the McPhails during the American Civil War.

Northern Virginia runs deep with rich history and Mason Neck is no exception.

Did you know the park's lakes were built by humans?

Join us for an opportunity to get "a-head" on wildlife knowledge and learn to identify skulls based upon their characteristics.

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

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.

Have you ever seen a tree grow out of a rock?

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

You might be smarter than a 5th grader but are you smarter than a crow?

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.  Meet with our naturalist/ranger who will help you discover the aquatic, insect, mammal, and plant life in the park’s ecosystems.

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.

Come join us for a fun day in the river looking at mussels!

Meet Natural Tunnel's wildlife ambassador, Popcorn the corn snake.

During the spring and summer, ospreys dominate the skies over Leesylvania as they build nests and raise their young.

Celebrate July 4th weekend with us by making your very own Bald Eagle for you to keep!

Ever wanted to learn how to crab?

It is July 4th weekend and we are bringing the BLING!

Take some time to get out of the hot sun and join our park nature interpreter under the tent for some fun crafts. Independence Day is a time to reflect on our freedom. Design your own butterfly, create a picture using the sun, or "scratch-up" some art.

Create a tie dye masterpiece you can wear all summer!

Join us as we learn more about the prehistoric history of Chippokes through fossils that can be found right on our beaches!

This ranger-led hike will teach you the principles of "Leave No Trace".

Have you ever wondered how snakes can swallow something as big as their own heads?

This "crab" is actually more closely related to spiders and scorpions!

Have you ever picked wild blackberries or collected wild herbs for a recipe?

Create your own up-cycled Nature Journal!

Enjoy a refreshing cup of lemonade with a ranger and engage in interesting discussions to gain a unique insight into local wildlife and conservation efforts.

Did you know that 11 to 3 million years ago Chippokes, the James River, and most of the Tidewater area of Virginia was all under water and at the bottom of the Claremont Manor Sea? Join an interpreter on an adventure through the Fossil Beds of Chippokes to see what we can find...

Come join us as we make nature journals; we'll draw what we see and document the plants around us the way the pioneers of the past did.

Visit a ranger and learn about bear safety.

Hoot have thought reconstructing skeletons could be so cool? Learn about some of our native owl species while you dissect a Great Horned Owl pellet.

The natural world around us is like a game of Jenga, and when species are removed, the balance becomes increasingly unstable.

Enjoy an evening of painting at Natural Tunnel. Join Rangers Jessi and Kenley as they walk you through creating a nature themed painting.

Express yourself on the trail with a stylish and unique hiking stick you designed and decorated yourself.

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

Come say hello to Ranger Shelly, our red-eared slider and local shellebrity. Join us at the beach as she enjoys some sunshine and enrichment time.

Meet us at the Camp Store to learn about the 7 Leave No Trace principles while we come together to clean our beaches!

As you soak up the sun this July 4th, it is important to stay cool.

Belle Isle is home to songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors, just to name a few.

You don't need a boat or fishing license to learn how to fish with the rangers at Holliday Lake State Park.

Come out to Chestnut Creek, get your feet wet, and explore life underwater.

Learn basic survival skills such as fire staring, basic shelter building, water purification, and more from our rangers.

Joining a park ranger for a fun reading adventure!

Join us for a refreshing blend of learning and outdoor fun that promotes environmental awareness and sparks a sense of wonder about the tiny worlds hidden in plain sight, right by the pool.

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.

Hit the lake and join us in canoeing on the historic John H.

Who made those footprints?

Throughout the summer we offer multiple opportunities for you to take a tour of our beautiful park by wagon ride.

Autumn is not the only season that is perfect to take a wagon ride. Take a relaxing ride through the park and campground, experiencing the sounds of summertime.

Did you know that people have been using plants to dye fabric for centuries?

Drop by the campfire to relax, meet your camping neighbors, enjoy time sharing stories, and learn about critters that call New River Trail home.

How well do you know our native Virginia snakes?

Take your camping skills to the next level in this camping workshop!

Come rock and roll with local band "Candy Machine" live as they perform music from the 1950s through the 1980s on the water's edge at the beach amphitheater.

Take a lantern lit chairlift ride down to the naturally made tunnel.

Take a wagon ride to the scenic Tye Overlook and enjoy the prettiest view for miles around.

Paddle under the darkening sky to visit the ghosts that haunt the lost town of Fayerdale.

Paddle around the lake with us and discover the variety of habitats the lake provides.

Join us around the fire as we hear several stories from Occoneechee State Park’s past.

Come gather around the campfire and immerse yourself in a night of cultural storytelling, where we share remarkable ancient tales passed through generations. As you listen to these captivating stories, you will have the opportunity to enjoy some delicious s'mores next to the campfire with friends and family.

Secrets and spiders and campfires?

Take a float as day turns into twilight, and the creatures of the night arise.

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!

Join us at the outdoor stage for an evening program about the soaring predators that hunt from the sky at night, including learning different owl calls, adaptations, and a chance to dissect an owl pellet.