The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Spend time floating five and a half miles down the Clinch River.

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

Grab your coffee or other non-alcoholic beverage and join one of our Park Rangers for a chance to sit and chat about the park, history, programs, volunteering and future plans.

The Great Egret joins the Great Blue Heron for super-sized avian fun at the park.

Practice your fishing line casting skills with this fun land-based activity.

Want to know more about those trees you see daily?

Would you like to have the chance to explore the trails in Powhatan State Park and meet new people?

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

Put away your smartphone and plot a course for adventure with this introduction to the sport of orienteering.

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

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

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

'Family Learning Adventures,' formally known as 'Arks for Parks,' is back this year at Twin Lakes State Park.

In our park's nature center, you can see many different native animals of Virginia.

Explore the beautiful wetlands with us.

Explore the mighty James River via canoe with your very own guide!

Become a steward of nature while building your local community and connecting with the people near you that share a passion for the outdoors. Meet with rangers at the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center for a short talk about conservation and to get supplies to clean up the trash that washes onto the shoreline or is left and scattered along the trails and recreational areas. Clean-Up days are self-paced, so come clean our shoreline for as much time as you can spare to make a difference at the park.

During the Jim Crow Era, many public spaces in the South were segregated.

Join Master Naturalist Kim Manion for a short walk to discover the basics of tree identification.

Explore the 32-acre Prince Edward Lake, the larger of the park's two lakes, on this guided canoe tour.

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.

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

Ever wonder what animals call Kiptopeke home or what those shells on the beach are called?

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

Become a prospector as we follow in the footsteps of "Stampmill Sam".

Connect artistically to the world around you.

Owls, bats and bugs oh my!

Animals tell us tales using the tracks they leave behind.

You never know what critters you will see around Belle Isle, there's dozens to pick from.

How do rivers form?

Discover some of the beautiful fish that make their homes in the Potomac River with a Park Ranger using a seine net, one of humankind's oldest fishing tools. This is also a great chance to appreciate the important role that the Potomac River and its watershed has in our community.  Be prepared to have fun and get wet.  Be sure to bring water shoes and comfortable clothing.  For questions or inquiries, please call (703)583-6904 or send an e-mail to leesylvaniavc@dcr.virginia.gov.

It's feeding time, watch and learn about a few of our ambassador animals, Reba the Corn Snake or Stevie the King Snake, as they prepare to feed on a frozen mouse! .

Flutter on over to meet with Master Naturalist Kim Manion to discuss all things butterflies.

Find our ranger on the fishing pier to hear all about our concrete fleet and the history of Kiptopeke State Park.

Think you know the difference between toads and frogs?

Do you know the significance behind musical instruments during battle?

Nature journaling is the intersection of art, science, and curiosity.

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.

Did you know you can make paper from paper?

What do you think of when you hear term wildlife?

Step inside to learn all about the magic of the Chesapeake Bay and its inhabitants.

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.

Come out of your shell and spend some time getting to know the Eastern Box Turtle.

Come join a ranger for a fun and exciting craft!

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.

What would your shell say about you if you were a box turtle?

Get in touch with your inner artist and come down to the beach to learn about the bugs and insects that add beauty to our park.

Let’s make animal tracks!

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

Black bears capture human admiration and interest like few other wildlife species.

Come on out to Chippokes State Park and discover what is left of a forgotten historic roadway on this ranger-led hike. Learn about historic transportation routes, the area's first inhabitants, speculation and myths of the road, and natural history.

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

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

Belle Isle's shoreline along Deep Creek was eroding at a rate of 2 to 7 foot per year.

Explore the mighty James River via canoe with your very own guide!

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

From eagles to owls, raptors are everywhere at Mason Neck State Park!

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

Discover the art of journaling in the wild with a ranger.

Who knew you could make beautiful art featuring flowers from nature with bubbles?

What does fire mean to you?

Slither on down and join the Park Ranger for an in depth look into the fascinating lives of some local reptiles.

Take your first steps on the path to adventure.

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

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

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

Do you have what it takes to safely and confidently survive in the wilderness?  In times of unexpected emergencies or when seeking a secure place to rest, having the skills to construct a dependable shelter can be crucial.

Ever wanted to touch the fur of a skunk or an opossum?

Pan for gold in the James River while learning about Virginia’s unique geology, the rocks and minerals of the park, and the magnetic sand on the banks of the river.

How many animal inhabitants of First Landing can you identify?

Meet at the Big Water Visitor Center and help our resident box turtle have some fun in the sun!  Learn about different turtles that call Kiptopeke home and why it's important to keep wildlife wild.

Join a ranger, enjoy Big Meadow Trail, and learn about the natural history of Westmoreland State Park.

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

Experience Occoneechee State Park from a different perspective, as you paddle around the shoreline of Buggs Island Lake.

Who made those footprints?

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

Help us tend a whole new type of garden - an oyster garden. Discover this easy past time, learn about the history of oysters in our region and how this humble bivalve takes care of our tidal waters.

It starts with an "s" and ends with a "t." It comes out of you, it comes out of me.

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.

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

Find the "roving ranger" as they travel around the waterfront to learn how YOU can save a skunk and the other wildlife that call the park home.

Frogs, crawdads, and children, oh my!

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

Put yourself into the shoes of an Ice Age hunter in this spear-throwing workshop. Long ago, giant beasts roamed the land that we now call Virginia.

What's under that rock?

Can you imagine not having a TV or cell phone?

Explore the marshes of Back Bay by kayak while observing birds and other wildlife.

This five-member band, founded in 2023, is local to Clarksville, VA.

Join Yoga Instructor Kelly Blevins to experience a more engaged form of yoga as you strike poses on our stand-up paddle boards out in the lake.

It's a hard life evading bears, bats, and birds.

Practice your netting skills to find out what lives in the Bay using techniques dating back to ancient times!

Would you choose a skunk for supper?

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

Test your survival skills by learning to build a fire without a match or lighter. Once the fire is built, let’s enjoy it by making s’mores.

Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Sky Meadows' campground provides you with a fantastic place to enjoy peaceful rejuvenation, but how much do you know about this wonderful park?

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

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

You are invited to participate in a guided hike with an interpretive ranger to learn about the medicinal plants of central Virginia.