Events in Virginia State Parks

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

Join local birder and Woodstock resident Kirk Andrews, on a Saturday morning bird walk.

Are you ready to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city?

Ready to learn the ins and outs of stand up paddleboarding?

This program marks each hour with the spoken name of a person who died at Sailor’s Creek.

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

Take a hike with a park ranger and fellow nature-enthusiasts through the park's beautiful forests and meadows!

We are kicking off the summer season at the Education Station with a weekend of Backyard Bass!

Join Virginia Master Naturalist Dr.

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

Join us as we help spruce up and enhance the Fairy Stone Hunt Site.

Calling all budding detectives.

Think opossums are just pesky critters?

Take aim and let your arrow (and confidence) fly.

Paddle the lower Potomac River on a fossil finding adventure! Millions of years ago, Virginia was covered in a shallow sea that was teeming with life, leaving behind prolific fossil beds.

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

Join a ranger to learn about meteorological vs.

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

Observe nature as a naturalist with our Lake Anna State Park scavenger hunt!

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.

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

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 a stroller friendly paved trail to Rock Spring Pond.

Keep your eyes on the skies and come along as we dive into the art of bird journaling and discover fascinating facts about your favorite feathered friends.

What will we scoop up this time?

Hear the tale of star-crossed lovers that the trail is named after and view the tunnel from above.

Explore the history of the Occoneechee Plantation on this one-mile guided hike around the Plantation Trail.

Are there beavers at Smith Mountain Lake?

Discover the vital role butterflies play in our ecosystem and the remarkable journey they undertake from egg to winged adult.

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.

Use your detective skills to piece together the stories that animals, including humans, have left behind.

How many fish can you catch?

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

Bird feeders are a great way to support Virginia’s birds while bringing a bit of nature right into your yard.

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.

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

Create a recycled flowerpot out of newspaper that you can place right in the ground with native flower seeds.

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.

Meet local 'shellebrity' Ranger Myrtle, the Red-eared Slider turtle, as she suns herself in her enclosure behind the concession building.

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

Take your first shot at archery in this beginner-friendly workshop.

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

Ready to explore the forest in its full summer glory?

Join our rangers for a look at the skins and skulls of animals you can find in Hayfields.

Challenge yourself to name various songbirds found around Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Join the interpretive ranger and see how many of our common birds you can identify.

Join us as we learn how to identify trees based on their different features, see samples of different parts of a tree and create your own unique tree field guide to take with you.

This field-based game is a fun and safe way to examine the interactions between a predator population of coyotes and a prey population of deer in a forest. This program is suitable for all ages.

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

Meet Maverick, our corn snake animal ambassador, as he helps teach us all about our scaly friends and the good that they do for our environment.

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.

What does fire mean to you?

Come find us at the Splash Park as we get hands on with skulls and furs from Virginia’s native animals.

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

Our friends Hisstopher and Harrold planned a feast, and they want you to join.

Ever wondered what stories Douthat State Park holds?

What do you think of when you hear term wildlife?

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

Over 200 years ago, early adventurers like Daniel Boone walked these same hills and valleys we see today.

There are many amazing critters living in the waters around Belle Isle.

Slither, crawl, and shellabrate with us as we dive into the wild world of reptiles.

Get to know a few of our feathered friends that can be found in the park or in your backyard.

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

Come out to Chestnut Creek along the Cliffview Campground, get your feet wet, and explore life underwater!

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

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

Combine music and the great outdoors through music in the 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.

Twilight Paddle Adventures are a great way to spend an evening away from the hustle and bustle of work, traffic and the cares of life.

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?

“The Moon and stars are not above us; they are within us." --John Muir Come join our rangers on an evening hike through the Holly Marsh Trail to view the Full Moon rising above the Potomac River!

You’re invited to gather ‘round the campfire for a truly warm welcome at Pocahontas State Park.

Come gather around the campfire and immerse yourself in a night of fun.

A nearly century-long tradition continues as the Natural Bridge is bathed in light the last Saturday night of every month (plus holiday weekends), April through October.  Experience the 200-foot-tall arch as it is lit from above and below by dozens of lights, with the only sound being the murmuring of Cedar Creek running below.

Ever wondered what it’s like to paddle under a sky full of stars?

Explore the Crooked Run Valley and Sky Meadows State Park with Bishop's Events 5K and 10K races.

One of the best times to be on Hungry Mother Lake is in the early mornings when no one else is on the lake.

This program marks each hour with the spoken name of a person who died at Sailor’s Creek.

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

Do you know North America's favorite marsupial?

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

Come watch our resident snake enjoy his mealtime in the Visitor Center!

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

Tap into the swamp’s natural magic in this creative art workshop!

Create a flowerpot you can plant directly in the soil from upcycled newspaper. You’ll get some native-to-Virginia wildflower seeds to take home and support your local pollinators in this paper folding craft.  .

Beetles are our friendly neighbors in nature; though small in size, they have a major impact on ecosystems and food at the table.

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Attract the local pollinator friends with these seed bombs for your garden!

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.

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

Bird feeders are a great way to support Virginia’s birds while bringing a bit of nature right into your yard.

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.

What's a benthic organism and how does it survive in the creek?

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.

This land-based, hook-free fishing game is a fun and safe way to learn how to cast, but even those who are fishing fanatics will enjoy trying to beat out the competition in this game of limited resources.

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

Try your hand at panning for gold in the James River while discovering Virginia’s unique geology.

Migrate to the Discovery Center to learn about the fascinating "Fish Hawk".

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

Spend a relaxing afternoon surrounded by plants and fresh air in the Jean Livingston Brown Demonstration garden. Learn about pollinators, starting seeds, weeding, composting and more. .

Want to know a secret?