Events in Virginia State Parks

This summer the Junior Ranger program is exploring the outdoors through the elements, and Week 1 is Earth!

Celebrate a hundred years of conservation, stewardship, and outdoor adventure.

Beat the heat at our River Bend Discovery Center!

Come meet some of the littlest life in our park at Bugs and Beyond: Discovery Hour!

Can you recall taking a break on a hot summer day and sitting under the shade of a maple tree, or swinging on a tire swing hung from a giant oak? Trees provide many benefits including food, shelter, and oxygen, to both humans and wildlife.

Have you ever wondered what secrets the natural world holds? This drop-in program offers a unique opportunity to meet with Virginia Master Naturalists who will be available to answer all your nature-related questions.

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.

Is the critter this month small, medium, or large?

Join us for a geocaching adventure at Shenandoah River!

Every Monday evening from May to September you can find local fresh produce, baked goods, honey, jams and jellies, soap, and local artisan crafters, as well as food vendors, here at Fairy Stone State Park.

Ride with a park guide as we experience the shores of Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Have you ever bumped into one of our tall bark-covered residents and wondered who it is you've just run into?

The Green Arrow?

This summer the Junior Ranger program is exploring the outdoors through the elements, and Week 1 is Earth!

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

Is the opossum misunderstood?

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.

Animals may be shy, but they leave plenty of clues behind.

Are all snakes venomous?

Need a hiking stick or just want to embellish your own?

Ever wondered how you stack up against some of the largest birds in the sky?

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

Allow the evening to envelop you and enjoy a hay wagon ride with our park guide.

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

Spend time paddling down the Clinch River.

Yes, you too can canoe!

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.

Beat the heat at our River Bend Discovery Center!

This summer the Junior Ranger program is exploring the outdoors through the elements, and Week 1 is Earth!

Get ready to explore some of the littlest life in our park at Bugs and Beyond!

Are you trying to secure the tarp over your tent, or interested in how to keep your boat or canoe tied up so that it won't float away?

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

Have you ever wondered what swims in the shallows at Kiptopeke?

Join a ranger for a guided hike through Laurel Loop and explore the native and invasive trees to Hayfields State Park.

Celebrate National Caves and Karst Week with us!

Get your feet wet and explore life in the creek.

Join us for a geocaching adventure at Shenandoah River!

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.

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

Ever cared to create art outdoors?

Hop on over for a hands-on adventure into the world of frogs. Join park staff as we search for some of Virginia’s native frog species and their tadpoles.

Calling all bird lovers, do you know how to identify a bird by its song?

Experience paddling on one of Virginia's most beautiful and historic waterways: the James River.

Let’s head over to Edmunds Lake and try to wrangle in some big fish.

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

Ride with a park guide as we experience the shores of Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Enjoy a relaxing morning by taking a guided kayak paddle through the marshes of Back Bay.

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

Through history, people have utilized plants to survive, out of which have come special relationships.

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

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

Do you know who's bones these are?

Get ready to explore some of the littlest life in our park at Bugs and Beyond!

Second only to humans in the ability to change their environment to fit their needs, learn just how smart a beaver can be.

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.

Step into the shoes of an archaeologist and uncover the secrets of an owl’s diet!

It's none of your Beeswax!

Do you know what's living in our lake?

Did you know that opossums roamed the earth with the dinosaurs and that raccoons have “hands” like ours? Wonder what other secrets these critters hold? Join us to discover little known facts about these amazing animals and how they benefit humans.

Who made those footprints?

Discover the “bear facts” about Fairy Stone State Park’s black bears at our ranger-led program. Learn about their characteristics, habits, how to avoid conflicts, and much more.

Slither and splash into the world of reptiles.

Shine a light on days gone by with a lantern-lit history tour of the Natural Bridge.

Step into the quiet, mysterious woods of Douthat State Park after dark for an unforgettable experience.

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

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

Experience the James River like never before on this ranger-guided canoe float between Bent Creek and Canoe Landing!

Come out to Westmoreland State Park and join our rangers in a fun FREE day of fishing! June 5th-7th is free fishing weekend in Virginia, meaning no fishing license is required to fish anywhere in the state.   If you have your own fishing gear, bring it! Never been fishing before? Don’t own any fishing supplies?

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

Want to experience the New River Trail State Park in a way few people get a chance to?

Mussel's and Aquatic Bugs Join a Ranger in taking a closer look at what lives in our rivers, specifically the Clinch River which is super rich in diverse species!

Beat the heat at our River Bend Discovery Center!

Ever wanted to learn how to fish, but never knew where to start?

Find time to head down to the Tunnel Platform where you’ll find amazing views of the 300-foot-tall amphitheater walls of the Natural Tunnel, rock pigeons, and if you’re lucky, a train.

Do you have what it takes to be a wildlife detective?  Get ready for a guided mission!

Ever wonder what the fish are doing when they dive deep under water?

Black bears are one of the many incredible mammals that dwell in Douthat State Park.

How can you determine the approximate age of a box turtle?

10 and 2, 10 and 2, get into the rhythm of fly fishing.

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

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

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

Find out what's at Staunton River State Park!

Join our rangers for a look at the skins and skulls of fauna you can find at Hayfields State Park.

The rangers will have a variety of craft materials available so you can let your creativity flow like Swift Creek. This program encourages artistic expression, enhances fine motor skills and encourages teamwork.

Ever wondered what a skunk’s fur feels like, or how big a bobcat’s skull really is?

Visit a Ranger at Massie Gap and learn about bear safety, including how to store food, what to do when you come across a bear hiking, camping in bear country, and more.

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

Practice casting a fishing pole, no hooks required!

Have you ever wondered what swims in the shallows at Kiptopeke?

Come discover the world of self-publishing!

Trees are vital to our environment.

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.

Get creative and be inspired by the beautiful scenery of Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

What does fire mean to you?

Slime is survival.

What track is that?

Do you know the rich history of Virginia's Eastern Shore?

Celebrate DCR’s 100th anniversary around the campfire with s’mores and trivia!   .