Join us as we comb the beach to discover what natural treasures await.

Sunday Funday anyone?  Swing by our interpretive table in the picnic area to add some fun to your Sunday picnic!

Join a ranger, explore the forest floor for natural materials, and construct a honeybee.  All additional craft materials and paint are provided.

Take a break from the heat and come cool off with the rangers.

Take a guided kayak paddle through beautiful Back Bay to look for wildlife and learn about this spectacular freshwater ecosystem.

Now held on Sunday afternoons, the Lunch on the Lawn series is back!

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

Tour a replica of the Anderson Blockhouse as rangers provide information about the history of the building and area.

Inspired by our very own Red-Eared Slider, Myrtle, come learn about all the turtles that call Mason Neck their home and how you can act to protect them during their vulnerable nesting season.

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

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.

Explore fascinating natural treasures at the Park Office, where a park ranger will showcase intriguing items you can see, touch, and learn about.

Of all the mammals, opossums are the most misunderstood. They are fascinating creatures with very unique characteristics.

Leesylvania State Park is home to many different turtles!

Ready, set, crawl, to join General Raphael, our non-releasable rescue eastern box turtle, as we explore more about her and the animal friends she shares her habitat with.

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.

Have you ever seen a great blue heron on the Bay View trail?

Take a short walk with a ranger and explore the history of Douthat State Park.

Have you ever wondered how to eat an acorn?

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

There is a lot to discover at Leesylvania State Park.

Become a birder, snorkel in the river, explore underground in a cave, catch a butterfly, tour a historic village, and learn primitive skills and campfire cooking...all in one week!

Your next adventure is HERE!  Join us for a week-long day camp as we explore Mason Neck State Park.  Each day we will find new adventures and learn more about the ecology of the park, while we play and challenge ourselves to try something new. Each camp will run Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 1:00 pm.

This summer, the Junior Ranger program is exploring a different life group every week, and Week 4 is Amphibians & Reptiles! Programs run Monday - Wednesday from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Outdoor and weather appropriate clothing must be worn as we will be exploring the park; getting dirty and/or wet are both strong possibilities! Closed-toed shoes are required every day. Please don't forget to bring a snack and a reusable water bottle, as well as apply sunscreen and bugspray before the program begins.

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nest boxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

Take a walk and discover life in four different aquatic ecosystems.  We will hike to a small woodland and marsh stream, freshwater pond, and brackish/saltwater river.  With nets, we will capture and identify different crustaceans, fish, and take note of plant life. .

What is wet, muddy, has lots of plants and animals, and kind of stinks?

In the 18th century, this area was a thriving place for business, people, and transportation.

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

Toads, Turtles and Snakes- Oh my!

Douthat State Park is home to many mammals including black bears.

Let’s go on a fun "History Hike" at Staunton River State Park.

Do you love art and nature?

Do you enjoy listening to the birds chirp outside and hearing the trees in the wind?

Need a break from your long trip and have a little fun? Do you like being creative? We have many things to see at our Visitor Center.

Explore amazing insects, get up close and personal with some of our reptile friends, splash through a creek looking for critters, and discover the world of rocks and minerals.

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

Have you met the animals living at Hungry Mother State Park's Discovery Center?

Take a half of a hike with a park ranger.

Join us at the Wood Warbler Boardwalk, across from the Camp Store, to learn about the 7 Leave No Trace principles while we come together to clean our beaches.  Buckets and trash grabbers will be provided. .

Every Monday 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.

Twilight is the perfect time to search for salamanders.

How I wonder what you are...

We are looking for the next generation of rangers, are you ready to give it a try?

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

The Fairfield Foundation opens the Timberneck house for free walk-in tours every Tuesday.

We need your help.

Want to learn how to play the outdoorsman’s version of BINGO?

Join us for Toddler Adventure Time at Holliday Lake State Park!

Join the Rangers on a guided hike through our most popular trail!

From the ashes of the old Fossil Beach has arisen a new, dynamic ecosystem.  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.

For ages 10+.

Are all snakes venomous?

A face only a mother could love?

First Landing’s swamp are truly special, largely due to a particular type of tree.

Pocahontas State Park and the American Red Cross are hosting an upcoming blood drive, please join our lifesaving mission and schedule an appointment today.  The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community.

Sometimes the best way to make new discoveries in nature is to play a game. I spy something round on the ground. I spy something blue up high. Can you guess what “I Spy” as we hike the River Bank Trail?  Come find out and play along.

In the bird world, wingspan means everything.

Join us as we comb the beach to discover what natural treasures await.  Great for all ages!  Meet at the south beach entrance. .

Grab your gear and saddle up for a ride down the Cape Henry Trail, First Landing‘s longest multi-use trail.

Bring your creativity and express your individuality and join Leesylvania State Park Rangers throughout the park for a unique crafting experience!  Each session is a one of a kind experience.  See you there!

Tie-dye wasn't the brainchild of American hippies during the 1960s.

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

Do you have a special button from your grandmother or a piece of jewelry that broke but means a lot to you?

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

Become a Junior Ranger at James River State Park!

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

Yes, you too can canoe! Canoes are stable and easy to control, despite what you might have heard.

Try out freshwater fishing from the lake shoreline using our tackle.

Time to go on a scavenger hunt in the campground.

Explore some of the coolest little critters that fly in our amazing world of the night sky above. Join an interpreter on Wednesdays this summer to learn about bats and what they mean for our ecosystem.

On this hike, all 5 of your senses will be stimulated as we immerse ourselves in nature.

For ages 10+.

Join a Virginia Master Naturalist and enjoy a one hour stroll on easy terrain looking for wildlife and plant life.

Join us at the Big Water Visitor Center for a feeding frenzy.  You will be able to observe a variety of animals in our saltwater fish tank while they eat.  Learn how to identify the different animals and what they all like to eat.  Great for all ages!   .

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! .

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

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

Let’s go on a fun "History Hike" at Staunton River State Park.

Do you want to witness the art of Gyotaku fish printing, an ancient craft where you can create your own fish masterpiece!

Bear Creek Lake is a modest 40 aces in size yet has a many-faceted story to tell.

Get ready to catch gold fever and mosey on over to join our interpretive rangers on a quest for this elusive mineral.

Get your feet wet and explore life in the creek.

Do you think you have what it takes to build a shelter that will withstand the wind and the rain?

Getting out in nature has incredible benefits to our health and wellness.

What's a benthic organism and how do they survive in the creek?

Like them or loathe them, snakes are important to our ecosystems.

Every animal has unique features and traits that make them special and suited for their natural environment.

Soar on over and take a virtual tour of a family of "fish hawks".

Paddling a kayak gives you a new perspective of the world and lifetime of adventures.

Come along on a hike through Kiptopeke's trails to learn about the nature in our park. Meet at picnic shelter #2. The hike is roughly 2 miles long. Great for all ages!

Hop on over to learn the calls and search for some of Virginia's native frog species.

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

Come experience the beautiful James River on this guided kayak tour. The trip includes a brief overview of paddling safety and techniques, as well as on-the-water interpretations of natural and cultural features.

The day has been filled with fun activities, but now it is time to wind down with a peaceful paddle on the lake.

Join us down by the RV campground for a campfire!

Become a Junior Ranger at James River State Park!

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with this monthly series of true nature walks!

Paddle your way around the park’s unique ecosystem.