Delve into the world of terrariums, a creative activity that reflects the connection between nature and artistry cherished by campers at Camp Pinoaka.

Join us for a week-long celebration honoring the vibrant history of Pocahontas State Park, specifically highlighting the activities and programs once offered at its formerly segregated side, Group Camp 7, which was opened for use for the first time on July 15th, 1939.

Perched upon a small hill overlooking the old Norfolk & Western railway station sits the old Foster Falls Hotel.

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

Take a half of a hike with a park ranger.

Have you ever fished the Chesapeake?

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.

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

The Park is excited to announce their Children’s Junior Ranger Camp is back again for 2024.

Join the Friends of Mason Neck and Fairfax Master Naturalists for a rewarding day of volunteer garden work!

Experience the thrill of archery, a favorite pastime at Camp Johnson.

Join us for a week-long celebration honoring the vibrant history of Pocahontas State Park, specifically highlighting the activities and programs once offered at its formerly segregated side, Group Camp 7, which was opened for use for the first time on July 15th, 1939.

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

We need your help.

Curious about how streams in the mountains turn into the Shenandoah River, then the Atlantic Ocean?

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

Join us for an unforgettable Junior Ranger Camp adventure at Holliday Lake State Park.

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

Long before there was a York River State Park, or even a York River, 6,000 plus years ago, marine creatures swam here in a shallow sea.

Pollinators are more than just bees.

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!

Are all snakes venomous?

Have you ever found a piece of colored glass or bottle along the shoreline that appears frosted, weathered, and tumbled almost as if it were stone?

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

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.

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

Have you ever wondered what owls look like, what they eat, or where they live?

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. .

Leesylvania State Park is home to many different turtles!

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

Explore the various ways you can connect with the Earth through keeping a nature journal.

Through the ages humans have had an intimate relationship with fire.

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.

If you love nature and the outdoors, come check out the Friends of Powhatan State Park monthly meetings and gather with like-minded people who are passionate about supporting Virginia State Parks through volunteerism and legislation.

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

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

Join a ranger to hike along a section of the Mountain View Trail and cut through the woods for a short distance, seeing the ruins of an old moonshine still along the way.

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

The Park is excited to announce their Children’s Junior Ranger Camp is back again for 2024.

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

This nature walk and talk is about the textures and aromas of three native forest species and their role in developing special relationships between plants and humans.

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

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

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.

Join us for an unforgettable Junior Ranger Camp adventure at Holliday Lake State Park.

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

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!   .

Come join us for a treat that was highly coveted at Camp Pinoaka.

Have you ever been walking along a trail and come across a pile of "meatballs"?

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! .

Join us for a week-long celebration honoring the vibrant history of Pocahontas State Park, specifically highlighting the activities and programs once offered at its formerly segregated side, Group Camp 7, which was opened for use for the first time on July 15th, 1939.

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

All aboard the Virginia Dare for a fun-filled and informative lunch cruise.

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

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.

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

What does a mushroom sit on...a toadstool!

What can bones tell us about animal characteristics? Different animals have unique skeletons that are specialized to their way of life.

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

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

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

Enjoy a relaxing paddle on the Potomac River. This paddle tour is designed to show you the ecosystem, wildlife, and scenic views from the river as we look back to the shoreline of Westmoreland State Park.  This paddle provides excellent views and wildlife sighting opportunities to include, the Horsehead Cliffs (from a safe distance),stratigraphy of the Cliffs, erosion and water as a true natural force, a brief fossil hunting on fossil beach, and significant bird watching opportunities to include special and unscheduled appearances by Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, and more!  Please sign up and pay in advance for this program at the Visitor Center. Guests should meet at the day-use beach and boathouse area. All equipment is provided however participants should wear closed-toed shoes. All children participating should be over 35lbs. Participants should wear a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and bring water and snacks with them.  This paddle begins at the scheduled time and can run for roughly 2 hours. This program is limited to 8 spots.

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!

Join our Park Rangers for a unique experience of Aquia Creek as the cloak of twilight descends.

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!

Kayak through the sunset on Swift Creek Lake.

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

Ever wonder what goes on at night in a park?

After the iron industry moved away from the area, residents of Fayerdale went from mining to 'shining.

The Park is excited to announce their Children’s Junior Ranger Camp is back again for 2024.

Paddle your way around the park’s unique ecosystem.

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

This week's Junior Rangers theme is Animals and their Habitats.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to identify some of Virginia’s native trees? It can take some time to develop this skill, but we have a park Interpreter who is willing to help you get started. We will go on a short hike on the River Bank Trail, and along the way will stop at some of the more well-known trees in Virginia.

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

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

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.

Been itching to go fishing?

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

Join us for an unforgettable Junior Ranger Camp adventure at Holliday Lake State Park.

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

Come across our Ranger outposts stationed at a lesser-known part of First Landing State Park: the Narrows Beach!

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. .

View the park from the best vantage point - a canoe or kayak.

Enjoy a fun paddling adventure at Leesylvania State Park on Powell's Creek!  Watch majestic bald eagles and ospreys soar above, a heron hunting along the shore, and turtles basking in the  sunshine.

Are all snakes venomous?

Join us as we explore the wonders of nature.

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

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.