Discover the art of being a park ranger!

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.

Who wants to be a junior ranger?  Join us for our junior ranger camp for ages 6-9 from Monday, July 15 - Thursday, July 18.

Discover the art of being a park ranger!

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 along with our resident Eastern box turtle.  Learn how to identify the different species 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! .

Greenhouse Gases help keep our Earth at optimal temperatures for us to live comfortably.

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?

“What does the fox say?” Did you know that there are two different foxes found in Virginia, the red fox and the grey fox?

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.

Frogs, turtles, and fish, oh my!  Explore the life that exists in the pond while learning about the abundance of animals that call this ecosystem home.  Join a park ranger and learn how you can help protect these fascinating creatures.  For more information, please call the Visitor Center at (703) 583-6904 or send an email to leesylvaniavc@dcr.virginia.gov.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Have you ever heard an owl sing at night?

Have you ever thought about where the railroad at Natural Tunnel goes and what it has been used for through the years?

Did you know you can make paper from paper?

Join us as we open the doors to the old Norfolk and Western caboose 518517.

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

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.

Christmas has come early at the park!

Did you know owls don't chew their food?

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.

Imagine a world without fruits and veggies...this could exist without pollinators! Join us for "Buzzy Gardens" as we explore the needs of our pollinators and create our own "Buzzy Gardens" that keep bees and our native pollinators happy and healthy.

This special introductory program is designed to provide an in depth look at the fossils that have been found along the Potomac River.  We will explore the world of fossils and the ones that occur here.

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

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

There are many different wildlife that call Leesylvania State Park their home.

Ahoy Matey!

Stop by the ranger's tent on the way to the pool for fun a peek at some critters and a cute craft.

Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, fictional archers with real world skills.

While we sleep a whole new set of nocturnal animals come out to begin their "daily" activities.

When it comes to carrying survival materials with you on the trail, every little bit of space counts, so hikers come up with creative ways to carry their gear.

Join us for an immersive adventure!

Leesylvania State Park is part of many different watersheds, some large and some small.

Not all bees live in hives.

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

Get your feet wet investigating the vast array of life in a stream.

What's under that rock?

Have you ever wanted to see one of the park’s many reptile residents up close?

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

Embark on a guided tour of the area known as Group Camp 7.

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.

Embrace your creativity by exploring unique connections to the natural and historic elements of the park through this dynamic art program.