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

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

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

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

Come explore the historic town of Fries.

This is an easy and fun ride for cyclists of all skill levels that covers 11.4 miles out and back and takes about 1.5 hours.

We need our Girl Scouts to lead the way and help to create a better planet for us all. Come on out to Staunton River State Park and explore our rivers, trails, and open spaces. Be sure to visit our Visitor Center to grab a trail map and check out our unique self-guided programs.

Our natural world is full of fascinating plants, animals and water all in different landscapes.

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

Prepare to refine your camping skills in this crash course designed to refresh you on the art of building campfires.

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.

Explore an enchanting evening amidst the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains as the sun sets and the world transitions from day to night!

From the the backyard to the backcountry, Girl Scouts USA has a long and storied history of getting every girl outdoors.

Ever wonder what goes on at night in a park?

The one and only mammal on the planet capable of true flight absolutely loves Hungry Mother.

Most people are familiar with the lake habitat and the forest that surrounds it, but there are many micro-habitats that attract animals with very different needs.

Join False Cape staff and volunteers in helping keep our beaches pristine by picking up shoreline debris.

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

Did you know that one out of every three bites of our food, including fruits, vegetables, chocolate, coffee, nuts, and spices, is created with the help of pollinators?  Join us as we review tips for capturing great photographs of our summer pollinators including butterflies, bees, dragonflies, and more.  We will begin with a review of when, where, and how to photograph these flying wonders.  Following the review, we will head to the field to practice these techniques.  All types of cameras from smartphones to professional cameras and levels of photographers are welcomed.

Camping occurred on the Virginia frontier in 1775 much as it does in 2024.

'Family Learning Adventures,' formally known as 'Arks for Parks,' is back this year at Twin Lakes State Park.

Download your Girl Scouts Love State Parks Passport from the Girl Scouts website, when available and come to the park to work on Legacy badges and more!

Join us for a women and girl-centric hike in celebration of Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day!

Calling all nature-loving Girl Scouts!

Join us during Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend and work on completing different badges.

Celebrate National Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day at Twin Lakes State Park by learning archery basics, an activity that has been practiced on the land that is now the park for thousands of years. At the program, a ranger will go over the basics of target archery, including safety practices and shooting techniques.

Put away your smartphone and plot a course for adventure with this introduction to the sport of orienteering.

In celebration of Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day, Twin Lakes State Park is hosting this modernized game of hide-and-seek. Participants will compete to find objects hidden by the opposing team using GPS units.

Want to learn how to go geocaching? Girl Scouts can join one of our rangers on a guided program on how to start your geocache adventure.

Want to learn how to go geocaching? Join one of our rangers on a guided program on how to start your geocache adventure. Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure.

Girl Scouts Love State Parks 2024 focuses on "leading the way caring for your parks", and together with Pick Up America, "fostering a clean environment for everyone to enjoy." At Virginia State Parks we follow the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace to minimize the impact we have upon the natural world and Belle Isle State Park also recycles.

Crawdads, Salamanders, and Stone flies, oh my!

Put away your smartphone and plot a course for adventure with this introduction to the sport of orienteering.

Join us during Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend and work on completing different badges.

Embrace your wild side and come play a game of chase that predator and prey have to "play" to survive everyday.

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.

Join us during Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend and work on completing different badges.

Enjoy a peaceful evening canoe adventure at Leesylvania State Park on Powell's Creek!  View the majestic colors of a Northern Virginia summer sunset on this tranquil tributary of the Potomac River while catching glimpses of the nocturnal wildlife emerging for the evening.  No paddling experience is required; all participants must be of 6 years or older.

Take a float as day turns into twilight, and the creatures of the night arise.

Come take a walk with us under a starry sky to search for some of the park's most elusive night-time predators: owls!  As we walk along under the quiet cover of darkness, we'll listen for their haunting voices as they cry out across the landscape.

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

Come enjoy the challenging routes of Sky Meadows State Park and Valley View Farm, home of the Gnarled Orchard. These courses are knotty, knot nice at the farm as they are a mix of cross country, trail, and hills! Runners may also redeem their drink ticket for sweet cider, juice or soda. To see what else Valley View Farm has to offer, click here.

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

What better way to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the park than by kayak?

Stop by the Visitor Center and have the opportunity to view the sun through a telescope.

Stewardship in nature is a core value shared by those who enjoy public lands.

Join certified Forest Therapy volunteer, Tina Hayes, for a relaxing program made to calm the mind.

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

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra.

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

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

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

The one and only mammal on the planet capable of true flight absolutely loves Hungry Mother.

Paddle through the Catlett Islands on a Ranger led kayak tour which explores the diverse wildlife, ecosystems, and history of the park.

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

Take into your heart the peace of wild things.

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

We are hosting Central Virginia’s most exciting new event, the 2nd Annual Pawpaw Festival.

Join us for a special night hike through False Cape State Park.

Join astronomy volunteers as they share the stories written in the night sky.

Watch the stars come out at night, then watch the moon rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains! Join park rangers for an exploration of our night sky at this International Dark Sky Park.

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

What better way to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the park than by kayak?

Have you ever wondered how to eat an acorn?

Designed to introduce young participants to the wonders of the natural world and foster an appreciation for the environment.

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

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

Calling all homeschoolers and curious kiddos of all kinds!

The 250-acre Hoover Mountain Bike Area is located on a reclaimed 20th century mine site.

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

The one and only mammal on the planet capable of true flight absolutely loves Hungry Mother.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will lead these monthly hikes to discover and identify birds at Sweet Run State Park. We will explore parts of this beautiful 900 acre preserve and see what lives in and visits its diverse habitats.

Join us as we remove litter and other debris from our shoreline. Staunton River State Park sits at the confluence of the Staunton and Dan Rivers, so as you can imagine, we have quite a bit of shoreline that needs tending to. Rangers and volunteers alike will be working hard clean up the shoreline along the Dan River. The park will provide trash bags and trash grabbers. Please bring gloves, closed-toe shoes, and plenty of drinking water.

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

Would you like to have the chance to explore the trails in Powhatan State Park and meet new people?

Come check out our Trailgate which is like a tailgate for a football game, but this one's more nature-centric.

National Public Lands Day is a call for all of us to restore and improve our public lands.

Stop by the nature booth to borrow a Family Learning Adventures adventure pack for the day.

Come learn what makes cave ecosystems so delicate and special.

'Family Learning Adventures,' formally known as 'Arks for Parks,' is back this year at Twin Lakes State Park.

Help preserve the beautiful Belle Isle State Park and protect the wildlife that calls it home.

Join us for a volunteer opportunity in honor of National Public Lands Day.

We're excited to invite you to join us for a special trail clean-up day at Mason Neck State Park on National Public Lands Day.

In honor of National Public Lands Day, Wilderness Road State Park will host a guided hike along the Pioneer Trail.

National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands and works to connect people to public lands in their community, inspire environmental stewardship, and encourage use of public lands for education, recreation, and general health.

Water is known as the source of life, so how do we make sure we keep our precious waters healthy? Join us around the campfire as naturalist and educator Roger Pinholster shares wonders and wisdom about waters big and small.

A nearly century-long tradition continues as the Natural Bridge is bathed in light the last Saturday night of every month, 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.

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

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

What better way to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the park than by kayak?

Stop by the Visitor Center and have the opportunity to view the sun through a telescope.

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

Join certified Forest Therapy volunteer, Tina Hayes, for a relaxing program made to calm the mind.

Evenings are a wonderful time in the park to be on the water.

The Fall 2024 installment of the Staunton River Star Party will be sponsored by CHAOS (Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society) and hosted at Staunton River State Park.

The Archery Range opens for the season daily from 8 a.m. until dusk.

A Self-Guided Driving Tour of Sailor's Creek Battlefield is available to visitors year-round from sunrise to sunset.

Sailor's Creek Battlefield offers six, self-guided Hiking Trails with historic markers for the public to explore year round during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).

Join us on a real or virtual hike through Claytor Lake State Park as we take a closer look at some of the beautiful native trees.

The Staunton River Scavenger Hunt is a self-guided program that you can enjoy with family and friends.