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.

What's under that rock?

Take a look at the fascinating lives of insects and let your creative juices flow.

From eagles to owls, raptors are everywhere at Mason Neck State Park!

Frogs, 'crawdads', and children, oh my!

Come out to Chestnut Creek, get your feet wet, and explore life underwater.

Can you imagine not having a TV or cell phone?

Find the "roving ranger" as they travel around the waterfront to learn how YOU can save a skunk and the other wildlife that call the park home.

Are there beavers at Smith Mountain Lake?

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

Come rock out with Reckless Brigade!

Pack a picnic and come early to pick the best spot on the lawn for one of the highlights of the summer season on Virginia’s Northern Neck.

Get down and dirty with this two-hour wild cave tour.

Test your survival skills by learning to build a fire without a match or lighter!

Join Yoga Instructor Kelly Blevins to experience a more engaged form of yoga as you strike poses on our stand-up paddle boards out in the lake.

Grab your favorite chair or blanket and head out to the park for an evening of local musical entertainment, featuring Delaine Healy and Powhatan Music & Sound aspiring musicians.

Pollinator populations everywhere are in a steady decline, but why all the buzz about it?

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

Throughout the summer we offer multiple opportunities for you to take a tour of our beautiful park by wagon ride.

Join us at New River Trail State Park for our Foster Falls Music Series!

Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Sky Meadows' campground provides you with a fantastic place to enjoy peaceful rejuvenation, but how much do you know about this wonderful park?

Drop by the campfire to relax, meet your camping neighbors, enjoy time sharing stories, and learn about critters that call New River Trail home.

The 7 Cities Brass Band performs music from America’s newest popular music genre.

What's a camping trip without a campfire?

Take a wagon ride to the scenic Tye Overlook and enjoy the prettiest view for miles around.

What's a camping trip without a campfire?

Discover our International Dark-Sky Park!

Does seeing a bat make you shiver or smile?

Learn about Douthat State Park's forest nightlife as we immerse ourselves in the night time world of nature.

Each night when the sun goes down, the owls of First Landing come out to hunt!

Come join the storytellers from CHAOS (Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society) on the Observation Field to share the stories of the stars.

When the moon is totally hidden, we have the darkest nights and some of the best stargazing!

Once the sun has slipped out of sight let the moon be your guide as we travel the trails looking and listening for the wildlife that can be found in our park.

Have you ever seen or heard an actual owl call in the night?

Enjoy a peaceful morning canoe adventure at Leesylvania State Park on Powell's Creek!  Take in the tranquility of this tributary, watch majestic bald eagles and ospreys soar above, a heron hunting along the shore, turtles basking in the morning sunshine, or a river otter retiring for the day to its den.

Join us for an exciting and empowering camp at the Shenandoah River State Park in Bentonville, VA, USA.

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

Find your muse at Caledon as you draw, paint, or photograph the world around you. Join the Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts at Caledon State Park for a truly unique artistic experience. A wagon ride will transport you to various scenic woods and beach locations throughout the park as you breathe art into the forest.

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

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

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

From woodlands to wetlands, fields and pastures, let's investigate the plants, animals and history of farming at Sky Meadows State Park.

Overlooking the New River, the Shot Tower was built in the 1800s to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Come visit the discovery table to observe some of nature's most amazing treasures!

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

We all enjoy a yummy meal and that’s the same for our resident snake that lives here in our Visitor Center.

Ahoy Matey!

Will you take up the bow and try your hand at the sport of archery?

Come on out to Pasture Pals and get your very own, special serving of quality time with our ambassador farm animals.

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

On the eve of the American Revolution, fathers and sons mustered for the inevitable conflict between the colonies and England.

Discover some of the beautiful fish that make their homes in the Potomac River with a Park Ranger using a seine net, one of humankind's oldest fishing tools. This is also a great chance to appreciate the important role that the Potomac River and its watershed has in our community.  Be prepared to have fun and get wet.  Be sure to bring water shoes and comfortable clothing.  For questions or inquiries, please call (703)583-6904 or send an e-mail to leesylvaniavc@dcr.virginia.gov.

Discover the wonders beneath the waves while keeping your feet dry.

Get a bird's eye view of some of nature's most fascinating and elusive predators in this one-hour program featuring live birds of prey.

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.

Ever wonder what dolls of the 18th century frontier looked like or what they were made of?

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

This historical building tour is designed to highlight the architecture of the time, designs, furnishings, special touches, ornate decor, and stories within the walls of the Jones-Stewart Mansion.

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!

Join Virginia Master Naturalist and entomologist Sarah Reilly as she introduces us to some of the beautiful and fascinating tiny critters you’re likely to find in this part of Virginia during this part of the season. Far from creepy, these many-legged crawlers are bound to amaze you as you learn about some of their mind-blowing adaptations and behaviors. Sarah’s presentation will be followed by an optional bug-themed craft that kids and adults alike can take home.

Boulder in the scenic mountains and boulder fields of Grayson Highlands State Park.

Time to go on a scavenger hunt in the campground.

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

Do you enjoy coffee, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables?

Find the "roving ranger" as they travel around the waterfront to learn how YOU can save a skunk and the other wildlife that call the park home.

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

Watch park staff feed "Ranger Shelly," our resident pet turtle, and learn fascinating facts about turtles.

What is a seed bomb?

Bring home a piece of history from Westmoreland as you learn to create shark tooth necklaces.  All resources are provided, including shark teeth that you can choose from to create your super cool necklace that can be shown off to all your friends.

Get hooked on fishing and take advantage of Virginia's Free Fishing Days at False Cape State Park.

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.

On the eve of the American Revolution, fathers and sons mustered for the inevitable conflict between the colonies and England.

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

Explore the life cycle of butterflies.  Learn what is special about the monarch butterfly.  What do they like to eat?

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.

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.

Come by the Ranger table near the beach to get a quick lesson on stewardship and learn how you can help keep First Landing clean - it takes a village!

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.

Join us to learn about insects and the different jobs they do here at Fairy Stone State Park and in your own backyard. Our adventure will continue as we search the area to find examples of these important members of our neighborhood.

Marshes are more than great spots for fishing, canoeing, and bird-watching.

When a tree falls in the forest, what happens next?

Who made those footprints?

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

This is the only "Wildlife After Dark" program offered this year, so you won't want to miss out! Spotting wild animals is hard.

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

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is excited to announce their Children’s Summer Music Camp.

Explore the Panhandle Multi-use Trail on this longer hike.

This summer, the Junior Ranger program is exploring a different life group every week, and Week 2 is Insects! Programs run Monday - Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Outdoor and weather appropriate clothing must be worn as we will be exploring the park; getting dirty and 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.

Immerse yourself in nature and experience the calming and health-promoting benefits of the forest.

What some people call creepy crawlies are actually some of the most interesting and beneficial animals in our area.

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.

Toads, Turtles, and Snakes- Oh my!

Find out what lurks below the surface of the swamp in the fun dip-netting adventure!

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

Come be a scientist for the day with our park rangers!

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.  Meet with our on-the-go naturalist/ranger who will help you discover the aquatic, insect, mammal, and plant life in the park’s ecosystems.  Don't be surprised if he has a photo or two to share with you.

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