'Bigfoot' is on the roam in Occoneechee.

The Spring 2025 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.

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

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

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

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

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is excited to announce the Spring semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program.

This is a fantastic time of year to take-in the beautiful spring ephemeral wildflowers of Southwest Virginia.

"The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson With the use of the Celestron automated telescope, view the astral bodies up close and learn about the history of the stars.

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.

Bring your canine companion and join the B.A.R.K.

Join rangers at the Prince William Public Libraries this Spring for a fun nature reading session.

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.

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'.

Meet Gertie and Birdie, our Educational Ambassadors, and interact with our knowledgeable rangers while they care for these beloved critters.

Learn some of the trade secrets of what it takes to create the perfect 'fairy stone' that everyone is looking for.

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

Join a ranger to learn about the wild animals found at Belle Isle State Park that delight your senses.

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

The Catlett Islands are full of ghosts, but they aren’t what you think!

Chippokes State Park is proud to partner with the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers Club to introduce a special dark night sky and stargazing opportunity for all to enjoy. Club members will use their telescopes to share the night time sky with park visitors.  Visitors will be free to ask questions, observe, and look through telescopes during this public viewing outreach event.

"The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson With the use of the Celestron automated telescope, view the astral bodies up close and learn about the history of the stars.

Join us for a public viewing night during the Spring Staunton River Star Party.

Who, who, who is that? Venture into the night with an interpretive ranger to discover how owls are uniquely designed for nocturnal living and learn about all of their unique adaptations.

Winter Trams at False Cape State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge offer the unique opportunity to observe and experience the incredible migration of waterfowl.

Help children 12 and under get hooked on the thrill of fishing and discover the fun of being outdoors.

Enjoy a walk with knowledgeable guides and celebrate the return of Spring.

Join dozens of others across the county in a roadside cleanup campaign to eliminate litter!

Bows and arrows have been a part of human society for thousands of years and used for both survival and sport.

The appearance of frogs and salamanders is a sure sign of spring.

Virginia is home to a very smart, and often mischievous animal, Ursus americanus, or the American Black Bear.

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

Garlic Mustard gets a bad rap, and for good reason, but there are some benefits to this edible plant.

Become a steward of nature while building your local community and connecting with the people near you that share a passion for the outdoors. Meet with rangers at the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center for a short talk about conservation and to get supplies to clean up the trash that washes onto the shoreline or is left and scattered along the trails and recreational areas. Clean-Up days are self-paced, so come clean our shoreline for as much time as you can spare to make a difference at the park.

Pocahontas State Park has a lot of hidden history.

Meet with a ranger and go on a guided hike along the Lakeshore Trail.

Join a ranger at the Canoe / Kayak Launch picnic area to see a sampling of trees that call Belle Isle home, gain some tree knowledge and make a craft to take to your home.

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. .

It's feeding time for our ambassador reptiles.  How do we feed our animals?

Meet a Ranger at the Visitor Center for a guided hike to see if you can spot any of our springtime birds.

Come meet and greet Ranger Myrtle (our Red-Eared Slider turtle), Ranger Scout (our Western Hognose snake), and Ranger Brutus (our Copperhead snake) to discover what makes these rangers so special to Twin Lakes State Park.  Parks are for everyone.

Join a ranger for some light trail maintenance on Stuart's Knob Trail.

Come join us for a rejuvenating session of Forest Therapy at Seven Bends State Park.

Join us in discovering the hidden wonders of these temporary seasonal ponds.

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.  Meet with our naturalist/ranger who will help you discover the aquatic, insect, mammal, and plant life in the park’s ecosystems.

Three out of every ten bites of food we consume were grown with the help of pollinators.

Before leaves return to trees, the sun reaches the forest floor to give early spring flowers energy to pop up!

Join Master Naturalist Kim Manion for a short walk to discover the basics of tree identification.

Explore the park's expansive wetlands with us as we search for and identify the plants and animals that call this unique habitat their home.

Join a ranger on this guided hike and learn about the fascinating world of fungi.

Become an owl pellet detective as we dissect the clues an owl leaves behind.

To collect is as old as humankind.

Slither on down and join the Park Ranger for an in depth look into the fascinating lives of some local reptiles.

There's no work without play.

This land-based, hook-free fishing game is a fun and safe way to learn how to cast, but even those who are fishing fanatics will enjoy trying to beat out the competition in this game of limited resources.

How much do you know about Douthat State Park's past?

Mason Neck is home to many species of frogs living in the marshland, and the end of March is a perfect time find them as they begin to emerge for springtime.

We would like to introduce you to “Boxer” the box turtle.

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.

Join a ranger to paint Spring-themed sun catchers to brighten your home.

Learn how Virginia’s First Peoples made pinch pots.

Everyday, billions of light sources illuminate our planets surface.

Discover our International Dark-Sky Park!

Who-who-whooooo's calling?

Members of the Crewe Astronomy Club visit the park again to help you navigate the cosmos.

Bows and arrows have been a part of human society for thousands of years and used for both survival and sport.

Join us as we learn more about the prehistoric history of Chippokes through fossils that can be found right on our beaches!

Read a tale as you walk the trail. Begin at the CCC Museum to begin your exploration and story time at your own pace.

Walk in the footsteps of moonshiners of decades gone by.

Did you know that 11 to 3 million years ago Chippokes, the James River, and most of the Tidewater area of Virginia was all under water and at the bottom of the Claremont Manor Sea? Join an interpreter on an adventure through the Fossil Beds of Chippokes to see what we can find...

Grab your journal and come on down to the park and try your hand at a new skill - Nature Journaling!

Hear the tale of star-crossed lovers that the trail is named after and view the tunnel from above.

It’s game time at First Landing State Park!

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'.

Practice your detective skills by uncovering snakes hidden in images of their habitat, and discover how best to avoid those with venom.

Come join one of our Rangers on a guided hike through Widewater State Park!

Before leaves return to trees, the sun reaches the forest floor to give early spring flowers energy to pop up!

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.

National Take A Walk in A Park Day is celebrated annually on March 30th.

Explore the wonderful world of salamanders with a ranger at Mason Neck State Park.

Did you know there was once a thriving Boom Town located where our lake is today?

Mason Neck is one of the most famous sites to see bald eagles in Northern Virginia, and for good reason with over 60 year-round resident eagles and 18 nests throughout the park.

A new chapter of Barefoot University Forest School is forming right here at Hungry Mother State Park.

With over two thousand acres, the park has a wide variety of life in the wetlands and woods.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is now accepting entries for the “Stitch in Time” Quilt Show.

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

"Nature creates similarities; one need only think of mimicry." - Walter Benjamin Have you ever seen a stick walk or a leaf fly?

Are all snakes venomous?

Imagine a cougar and a woodland bison walking through a chestnut forest, this is something you could have seen on park property about 500 years ago.

 Come along on a guided walk to imagine life as a tree. Is it time to draw on your reserves of sugars and starches and begin to bud?

This series of homeschool programs for students aged 8-12 will meet at the Visitor Center at Lake Anna State Park from 10am - 1pm on multiple dates.

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

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

"The science of fossil shells is the first step towards the study of the Earth." - Giovanni Battista Brocchi Come learn about the history of fossils in Virginia with Chief Ranger Hillborn at Widewater State Park!

Often overlooked as just a simple plant, lichen (which isn't even a plant) is one of nature's best examples of different organisms coming together to form a mutualistic relationship.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is excited to announce the Spring semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program.

This is a fantastic time of year to take-in the beautiful spring ephemeral wildflowers of Southwest Virginia.

Let's go fishing with friends and family!

Have you ever wondered about the pivotal command decisions made in the spring of 1865 that helped bring the fighting in Virginia to an end?

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