Events in Virginia State Parks

Did you know that Sky Meadows is home to hundreds of beef cattle?

"Beavers:  Nature's Engineers" examines the characteristics and habits of North America's largest rodent.  Learn about how beavers alter the environment more than any other creature except humans.  Find out how beavers contributed to the westward expansion as settlers arrived in the New World.  .

Join our rangers in discovering the secrets of the magnificent White-tailed Deer.

Slither, crawl, and shellabrate with us as we dive into the wild world of reptiles.

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

Meet with a ranger and go on a guided hike along the Lakeshore Trail (0.81mi.).

Unsure or unable to participate in walks over uneven forested terrain but have a desire to know nature better?

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

Learn about some of the species of birds of the woods and fields, and how they utilize their habitat for survival and nesting.  Join a Virginia Master Naturalist to discover our role and our impact on bird conservation.  The featured species will be Wood Thrush, Red Headed Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, and Tree Swallows.  We hope to see these and many more!

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.(The Roaming Ranger will be at Woodstock Pond).

Tap into the swamp’s natural magic in this creative art workshop!

Did you know that opossums roamed the earth with the dinosaurs and have “hands” like ours, but on their hind legs? Wonder what other secrets these critters hold? Join us to discover little known facts about these amazing animals and how they benefit humans.

Pirates have been wreaking havoc and adventuring the world’s oceans for hundreds of years.

The Bald Cypress Trail is one of the park’s most popular trails with several swamp overlooks.

Discover the “bear facts” about Fairy Stone State Park’s black bears at our ranger-led program. Learn about their characteristics, habits, how to avoid conflicts, and much more.

Meet with a ranger and go on a one-mile guided hike along the Oak Hickory Trail, rated as a moderate hike.

Join a ranger to learn about science, history, and nature at Leesylvania State Park!  April 10, 2026: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Tree ID Hike @ Visitor Center: Want to know more about the trees you see daily?

Stretch your wings on this hike all about the birds that call Chippokes State Park their nest!  Join a Ranger led excursion along College Run Trail to the shoreline of the James River.

Be on the lookout for a roaming ranger with a mini-program and learn something new.

Humans aren't the only ones who build amazing structures.  Insects, birds, and mammals are among the many animals who create complex homes for themselves.  Let's take a look into the world of these master builders of the animal kingdom.

Take a 4-hour guided tour through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape 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." After a short presentation on what you will be looking for, we will head to the site.

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.

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.

Let your creativity flow at our Creation Station, where you can create your favorite animal mask, opossum puppet, turkey, butterfly, or batteau craft.

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

Did you know that coyotes are not naturally native to Virginia?

Ever wondered how a beaver’s fur keeps it warm and dry, or how a white-tailed deer communicates within its herd?

Did you know there was once a thriving "boom town" located where our lake is today?

Venom?

Come join the party!

What's in these mountains?

Have you ever encountered a bear while hiking?

As the sun dips low and the night draws near, we humans usually turn in for the night...but this is show-time for bats!

Start off your weekend off right with s’mores and more!

Join us at the outdoor stage for an evening program about the soaring predators that hunt from the sky at night, including learning different owl calls, adaptations, and a chance to dissect an owl pellet!

There are many stories to tell about Sweet Run State Park.

Join us at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park for our “Birding in the Gap” series, held on the second Saturday of each month during the months of February, April, June and November.

Looking for a way to give back to nature and enjoy the outdoors?

Step back in time and experience the daily life of an American Civil War soldier at High Bridge Trail State Park.

This program will train guests to focus on the present moment, observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment, and enhance their awareness of the mind-body connection.

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

Join the rangers to give back a bit of your time and help maintain the beauty of York River.

Join us every second Saturday at the Mayo River Trails to explore the future Mayo River State Park. You will also discover some interesting facts about local wildlife, and about the exploration of the area by William Byrd.

Known by many as a time of rebirth and renewal, spring brought welcome change to both the fields and the forest of Virginia’s frontier.

The Timberneck House got a new paint job last year!

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

Step out on the trail to search for springtime renewal.

Think you’ve spotted an alien?

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

Blink and you might miss them—spring’s wildflowers don’t stick around for long!

Visiting the Natural Bridge could bring out your inner artist this weekend as Roni Navroski teaches you how to paint on a feather.

Meaningful, spontaneous conversations can inspire curiosity and foster deeper engagement with community programs!

Celebrate an American icon at Caledon, where the bald eagle soars wild and free over the Potomac River. We'll take a wagon ride to the river and walk along the beach, where we aim to watch eagles as they nest and perch along the shore.

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

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, or is that a bat?

Join a community celebration of all things Jefferson and Natural Bridge with family-friendly activities along Cedar Creek trail.

This place, this land, is as old as time itself.

After this cold winter, get ready for spring planting.

Have you heard the joke about frogs?

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

Join our volunteer John Duncan on a short stroll and tour of the historic Howe House as we discuss how the park came to be.

From the small eastern screech owl to the great horned owl, eight species of owls call Virginia home part or all of the year.   Get a glimpse into the mysterious world of our elusive nocturnal raptors.

Join use for a garden clean-up at Holliday Lake State Park as we work together to support and enhance vital pollinator habitat.

Embark on a journey into the enchanting world of vernal pools.

Come explore the historic town of Fries! A park ranger will share stories of local history and show what remains of the once thriving textile industry.

Unsure or unable to participate in walks over uneven forested terrain but have a desire to know nature better?

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

Join Imagine Well Being hosts, Lauren and Suzanne for a restorative spring afternoon where fresh air, budding trees, and the quiet rhythms of spring invite a return to balance.

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.

Step into the shoes of a 19th-century farmer and help care for our heritage breed chickens and goats!

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

Teens and adults are invited to slow down, step outside, and discover how nature journaling can change the way you notice the world around you.

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.

Drawing on years of dog training experience and a passion for our parks, join Ranger Rachel in the pilot program designed to bring training to the trails and help your dog become their best park-ready companion.

Westmoreland State Park is home to four different ambassador animals: Reba the corn snake, Stevie the king snake, and two red-eared sliders, Venus and Jennika.

Take your first shot at archery in this beginner-friendly workshop.

Once a proud example of Georgian architecture, Lexington now exists as ruins and memories as the home of George Mason V. Learn about the architecture, archaeology, and landscape that tell the story of life on the Mason Neck Peninsula. This presentation will take place in the Visitor Center, and seating will be limited .

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a bird?

Explore the Chesapeake Bay through the animals that live in it!

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 head to the site.

Meet a ranger for a leisurely paced afternoon walk in Galax.

Vernal pools are shallow, temporary pools that typically form in early spring.

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

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 boom town. 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.

Ever wondered what stories Douthat State Park holds?

Did you know Westmoreland State Park has a beach where you can find fossils?

Have you ever wondered why this park has two lakes?

Do you know how fossils are formed?

Join a ranger to learn about meteorological vs.

Just because we don’t always spot them, we know the animals are around by the tracks and traces they leave behind.

Bloodroot, Dutchman's Breeches, Cutleaf Toothwort, oh my!

Trees have magical qualities that provide us with many important everyday items, as well as a large portion of the oxygen we breathe.

Want to learn how to go geocaching?

The forests are full of things both delicious and dangerous, but can you tell which is which?

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

If you're camping with us at Chippokes State Park, we would like to extend a warm invitation to attend our special evening ranger-led campfire program.

Join a park interpreter on a walk to listen to the sounds of spring- the calls of the frogs.

What do you know about our scaly friends?

Experience the sights and sounds of the park at sunset with a leisurely guided hike beginning at 7:30 p.m. from the main parking lot.