Events in Virginia State Parks

Have you explored Virginia's newest state park and visited the Eagle's Rest Overlook?

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

Come sit in the shade and make your own unique, nature-themed keepsake!

Everyone loves a relaxing evening especially out on Hungry Mother Lake.

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

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

Enjoy a relaxing morning by taking a guided kayak paddle through the marshes of Back Bay.

Join us for a Kayak Paddle trip to fossil beach!

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

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.

Join us for a Kayak Paddle trip to fossil beach!

Join a ranger for a guided hike along one of the fingers of Fairy Stone Lake that leads to an abandoned iron mine.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is delighted to announce the 2026 fall semester of the WiseJAMS Music Program!

Our Friends Group is an organization of citizens who support our park's operations, events, and material needs through fund raising.

Ever wonder what goes on at night in a park?

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

Calling all homeschoolers!

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

Enjoy the Autumn days while also helping out your state parks! Check out some of Widewater's Autumn volunteer opportunities below.  Educational Volunteer Opportunities Federal Duck Stamp Class: September 19th, October 17th, & November 21st Natural Resource Management Japanese Silt Grass Removal: September 25th Beaver Dam Trail Maintenance: October 24th & November 21st Recreation & Special Events Volunteer Appreciation Event: October 3rd **Registration Required Trek n' Treat Trail - Decoration Setup: October 11th  - Decoration Takedown: November 1st Saturday, September 19th : Waterway Cleanups Summer Cleanup on the Aquia Creek Join this Stafford-based non-profit as they help keep Aquia Creek clean of trash and debris via kayaks in their Autumn cleanup at the park.

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

Take a fascinating hike and discover the rich history of James River State Park, from ancient fossils to the American Civil War and beyond.

The York River was home to four manned lighthouses: Bells Rock, Pages Rock, Tue Marshes, and York Spit.

Come get hooked on fishing during Fall Free Fishing Day Weekend and learn everything you need to know to freshwater fish on your own with our fin-tastic fishing workshop! All you need to bring is yourself.

What swims in the shallows of the Chesapeake Bay?

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.

Come join us for a fun Birding Bingo.

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.

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

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

Join us at the visitor center for a children's picture book reading and simple craft.

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

The library is coming to the park!

Join us for a fun kids’ painting session inspired by the beauty of fall!

Wildflowers and other native plants are still thriving into the fall season along Stock Creek.

Curious about Virginia's native snakes?

Looking to get hooked on a new hobby?

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.

Ever wondered what happened at Kiptopeke before it became a state park?

Without pollinators, people and all of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems would not survive.

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

Slither and splash into the world of reptiles.

Nature provides colorful outdoor scenery during the Autumn months.

Join us for a relaxing evening of learning and marshmallow roasting.

Want to explore the New River Trail in a different light?

“The Moon and stars are not above us; they are within us." --John Muir Come join our rangers on an evening hike through the Holly Marsh Trail to view the Full Moon rising above the Potomac River!

Can't seem to get your campfire lit?

Slip on your closed-toe shoes and get ready to explore the creek.

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

Capture the colors and shapes in the sky over the lake before the sun sets. You can choose between blank watercolor paper or pre-drawn coloring pages to release the inner artist within us all.

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

Come take a walk with us 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.

'Whooo' will hear 'whooo' first?

Join us at the Community Fire Ring to relax, enjoy a roasted marshmallow, and get to know your camping neighbors.

Come join the party!

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

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

Welcome to the park, kick off your stay with an unforgettable evening by the fire at the water's edge.

Campers are invited to join the Rangers for a free movie night, screened in our courtyard.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.

Grab your binoculars and get outside.

***Please note the starting location change from Farmville to High Bridge Station.*** The Margaret Watson Bird Club will co-host a birding adventure with High Bridge Trail as we celebrate National Public Lands Day.

Ready, Set, Go!

Celebrate National Public Lands Day by giving back to your park!

Let's take a hike in the great outdoors to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)!  From the beginning of DCR in 1926, to the first six Virginia state parks to open in 1936, to 44 state parks in 2026, DCR has created a legacy that will last for many years to come.

Celebrate National Public Lands Day at Hayfields State Park by joining our rangers and volunteers in picking up litter along the Bullpasture River and around the park!

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.

Are you looking to connect with your community while enhancing the natural beauty of your local state park?

Join us at Green Pastures Recreation Area as we celebrate National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.

Celebrate 10 years of Natural Bridge State Park by making its biggest trail shine with various cleanup projects.  Lend a hand and work side by side with park rangers as we detail Cedar Creek trail by clearing brush, closing "social" (unofficial) trails, trimming vegetation, and more.

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

Help us clean up the park in honor of National Public Lands Day.

The Virginia Master Naturalist Historic Southside Chapter will be hosting a guided hike and workshop experience for all experience-levels to attend and enjoy.

Get competitive while enjoying the beauty of Smith Mountain Lake!

Do you have what it takes to work on trails?

In the words of Woodsy Owl (1971), "Give a hoot; don't pollute!"   Volunteer and help Chippokes staff with keeping our shorelines clean and safe for others to enjoy.  Meet at the Visitor Center for instructions and supplies (gloves, available trash grabbers, trash bags.

Join Sailor's Creek State Park for National Public Lands Day, the nation's largest single-day volunteer event for public lands!

See if you can spot the round sticker on the monarch as it begins its journey south.

Join us in late September for the Grayson Highlands Fall Festival.

Any trail…anywhere…leave it better.

The Timberneck House got a new paint job last year!

Show your support for America’s public lands by joining Sky Meadows Rangers for a rewarding trail maintenance project on the Gap Run Trail.

Please join us for a very special afternoon with Carl “Gump” Blair and Gene Dunford.

Want to play a part in the conservation and care of the park you love to visit?

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with adventure, exploration, and a little help for the planet!

Bring your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to the park to be nature superheroes this National Public Lands Day!

Join Leesylvania State Park Rangers and volunteers to help keep the park clean.

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

Grab a trash bag and join us in cleaning up our trails to maintain a healthy environment for our local wildlife and our community on National Public Lands Day.

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.

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.

Take time today to visit the park and make it yours.

Join Sailor's Creek State Park for National Public Lands Day, the nation's largest single-day volunteer event for public lands!

Explore disc golf with a ranger.

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a guided journey through the hidden world of James River State Park’s grasslands and the beauty of its riverfront.

Tomorrow is World Rivers Day!

Artillery during the American Civil War was a deadly and devastating occupation as both armies heavily employed their destructive uses to great effect.

Come get hooked on fishing during Fall Free Fishing Day Weekend and learn everything you need to know to freshwater fish on your own with our fin-tastic fishing workshop! All you need to bring is yourself.

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

 Come join Ranger Webb-Watkins for an orientation tour of the Battle of Cedar Mountain!

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