Events in Virginia State Parks

End your week with a relaxing paddle along Swift Creek Lake.

Learn more about Lake Anna State Park with our family-friendly Campfire Trivia Night! Will your team be the winner of the Coveted Trivia Log?

Keep an eye out around the campgrounds for a ranger carrying a fascinating historical or natural item from the park.

Celebrate National S’mores Day with a night of classic campfire fun!

Enjoy the beautiful park setting as you are entertained by some of our very own local musicians.

Come join the party!

Gather around the campfire at Kiptopeke State Park for a night of team trivia, stories, and toasted marshmallows!

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

Enjoy a magnificent sunset on the tranquil Potomac River and listen for nocturnal creatures. We'll meet inside the visitor center to gear up before riding to the beach for an evening paddle.

Where's the best place to fish at the park?

Welcome to Fairy Stone State Park!

As the heat of the day begins to fade, join a ranger for an evening walk along the Farmstead Loop to discover how plants, animals, and people adapt to summer's hottest conditions.

Come for the s’mores, stay for the fun!

Watch the last traces of daylight strike the Blue Ridge Mountains on this haywagon ride.

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

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

Salamanders are on the move at Fairy Stone State Park!

Take advantage of our remote location far from city lights to see brilliant night skies over the lake.

Join us to commemorate the 164th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Mountain!

Enjoy an early morning hike with a Ranger to view the sunrise. We'll be hiking to Little Pinnacle to observe what display Mother Nature will show that morning!

We all know that hiker who likes to stop every few steps to point out some cool fungi, or stop to examine a freshly fallen feather.

Set out on an unforgettable Journey into Appalachia’s Past!

Join the Virginia Master Naturalists and learn about the fascinating world of fungi.

Ready to learn the ins and outs of stand up paddleboarding?

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

Come experience the beautiful James River on this guided kayak tour with Virginia State Parks' Bay Experience team!

Ever tried to balance on a board in the water as you paddle down the lake?

Join Rangers for a morning of family fun, fishing and learning about the Potomac River.

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

Do you know how to identify different trees?

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

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!

The blue crab is one of the most iconic species of the Chesapeake Bay.

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.

Great culinary innovations transformed the flavor profiles of the 18th century.

Have you ever walked by the Timberneck house and wondered what it looks like from the inside and its restoration process?

Take a summer walk of exploration with two Virginia Master Naturalists in this second of a series of seasonal walks planned for children. Use your five senses to find clues to how various organisms – plants, animals, and more – work together to survive in this forest community.

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

Hoot have thought reconstructing skeletons could be so cool?!

Join us in supporting out parks ecosystem by helping remove unwanted weeds from our pollinator garden and more!

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.

There are more than just fish that live in the creeks at Grayson Highlands State Park! Beat the heat and get your feet wet searching for critters and macroinvertebrates that live in the cold mountain streams.

Want to become a citizen scientist for the day?

Calling all budding detectives.

This archery session offers instruction for beginners and shooting time for the more experienced. It begins with a talk on archery equipment, technique, and safety.

Stand in the shade of one of the most 'poplar' trees in the park as you learn about Swift Creek, native wildlife, and more about the park's history. The trail is hard packed earth with some challenging elevation changes on this easy-moderate 0.7-mile loop from the Visitor Center. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, pack water/snacks, and dress for the weather.

How a turtle’s body shape and shell size help reveal the type of place it calls home.

Geocaching combines Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with nature to provide adventure for treasure hunters all over the world.

Does your child love exciting stories and fun facts?

Go back in time in the historic village of Foster Falls.

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

Let’s make animal tracks!

Discover the vital role butterflies play in our ecosystem and the remarkable journey they undertake from egg to winged adult.

Do you know how fossils are formed?

It starts with an "s" and ends with a "t." It comes out of you, it comes out of me.

Join us for "Tree Topia" as we uncover the magical realm of trees and their incredible role as habitats!

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

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!

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

What makes a bird a bird?

Step inside the Discovery Center to learn from a park ranger about local wildlife, the park's history, and the New River! All ages welcome.

In 1847, Theodore O'Hara wrote Bivouac of the Dead.

Trees are vital to our environment.

Westmoreland State Park is home to 5 ambassador animals: Reba McEntire the Corn snake, Stevie Nicks the King snake, and three Red-Eared Sliders, Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, and Earl Scruggs.

Ever wanted to learn how to crab?

Join a ranger to learn about a few of the cool, crawly creatures you may see around Belle Isle State Park and make your own dirt treat to eat.

Think you can stump a nature expert?

Meet Lake Anna State Park's animal ambassadors Flick, General Raphael, and Julia at the Visitor Center. Learn about the important roles Virginia reptiles play in the environment, snake safety tips, and what you can do to help protect wild reptiles.

“What does the fox say?” Did you know that there are two different foxes found in Virginia, the red fox and the grey fox?

Be on the lookout for our Roving Ranger as they roam the picnic area and beaches with interesting animals or historical artifacts from the park.

It's feeding time in our Chesapeake Bay Lab!

Join us for a Saturday afternoon of music and fun.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir Join our rangers on a guided hike and learn about our native species, park history, and wetland habitat.

Explore the history of Highland County and how Hayfields fits into it!

Have you ever wondered how snakes can swallow something as big as their own heads?

Find time to head down to the Tunnel Platform where you’ll find amazing views of the 300-foot-tall amphitheater walls of the Natural Tunnel, rock pigeons, and if you’re lucky, a train.

Come find us at the Splash Park as we get hands on with skulls and furs from Virginia’s native animals.

Are all snakes venomous?

Our friends Hisstopher and Harrold planned a feast, and they want you to join.

Play classic Hide-and-Seek with a modern twist!

Dive in to water month at Mason Neck State Park and learn about the incredible journey of water in the water cycle!

Come say hello to Ranger Shelly, our red-eared slider and local shellebrity. Join us at the beach as she enjoys some sunshine and enrichment time.

Take a closer look at what swims in the James River.

Learn why they're called survival bracelets--and then make one yourself.

Meet Lake Anna State Park's animal ambassadors Flick, General Raphael, and Julia at the Visitor Center. Learn about the important roles Virginia reptiles play in the environment, snake safety tips, and what you can do to help protect wild reptiles.

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

Kiptopeke is full of beautiful sights to draw inspiration from. Breath taking sunsets on the bay, graceful migratory birds in flight, the swirling lines of seashells in the sand, and the pops of color from flowers in the fields can awaken the artist in all of us. Want to create your own masterpiece or capture a memory in your own impressionistic style?

Virginians of the past often used their imagination and everyday objects for recreation.

Join our rangers as we create owls with pine cones and other natural elements found in the park.

Join us for a hands-on volunteer workday as we launch the new Pollinator Garden at Douthat 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.

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

Have you ever wondered why this park has two lakes?

Seine netting is a skill that dates back many centuries ago for people to enjoy the bounty of the seas.

Did you know that people have been using plants to dye fabric for centuries?

Join us for the 2026 season of Music by the River, one of the highlights of the summer on Virginia’s Northern Neck.

Join our Park Rangers as they discuss the history, ecology, and culture of the Widewater peninsula.