Events in Virginia State Parks

Visit our park on National Public Lands Day with special programming. This is a free parking day for all!

Learn about how pollution can spread in an aquatic environment and help us protect ourselves and our wildlife by cleaning up our shoreline.

Who wants to get a crash course in crabbing?

Black bears are one of the many incredible mammals that dwell in Douthat State Park.

Join volunteer Ron Litten for a Beats on the Bend hike.

Fairy Stone State Park will honor National Public Lands Day by hosting a workday designed to offer volunteers the opportunity to help restore, improve, and protect our shared public land.

Help us keep our public land trash-free by participating in a river cleanup!  We'll paddle 2 miles of our shoreline picking up trash in canoes or kayaks.

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.

We all know what Bryan Adams was doing during the Summer of '69 but what was it like at Camp Lupton that same summer?

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

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help bring an exciting outdoor concert to life!

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park invites the public to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 1pm-4pm with a volunteer event to help clean part of the wall at the museum.

Help park rangers keep the park and the lake clean with this Litter Patrol for National Public Lands Day.

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.

Some Invasive species are pretty to look at, but they have a big impact on our native ecosystem.

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.

Westmoreland State Park is home to five different ambassador animals: Reba McEntire the corn snake, Stevie Nicks the king snake, and three red-eared sliders, Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, and Earl Scruggs.

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

Build your very own bug hotel to help provide a habitat for beneficial insects. Your creation will offer pollinators a special space where they can breed and grow!

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

How do beavers create their homes? Join rangers to learn about how beavers create a habitat of their own. We will explore a beaver dam and look for their tracks along Lake Edmunds.  Please wear closed toed shoes and bring sunscreen, bug spray, and water.

Are you looking for a hiking buddy but not sure where to start?

Join us for a Ranger-led hike at New River Trail's Hoover Mountain access!  This 250-acre area was donated to New River Trail State Park in 2019.

Join a ranger under High Bridge for a relaxing afternoon of fishing.

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

Meet Maverick, our corn snake animal ambassador, as he helps teach us all about our scaly friends and the good that they do for our environment.

Beetles are our friendly neighbors in nature; though small in size, they have a major impact on ecosystems and food at the table.

Have you ever wondered why this park has two lakes?

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a FREE outdoor concert by the river.

Description: Join a ranger for an eye-opening look at nature’s clean-up crew!

Whether you're fascinated or a little rattled, snakes are a vital part of healthy ecosystems, and they’re not as scary as they seem.

We can tell a great deal about an animal’s adaptations by looking at their skins and skulls.

Join us for a hands-on volunteer workday as we take the next exciting step in establishing the new Pollinator Garden at Douthat State Park!

Stop by Staunton River's Newest addition!

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

Evenings are a wonderful time in the park to be on the water.

Come celebrate Arbor Day with us! Join our rangers for a scenic hike from the Howe House to the beach as we learn how to identify some of our common native trees using our handheld identification sheets.

Celebrate our furry friends at Sky Meadows' B.A.R.K.

Explore the history of the Occoneechee Plantation on this one-mile guided hike around the Plantation Trail.

Does your child love exciting stories and fun facts?

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.

The woods come alive after dark; come discover why! Bring the whole family for a 'not-too-spooky' nighttime adventure as we explore the fascinating world of Virginia's nocturnal wildlife.

The woods come alive after dark; come discover why! Bring the whole family for a 'not-too-spooky' nighttime adventure as we explore the fascinating world of Virginia's nocturnal wildlife.

Cultivate focus, grounding, and perspective with nature as your guide.

Tonight, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) with some fun trivia.

Ever wondered what stories Douthat State Park holds?

Autumn is not the only season that is perfect to take a wagon ride. Take a relaxing ride through the park and campground, experiencing the sights and sounds of summertime.

The woods come alive after dark; come discover why! Bring the whole family for a 'not-too-spooky' nighttime adventure as we explore the fascinating world of Virginia's nocturnal wildlife.

Everyone has heard of dancing in the moonlight, but what about kayaking?

Have you ever picked wild blackberries or collected wild herbs for a recipe?

The woods come alive after dark; come discover why! Bring the whole family for a 'not-too-spooky' nighttime adventure as we explore the fascinating world of Virginia's nocturnal wildlife.

Explore some of Machicomoco’s best views during golden hour while stopping in to talk with a Ranger about some of their favorite park topics.

Come gather around the campfire and immerse yourself in a night of fun.

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

Join us for a moonlight Kayak Paddle trip to fossil beach!

Join the Center for Paranormal Research and Investigation (CPRI) as they present investigative results from multiple forays to Mulberry Hill.

Celebrate the beauty of autumn with a guided hike under the radiant Harvest Moon!

Join this ranger-guided sunset bike ride along High Bridge Trail.

Step into the quiet, mysterious woods of Douthat State Park after dark for an unforgettable experience.

The woods come alive after dark; come discover why! Bring the whole family for a 'not-too-spooky' nighttime adventure as we explore the fascinating world of Virginia's nocturnal wildlife.

Can you identify the differences between a mammalian predator or prey animal's skull?

A nearly century-long tradition continues as the Natural Bridge is bathed in light the last Saturday night of every month (plus holiday weekends), April through October.  Experience the 200-foot-tall arch as it is lit from above and below by dozens of lights, with the only sound being the murmuring of Cedar Creek running below.

Are you ready to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city?

We have some exciting news to share from the Department of Wildlife Resources!

One of the best times to be on Hungry Mother Lake is in the early mornings when no one else is on the lake.

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

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

Learn about fall's favorite fruit, the persimmon, while enjoying a relaxing canoe paddle along Swift Creek Lake.

Get competitive while enjoying the beauty of Smith Mountain Lake!

Looking to get hooked on a new hobby?

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

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.

Come watch our resident snakes enjoy their mealtime!

Bring your four legged best friend for a ranger lead walk in the park and have your pup be certified as an official York River State Park B.A.R.K.

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!

Beneath fallen logs and under a blanket of leaves, an entire world lies undiscovered.

North America has one native tropical-tasting fruit - the pawpaw!

Join an Interpreter and learn about the seasonal movement of our flighted friends along the Atlantic Flyway.

Join us for "Turtle Time" at Holliday Lake State Park and meet our beloved turtle, Ranger Harrold Holliday!

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.

Interested in learning about archery in an adult setting?

Discover the science beneath the surface at Karst in a Cup, where you'll learn how groundwater moves, how caves develop, and how karst landscapes shape out environment.

Learn the essentials of basic target archery, a skill that, thanks to artifacts found at the park, we know humans have been practicing here for thousands of years.

Join us on a guided golf cart tour of High Bridge where we will learn about the bridge's history and the role it played in the American Civil War.

Westmoreland State Park is home to five different ambassador animals: Reba McEntire the corn snake, Stevie Nicks the king snake, and three red-eared sliders, Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, and Earl Scruggs.

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.

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.

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

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.

Discover the mysterious world of mushrooms and other fungi.  The journey begins with a presentation in the Visitor Center and includes a walk through the woods to identify the common and extraordinary, the safe and the deadly!

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

Step back in time and test your skills with an atlatl!  An atlatl (spear thrower) was a tool used by some Indigenous tribes during the Paleoindian culture and Archaic period.

Join a Park Interpreter behind the visitor center as we explore the textures, colors, and shapes of nature through watercolor.

Salamander Meander invites you to explore Appalachian creeks in search of the region's unique salamander species.

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

Have you ever wanted to pan for gold?

Discover the timeless art of pine needle basket weaving and unlock your creativity with this hands-on workshop.