Events in Virginia State Parks

Enjoy a summer evening with live music and local wine surrounded by the forest at Caledon State Park!

With warmer wetter weather comes springtime fungi!

Enjoy the summer sun while also helping out your state parks! Check out some of Widewater's Summer volunteer opportunities below.  Educational Volunteer Opportunities Astronomy Assistant: July 17th & August 14th Natural Resource Management - Rain Barrel Maintenance: July 11th - Mothing Monitor: July 20th & 24th - Japanese Stilt Grass Removal: August 15th, 22nd, & 29th Recreation & Special Events Kayak Tour Caboose - Rising Sun: July 19th - Full Moon: July 25th - Twilight: August 8th Saturday, July 25th : Waterway Cleanups Summer Cleanup on the Potomac River Join this Stafford-based non-profit as they help keep Potomac River clean of trash and debris via kayaks in their Summer cleanup at the park.

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.

Settle in for a relaxing wagon ride as a park ranger guides you through the scenic landscapes of James River State Park.

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

Secrets and spiders and campfires?

A walk after sunset can sometimes feel mysterious, but it does not need to be feared.

Join a park ranger for a guided nighttime adventure through the maritime forest as we search and listen for some of First Landing State Park’s most fascinating nocturnal residents: owls.

"Hoo-hoo" wants to join a park ranger in exploring the dark of night?

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

Experience the sights and sounds of the park at sunset with a leisurely guided hike beginning at 8 p.m. from the main parking lot.

Happy International Bat Appreciation Day!

Fireflies aren't the only species that glow at night.  Did you know several plant and animal species glow under black light?

See the night-time world like you've never seen it before!

Ever wondered what it’s like to paddle under a sky full of stars?

Experience the park at night with a ranger guide pointing out stars and planets, nocturnal wildlife, and the joys of a natural night with low light pollution.

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

Looking for a fun way to explore the park at your own pace?

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!

Over 200 years ago, early adventurers like Daniel Boone walked these same hills and valleys we see today.

Summer heat can be challenging for both people and wildlife.

Experience the James River like never before on this ranger-guided canoe float between Canoe Landing and Dixon Landing!

Join certified Forest Therapy volunteer, Tina Hayes, for a relaxing program made to calm the mind.

Come watch our resident snakes enjoy their mealtime!

Leaf your worries behind and tree-t yourself to a ranger-led hike that shows how trees are everything but still!

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

Bring out your inner sculptor using air dry clay.

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.

Immerse yourself in nature and experience the calming and health-promoting benefits of the forest.

Chippokes State Park welcomes visitors to accompany an interpretive guide on a very unique historical building tour experience to explore one of the oldest dwellings on property.

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.

Stop by the Visitor Center and have the opportunity to view the sun through a telescope.

Looking to get hooked on a new hobby?

What will we scoop up this time?

Get your space on and join an Interpreter in the while the sun is still up to explore all things astronomy and learn about the upcoming August 12th Perseid Meteor Shower!

Have you ever wondered what makes an owl such a skilled night hunter?

Just how powerful is the sun?

History lives on at Holliday Lake State Park.

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.

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

This is the kind of Sunday program where you wander down the beach, stumble into a ranger-led arts and craft activities, and end up staying way longer than planned!

Nature Journals are great way to practice intentional observation of your surroundings.

So many adventures happen on the James River, but what’s happening below the water surface?

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.

Unleash your creativity in the great outdoors. Join a park ranger for a hands-on crafting adventure inspired by the wildlife that calls the park home.

From forts to farms, the property of Hayfields and Highland County have taken many forms.

Nature journaling is the intersection of art, science, and curiosity.

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

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 trash and litter we leave behind can hurt the environment.

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.

Imagine a world without fruits and veggies; they could not exist without pollinators!

Spend your Sunday by the river!  A ranger will be stationed or roving in the picnic area with a fun activity for the whole family!  Activities may include a fur and skull table, meeting the wildlife ambassadors Henry the turtle or Fred the snake, dip netting, crafts, and more!

It's feeding time in our Chesapeake Bay Lab!

"A small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can indeed change the world." - Margaret Meade, Anthropologist Do you have a passion for teaching and being outdoors?

Join an Interpreter at the Campfire Circle on Osprey View Trail for a fun afternoon learning about fire-building techniques.

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

Can you imagine a world without video games, cell phones, or TV?

Join our park ranger for this fascinating workshop on owls and what they eat.

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

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

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

Meet Ranger Scout, the Western Hognose snake who lives and works at Twin Lakes. If the handsome fellow is feeling up to it, you may even get to pet or hold him!

 Follow in the footsteps of history, at the exact times and in the exact places where the battle unfolded 164 years ago.

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

Join us on a birding adventure, starting with a quick chat about tips and tricks to help with bird identification followed by a short hike through some of Machicomoco's best bird habitats.

As the sun begins to set and the wildlife start to come out of their hiding places, join the interpretive rangers for a relaxing and fun evening canoe drift on the lake.

What creatures rule our beaches at night?

The final week of Junior Rangers is all about the Spirit of Adventure!

Find out what lurks below the surface of the swamp in this fun dip-netting adventure!

Have you ever wondered what secrets the natural world holds? This drop-in program offers a unique opportunity to meet with Virginia Master Naturalists who will be available to answer all your nature-related questions.

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.

Who made those footprints?

Do you enjoy coffee, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables?

Every Monday evening from May to September you can find local fresh produce, baked goods, honey, jams and jellies, soap, and local artisan crafters, as well as food vendors, here at Fairy Stone State Park.

Take an unforgettable journey above and below the water as we explore the hidden world of the river.

Calling all bird lovers, do you know how to identify a bird by its song?

Have you ever bumped into one of our tall bark-covered residents and wondered who it is you've just run into?

Come learn what makes cave ecosystems so delicate and special.

The final week of Junior Rangers is all about the Spirit of Adventure!

What do you think of when you hear term wildlife?

Stop by and investigate the variety of flora and fauna found around Smith Mountain Lake.

Is the opossum misunderstood?

Animals may be shy, but they leave plenty of clues behind.

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 to know the park's ambassador reptiles: a sweet juvenile cornsnake and a spunky mud turtle!

Ever wondered how you stack up against some of the largest birds in the sky?

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

Our beautiful park is the perfect place to pick up a fun new workout routine.

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

Echoes of Appalachia: A Honky Tonkin’ Music Story Join us at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park for a lively and entertaining Honky Tonkin History program.

Come join the monthly meeting of the Widewater State Park Friend's Group!

Allow the evening to envelop you and enjoy a hay wagon ride with our park guide.

Step back in time as you explore the brand‑new interpretive trail at Green Pastures Recreation Area.

The Visitor Center at Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park offers a museum filled with treasured artifacts discovered over the years where the last major fight of the American Civil War in Virginia occurred on April 6, 1865.

Tours of the Hillsman House, a National Historic Landmark, are available to the public by request.