Events in Virginia State Parks

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

Practice your detective skills by uncovering snakes hidden in images of their habitat, and discover how best to avoid those with venom.

Join a ranger on a birding hike down the Battlefield Trail.

Rockhounds, collectors, and curious kids and their families will all learn something new about the geology around Holliday Lake.

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?

The evening campfire is an iconic feature of a campsite and there are many ways to start one.

Pocahontas Premieres, once again, is having its Mini Bluegrass Festival.

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

Drop by the campfire to relax, meet your camping neighbors, enjoy time sharing stories, and learn about critters that call New River Trail home.

Mark your calendars, music on the cliffs is back and we want you to join us for this amazing summer concert series overlooking the Potomac River! Music on the cliff is our parks outdoor concert series where you can unwind and experience great local music in a beautiful natural setting.  While you're here, enjoy a bite to eat from a local food truck. Don’t forget your lawn chair or blanket!  This event is brought to you by the Friends of Westmoreland State Park.

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

Come to the Acorn Shelter between 6 and 7 p.m. to partake in fun and food.

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?

Join park rangers for a campfire at the Visitor Center.

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

What's a camping trip without a campfire?

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.

Experience Sky Meadows, an International Dark-Sky Park, at this monthly astronomical celebration!

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

The Rappahannock Astronomy Club is pleased to present an evening of deep space viewing.

Join astronomy volunteers as they share the stories written in the night sky.

Step into the hidden world of nocturnal insects as Fairy Stone State Park comes alive after dark.

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

Come join the storytellers from CHAOS (Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society) on the Observation Field to share the stories of the stars.

Visit James River for a chance to view one of the popular meteor showers of the year!

Watch the biggest meteor shower of the summer with our park rangers at this International Dark Sky Park.

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

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

Join us in Westmoreland State Park's fintastic fishing program!

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.

Explore the remains of the Goodwin Gold Mine and learn how gold was discovered here by stepping in the stream, getting wet, and learning the techniques to pan for gold! This is a hands-on historical activity demonstration; everything found during panning must remain at the site except gold and pyrite.

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!

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

Come watch our resident snakes enjoy their mealtime!

You don't always need sophisticated tools to make quality art: people have been doing it for thousands of years with something as simple as mud.

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.

Gyotaku, or Fish Printing, is a traditional Japanese art form that uses paper, rollers and paint to record the size of fish that were caught.

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.

They're round and they're full of fiber but unless you're a termite, you can't eat these tree cookies.

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.

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.

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.

Are you new to fishing and would like to learn the basics?

Are there beavers at Smith Mountain Lake?

Stop by our parks' pop-up ranger program to learn about a variety of topics, from historical facts to life cycles of our park animals.

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

Have you ever been walking along a trail and come across a pile of "meatballs"?

Stop by for a simple Nature Themed Scavenger Hunt at the newly renovated Roanoke Station.

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

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.

Join us for a program that explores the often-overlooked psychological toll of the American Civil War.

Interested in learning about archery in an adult setting?

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!

Get creative when you build your very own bug at this ranger-led program.

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

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.

Pottery is one of the oldest forms of decorative but functional art and is found in cultures across the world.

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.

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.

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!

Join us for an in-depth look at the major generals who commanded on both sides during the Battles of Sailor’s Creek.

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!

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

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

So many creatures visit the Bullpasture River, but what critters are below the surface?

Challenge yourself to name various songbirds found around Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Join the interpretive ranger and see how many of our common birds you can identify.

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.

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?

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

When a tree falls in the forest, what happens next?

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

What creatures rule our beaches at night?

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?

All are welcome at the Friends of Sailor's Creek Battlefield volunteer support group during their monthly meeting as they focus on a variety of objectives designed to assist the park's mission in preserving the hallowed grounds of the last major battle of the American Civil War in Virginia on April 6, 1865.

Join us for our exciting Frog Monitoring Program, taking place monthly!

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.

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.

Rangers from Leesylvania State Park will take your little ones on a nature adventure with reading, games, and crafts.

What is North America's only native marsupial?

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.

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