Events in Virginia State Parks

Explore the shoreline of the Potomac by kayak! Enjoy a daytime paddle on the lower Potomac River as we look and listen for bald eagles.

Hike with a ranger along Big Poplar Trail (0.7 mile loop) and meet some of the oldest living park inhabitants.

Stroll down to the Spillway and get a glimpse of what life was like in the past.

Take a journey to Wilburn Ridge and discover the marvelous world of the Mountain Laurel and the Catawba Rhododendron. Learn about the different species within the park, why they grow where they grow, and hear the lore of these amazing plants.

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.

Did you know that Westmoreland is one of the original State Parks in Virginia?

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

Cartography, the study and practice of drawing maps, has been around since at least the 6th century BCE, with the earliest known drawn map being on a small clay tablet found in Iraq.

Hot diggity dog, the Friends of False Cape are having a FUNdraiser!

Join us for our new series "Tales and Trails" with Samuels Public Library.

Are there beavers at Smith Mountain Lake?

Hear the tale of star-crossed lovers that the trail is named after and view the tunnel from above.

Come talk to the Kiptopeke Rangers at our educational booth at the entrance to North Beach.

Step back in time to 1939, when Pocahontas State Park was known as the Swift Creek Recreational Demonstration Area and learn more about the history of the park.

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

Being Bear Aware in a park is very important.

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.

When armies clashed during the American Civil War, often times following a battle bizarre, inexplicable, curious, strange twists of fate and ironic circumstance astonishingly revealed themselves.

Celebrate Virginia history and culture with a tour of the Goodwin Gold Mine at Lake Anna! Follow the journey of prospector Stampmill Sam as we explore the lives of Virginia gold miners and the lasting legacy of the Virginia Gold Rush on the Lake Anna area. Dive deeper into the ancient history of our landscape and learn how forces of nature brought gold to the surface of Earth. Then, we’ll pan for gold in the same stream where prospectors once hunted for this elusive mineral.   Please arrive at the Visitor Center 10 minutes before the start time of your tour. Guests will be collected from the Visitor Center for a 5-10 minute drive to the mine site. The tour will last 1 hour and includes 0.5 miles of hiking over hilly terrain with frequent stops.  Wear sturdy walking shoes that can get wet.

Stop by our pop-up booth on the boardwalk and test your knowledge of First Landing State Park!

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

Step back in time during Virginia State Parks History & Culture Weekend and discover how children in the 18th century played right here in the region that once bustled with commerce, travel, and early American life.

Take a tour of Staunton River State Park!

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

Join us on the park's first historical hike to the park's cabin ruins on Cabin Trail! Using recently uncovered historical insights, your park ranger guide will share the story of the park's land and how the historic stone and brick cabin foundation fits into its fascinating history.

Westmoreland State Park is home to four different ambassador animals: Reba the corn snake, Stevie the king snake, and two red-eared sliders, Venus and Jennika.

Join a guided hike with Beth Sastre - a horticulturist with Virginia Cooperative Extension, Loudoun through our historic and newly planted orchard to learn about fruit-bearing trees and bushes and their important role in supporting people, wildlife, and the ecosystem.

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.

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.

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

Come discover the world of self-publishing!

Step back in time and participate in games played in the 18th century.

Ever wanted to learn to crab?

You never know what critters you will see around Belle Isle, there's dozens to pick from.

Combine hiking and history at Hayfields State Park!

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

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

All of the park's original facilities back in the 1930's were built by hand.

Discover the role the James River played in shaping early Virginia by exploring one of its most important innovations—the batteau.

How did our cabins get built?

Ever heard of a seed bomb?

Hop on over to learn about this ancient insect eater, and discover how you can help preserve its habitat.

Murders over moonshine rocked the town of Fayerdale in the 1920s and 30s, leaving a dying town remembered for tragedy rather than the mining operations that once made it a boom town. Moonshining (illegal whiskey making) was quite prevalent in and around the Fairy Stone State Park area in the early 1900s. Jealousy, greed, and competition often led to feuds, brawls, and even killings.

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.

Explore Machicomoco's interpretive area as we unveil the past of the land making up Machicomoco, from geological formation, early human use, farms, all the way to its future!

Ever cared to create art outdoors?

Join us for a Kayak Paddle trip to fossil beach!

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

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

Do you know which species Grayson Highlands is an ecological hot spot for?

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

Join us for the very first Music on the Waterfront at Holliday Lake State Park.

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

Join a Campfire Celebration as we honor the 90th Anniversary of Virginia State Parks.

High Bridge Trail State Park invites you to witness the spectacular sight of nature's fireflies by the thousands in the treetops below the historic High Bridge.

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

Who cooks for you?

This campfire program is being held at the park's original stone fireplace from 1940.

Help us celebrate a century of memories. Gather around the fire as we explore the park’s rich history through pictures, stories, and ranger-led reflections honoring the 80th anniversary of Pocahontas State Park, the 90th anniversary of Virginia State Parks, and the 100th anniversary of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Gather around the campfire for an evening of warmth, wonder, and discovery.

What's a camping trip without a campfire?

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

Join us fireside for the story of First Landing State Park; from a land once desired, to a land intentionally preserved, to a land we now share.

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

See the stars and explore our night sky with park rangers at this International Dark Sky Park!

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

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

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

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.

After the iron industry moved away from the area, residents of Fayerdale went from mining to 'shining.

Journey back in time on Lee's Woods Trail to discover hundreds of years of human history.

Hop on for a fun and informative wagon ride that brings history to life!

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

Join us for an exciting, all-day opportunity of photographing some of Virginia's beautiful flora and fauna!

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

Ride with a park guide as we experience Smith Mountain Lake from a boat.

Join professional outdoor instructor Tim MacWelch to learn about the remarkable summertime wild edible and medicinal plants of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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

Journey to Martin’s Station and find yourself immersed in Virginia’s frontier history.

Long ago, giant beasts roamed the lands we now call Virginia...put yourself into the shoes of an Ice Age hunter in this spear-throwing workshop using an ancient spear-throwing device: the atlatl! The atlatl was used on the North American continent and all over the world, enabling both men and women to efficiently hunt megafauna such as woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths.

Calling all history (and kayak) lovers!   Celebrate Virginia State Park's 90th anniversary with us on a guided kayaking tour!

How did Pocahontas State Park come to be? What are the "Original 6" State Parks?

Come watch our resident snakes enjoy their mealtime!

We need your help cleaning up our park the day after the Claytor Lake Festival.

Come talk to the Kiptopeke Rangers at our educational booth at the entrance to North Beach.

Join a ranger in making your very own shark tooth earrings or necklace!

Discover how the many trees in the park play a purpose in supporting the inhabitants - past and present - of the park.

Take a journey to Wilburn Ridge and discover the marvelous world of the Mountain Laurel and the Catawba Rhododendron. Learn about the different species within the park, why they grow where they grow, and hear the lore of these amazing plants.

Bring out your inner artist using air dry clay.

Watch history come to life during this traditional hand crafts live demonstration with John Alexander, featuring basket weaving, broom making, and toy making.

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.

Ride with a park guide as we experience Smith Mountain Lake from a boat.

Have you ever wondered why this park has two lakes?

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

Come join us to learn about two of the historical figures who helped shape the Widewater Peninsula.  Margaret Brent - English colonist, Catholic landowner, attorney - An unmarried woman who moved to the colonies, and stayed unwed, was strange enough.

Do you know North America's favorite marsupial?

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

Stop by the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center and learn more about the people who lived on the Wilderness Road frontier.

How can you determine the approximate age of a box turtle?