What hides in the Appalachian wilderness after dark?

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

What's a camping trip without a campfire?

As dusk draws near, lightning bugs appear!

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

Come out to Leesylvania State Park to celebrate Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day.

Save the date for the annual Claytor Lake Festival.

In observance of Virginia State Park's History and Culture Weekend, the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will offer a Civil War Bus Tour on Saturday, June 14.

Join us for History & Heritage Day at High Bridge Trail State Park, where we will explore the fascinating past of one of Virginia’s most historic landmarks!

Start your day with a peaceful and invigorating ranger-led hike at High Bridge Trail State Park.

Paddle through the Catlett Islands on a Ranger led kayak tour which explores the diverse wildlife, ecosystems, and history of the park.

Spend time floating down the Clinch River.

Join us Saturday, June 14th, for a guided kayaking program with Latino Outdoors DMV and Shenandoah River State Park.

Explore historic Prince Edward Lake on this guided canoe tour led by rangers.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will offer a monthly "Birding in the Gap" program on the second Saturday of each month (with the exception of October and December).

Get knee-deep in the Shenandoah during Fly Fishing 101!  During this program, our fly-fishing instructor will go over all the basics to get you catching your first fish on a fly!

Learn about the park and lake's history by boat!

Join a ranger as you unravel the many mysteries of the Natural Bridge.

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

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

Become a Junior Ranger today at Westmoreland State Park.

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

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.

If you would like to hear what music sounded like in the 1840s before the Civil War, then we have a very unique experience for you. We will have a historically accurate live music program with reproduction banjos, fiddles, and more with some great history about the songs they are playing. This only happens once a year! Please bring some chairs or blankets and enjoy a wonderful evening with us.  BBQ food vendor will be at the park on Saturday and Sunday.

In 1860, nearly half of Fauquier County's 21,706 residents were enslaved, with thirteen enslaved individuals living at the Mount Bleak Farm.

From the Colonial Era thru today, black watermen have been a part of the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry in all levels.  Discover the communities built on harvesting fish and shellfish giving African Americans financial freedom even in the Jim Crow years.  Even today, we can help improve the bay so that everyone can enjoy it’s beauty and bounty.

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

Established as a private residence in 1659, Caledon has a long and storied history.

Become a prospector as we follow in the footsteps of "Stampmill Sam".

On June 14th and 15th, we invite you to visit the park's historic cemetery for Virginia State Parks History & Culture Weekend.

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

Come walk the park's bluebird trail with a Virginia Master Naturalist as she checks the nestboxes and records data for the Virginia Bluebird Society.

Curious about how the light green house looks from the inside and its restoration process?

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

Hosted by the Virginia Master Naturalist Bluebird Team, feel inspired as you learn about Eastern Bluebird conservation.

Pick up a copy of the self guided Cabin Creek Trail brochure at the Park Office or Visitor Center.

Bows and arrows have been a part of human society for thousands of years and used for both survival and sport.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to knit?

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

Join Master Naturalist Kim Manion for a short walk to discover the basics of tree identification.

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

How did a railroad give hope to a community and how does the creation of a park continue to offer that hope?

Join Machicomoco and the Fairfield Foundation as we team up to offer prospective Junior Rangers hands-on archaeological dig opportunities at the Timberneck House in order to earn a Junior Ranger patch.

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

Owls, bats, and bugs, oh my!

Ever wonder what animals call Kiptopeke home, or what that shell is on the beach?

Pottery and ceramics have been made and used by humans across the world for nearly 30,000 years.

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

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

It's feeding time for our ambassador reptiles.  How do we feed our animals?

Please join us for a very special afternoon with Carl “Gump” Blair and Gene Dunford.

The shadow of revolution darkens Powell’s Valley.

The Battle of Bunker Hill is now infamous.

Learn about the fascinating history of our park, our lake, and the surrounding area.

This place, this land, is as old as time itself.

Join rangers on a short stroll and tour of the historic Howe House.

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

Join us for a hands-on adventure as we dig into the world of rocks, gems and fossils!

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

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.

Park Interpreter Meg Doppée will take you on a slow hike around Farmstead Loop Trail.

Love Sky Meadows?

Have you wondered about all of the bird houses around the park?  Have you caught a glimpse of beautiful blue feathers in the afternoon sunlight?

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.

Is the Chesapeake Bay healthy?

Come discover the world of self-publishing!

Visit a ranger and learn about bear safety.

Reconnect with nature and your innate creativity with monthly Nature Journaling workshops led by Mary Larson, Virginia Master Naturalist.

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

In honor of Virginia State Parks History and Culture Weekend and in conjunction with Flag Day, the staff at Sailor's Creek Battlefield invite you join us for this exciting historical program.

Head on over to the park to learn about Ranger Parker Red Fox, the Virginia State Parks mascot.

Come learn about Palmer Hayden, a renowned Widewater artist who is known for his paintings of everyday life in African-American communities.

Belle Isle State Park was established in April 1993, but this 892-acre property has a long history.

Get ready to catch gold fever and mosey on over to join our interpretive rangers on a quest for this elusive mineral.

Join a ranger as you unravel the many mysteries of the Natural Bridge.

Come join us here at Clinch River State Park for Virginia State Park's History and Culture Day!

Learn about the history of Westmoreland State Park as one of the original six Virginia State Parks and dive into the rich history of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) legacy.

The natural environment that cradles Bear Creek today is a new one.

The York River was home to four manned lighthouses: Bells Rock, Pages Rock, Tue Marshes, and York Spit.  Bells Rock was the uppermost, just two miles below West Point.  Pages Rock was the only other light above the Coleman (Rt.

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.

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

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

Flag Day is a celebration of the American flag that occurs each year on the anniversary of the flag’s official adoption, June 14. What we know fondly as the “Stars and Stripes” was adopted by the Continental Congress as the official American flag in 1777, in the midst of the Revolutionary War.

Ever wonder what dolls of the 18th century frontier looked like or what they were made of?

Archery programs are some of the best recreational activities that State Parks have to offer.

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

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

Join us for a Saturday afternoon of music and fun.

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

This "crab" is actually more closely related to spiders and scorpions!

The Battle of Bunker Hill is now infamous.

The shadow of revolution darkens Powell’s Valley.

Join us for a free historical tour of the Cedar Crest Conference Center.

Get ready to catch gold fever and mosey on over to join our interpretive rangers on a quest for this elusive mineral.

Park Interpreters will have a few historic games that kids would play in colonial times.

The visitor center is one of the best spots to search for bald eagles hunting fish and soaring through the sky, so stop by and search for eagles along with our park rangers.

Ever wondered how the cabins you stay in and the shelters you enjoy were built without modern technology?

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 boomtown. 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.

Join rangers on a short stroll and tour of the historic Howe House.

How did soldiers sleep after a march?