How can we be more sustainable when practicing our favorite hobbies?

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

Fly on over and learn how to make a bird feeder from natural materials which you can keep.

Did you know people were tie-dyeing clothes over a thousand years before it became a 1960s fashion trend?

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

Help support the park you love.

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

Spend time floating down the Clinch River.

Children Ages 7 - 13 Wednesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Children can experience Virginia’s frontier like never before.

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

Yes, you too can canoe!

Join the Friends of Mason Neck and Fairfax Master Naturalists for a rewarding day of volunteer garden work!

This summer, the Junior Ranger program is exploring different biomes, and Week 2 is Meadows & Fields! Programs run Monday - Wednesday from 10am to 1pm. Outdoor and weather appropriate clothing must be worn as we will be exploring the park; getting dirty and wet are both strong possibilities. Closed-toed shoes are required every day. Please don't forget to bring a lunch and a reusable water bottle, as well as apply sunscreen and bugspray before the program begins.

Take a fascinating hike to learn about the rich history of James River State Park from fossils to the American Civil War.

Whether your child is an aspiring adventurer or simply loves being outdoors, this program is designed to ignite their curiosity and foster valuable skills.

Come across our Ranger outposts stationed at a part of First Landing State Park you may have never visited: the Narrows Beach!

Join us as we open the doors to the old Norfolk and Western caboose 518517.

Without pollinators, people and all of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems would not survive.

What animal inspired a popular children's game?

While most of the adventure on the New River takes place above the water, there is no shortage of things to see below the water!

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.

All aboard the Virginia Dare for a fun-filled and informative lunch cruise.

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

Douthat Lake is home to some big, beautiful trout.

Our amazing amphibians are abundant here in the mountains.

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

“What does the fox say?” Did you know that there are two different foxes found in Virginia, the red fox and the grey fox?

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

Meet at the Big Water Visitor Center and help our resident box turtle have some fun in the sun! .

Trees are so important to our environment. They give us air to breathe, homes for animals, wood to build our homes and help control erosion.

Get your feet wet and explore life in the creek.

Right now in Fairy Stone Lake, giant gelatinous blobs resembling brains can be found attached to stationary objects in the water, using their tentacles to feed.

Enjoy a scenic guided walk along the New River Trail. This easy one-mile round trip tour will take visitors outside one of the oldest mining operations in North America, the Austinville lead mines.

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.

What's a benthic organism and how do they survive in the creek?

Meet us on South Beach to help clean up trash and search for treasures.

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

Hop on over for a hands-on adventure into the world of frogs. Join park staff as we search for some of Virginia’s native frog species and their tadpoles.

The day has been filled with fun activities, but now it is time to wind down with a peaceful paddle on the lake.

Join us at picnic shelter #1 for a late-night hike as we search for owls and other nocturnal animals that call Kiptopeke home.

Calling all Junior Rangers!

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with this monthly series of true nature walks!

A new discovery awaits your family with Sky Meadows' Discovery Backpacks.

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.

A Self-Guided Driving Tour of Sailor's Creek Battlefield is available to visitors year-round from sunrise to sunset.

Sailor's Creek Battlefield offers six, self-guided Hiking Trails with historic markers for the public to explore year round during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).

Join us on a real or virtual hike through Claytor Lake State Park as we take a closer look at some of the beautiful native trees.

Stop by the fishing area behind Howe House to check out our EnChroma color blind scenic viewer.

Earn your junior ranger patch through a variety of programs and fun family activities.  Visit the park office, gift shop, or contact station for a copy of our Junior Ranger booklet, or you can download it from the link below.

Request a ranger to give your family or group a chance to engage in activities not otherwise available in our park.

Did you know that Haven Howe was an early advocate for environmental reform in Virginia? Participate in person or virtually as we examine the fine craftsmanship of the Howe House and learn of its builder, inhabitants, and history.

Contribute to citizen science by helping us create a time lapse of this mysterious site.

Go on a hiking adventure with Track Trails!

Take a hike back in time by visiting our tour points located at the same location as our collection of photos and videos from past years at Claytor Lake State Park and Claytor Lake.

Find out what it takes to be a ranger at Sky Meadows State Park.

Experience geocaching at Sky Meadows State Park with three park-themed caches.

Put on your boots and take your class outdoors with our new teacher-led Outdoor Educator Backpack.

Help us keep our trails beautiful.

Belle Isle State Park has some great activities that you can do on your own schedule.

Belle Isle State Park is looking for the next generation of ranger, are you ready to give it a try?

Discover the different habitats Sky Meadows has to offer on our Kids in Park's TRACK Trail!

Whether you are a teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or anything in between, we are inviting you to plan your groups' next field trip to Fairy Stone State Park.

No matter your role—teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or beyond—we invite you to plan your group’s next field trip to Twin Lakes State Park.

To arrange a ranger-led field trip for your school, homeschool group, youth organization or daycare; complete and submit a Field Trip Registration Form.

Be you a teacher, camp counselor, homeschool instructor, or troop leader, you are invited to schedule your group's next field trip or educational program with Widewater State Park!

Make York River State Park your destination for field education and outdoor discoveries.  We offer hikes and netting programs that highlight fresh water and estuarine ecosystems as well as coastal woodlands to enhance Standards of Learning requirements.  Canoe and kayak trips are available from May until the end of September, weather conditions apply.  Contact our Park Interpreters at (757)566-8523 or email john.gresham@dcr.virginia.gov or zach.robertson@dcr.virginia.gov to help plan your trip.

Are you looking for a great activity for the kids that is both fun and educational?

James River State Park is teeming with hidden gems, from plants and animals to minerals and historic artifacts.

Are you curious about that songbird flitting through the bushes outside your cabin?

Geocaching combines GPS technology with nature to provide adventure for treasure hunters like you all over the world!

Not able to attend a ranger-led program?

Enjoy a self-guided tour as you walk down to see the Natural Tunnel.

As you explore the Wilderness Road Blockhouse and the surrounding area, discover what makes this building so unique as well as what was commonly used on the frontier for survival during the 18th Century.

Stop by the Visitor Center and pick up a copy of a self-guided brochure on the “Common Trees of Virginia,” or download it online.

Introduced by the National Parks, B.A.R.K.

The park has over 12 miles of beautiful hiking trails that range in difficulty from easy to moderate.

Throughout the year various constellations appear in the night sky.

Drop by the kiosk at the Spillway, pick up a special brochure, and get ready to get dirty with our seasonal scavenger hunts for kids.

If you're interested in learning about trees while you hike, this self-guided program is for you.

Stop by the Discovery Center and go inside to grab a booklet that will take you and your kids on adventure through time in Hungry Mother State Park.

Find the special Track Trail kiosk at the corner of Parking Lot 6 to pick up a brochure with fun activities for kids to enjoy around the park.

If you're excited to learn more about our native plants and animals, then you're in the right place.

Stop by Hungry Mother's Discovery Center and ask front desk about our Park Packs.

'Bigfoot' is on the roam in Occoneechee State Park.

Whether you are a teacher, homeschool instructor, club sponsor, or anything in between, we are inviting you to plan you groups' next field trip to Douthat State Park.

Biking is a wonderful activity to do here in the park.

Smith Mountain Lake is the perfect location for fishing.

Discover the secrets of the park through geocaching.