Virginia State Parks continued the year-long trend of record attendance with an Independence Day weekend attendance of 266,739, a 22 percent increase over last year’s previous record-high of 218,889.

For the eighth consecutive year, the 35 Virginia State Parks operated by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation have been recognized by ReserveAmerica as among the nation’s best.

Are you wondering what to do for the 4th of July Weekend?  Well wonder no more! Pocahontas State Park is offering outdoor activities for the entire family.

A new program has been developed to encourage membership on Virginia Outdoors.com and with the Virginia Association for Parks.

First Landing State Park is a truly unique camping destination.  It is a 2,888 acre natural area set within the coastal urban area of Virginia Beach.

As you may know, the State Parks Division is part of a larger agency, the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Are you looking for activities to keep the kids busy this summer?  The park naturalist at Pocahontas State Park has the perfect solution to every Mom’s dilemma on how to keep the kids occupied during summer break.

If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you’ll love Holliday Lake State Park.  The park is nestled in the heart of Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest.

Surrounded by two lakes in the heart of Central Virginia, Twin Lakes State Park is an ideal setting for a variety of lakefront activities.

Maybe because I'm a girl but I always had trouble figuring out what to get my father for a gift. After all, you can only have so many ties.

For the past 2 years, along with your help, Odwalla has made a commitment to America's  state parks by donating money to help plant trees.

On June 1st VDGIF biologists attached leg bands to three falcon chicks nesting on a high-rise in downtown Richmond, VA.

There are so many things we do better in Virginia State Parks because of our loyal and large cadre of volunteers.

Worried that oil from the BP disaster will sully Atlantic beaches...

Last month, I challenged readers to make a "Virginia State Parks To-Do List" by visiting our events website at  www.virginiastateparks.gov/ and selecting five things to do at Virginia State Parks.

There's no better way to end a work week than to drive to the Eastern Shore for a camping trip at Kiptopeke State Park.

Snakes seem to get a bad rap for one reason or another.  Personally, I am a great admirer of snakes.  Sure, some could be dangerous when provoked, but that could be said about most wildlife.

There are a lot of fun things to do at Occoneechee State Park throughout the upcoming weekend. Hike through the woods, ride a bike, visit the museum, have a picnic, and enjoy these great programs along with many others.

Virginia State Parks had a record-setting Memorial Day weekend with new highs in attendance and revenue, and even website traffic.

According to Sarah Lankford, Office Manager at Holliday Lake State Park, exciting things are happening at the park!

Saturday, June 5th is the 22nd Annual Clean the Bay Day sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Start voting for Virginia to receive trees donated by Odwalla's Plant a Tree program!

I just took a trip to Staunton River State Park in Scottsburg, Virginia.  While at the park I got a tour of their facilities.

On May 15, 2010 Leesylvania State Park was host to 52 Wounded Warriors from local hospitals that came out fishing as part of the Potomac River Wounded Heroes Spring Bass Challange II.

Planning a trip to your local State Park?  If so, be sure to pick up the newest copy of the Park Visitor Welcome Kit. 

Recent research published in England indicates that getting outdoor exercise can significantly improve your mental health and well-being within FIVE MINUTES of being outdoors!! 

Snakehead fish in Virginia.

Part of our "Fishing 101" series, this video outlines a few of the essential things you'll need for your fishing trip.

Part of our "Fishing 101" series, this video demonstrates how to tie a Palomar knot.

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer season for those of us in Virginia State Parks.

Virginia State Parks Director Joe Elton talks with Bob Duncan, Virginia Director of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Bedford Parks & Recreation Departments will host their annual Youth Fishing Clinic on Saturday, June 5th at Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Huddleston. Event is free and open to children ages six through fourteen.

The 2010 Gathering in the Gap music festival, which will be held at the Southwest Virginia Museum in Big Stone Gap on May 29, offers an opportunity for area musicians to test their skills in a variety of musical competitions.

Maybe you've been reading about Women's Weekends at Virginia State Parks, but can't seem to find the time to get away from your family obligations to enjoy the outdoors.

Today's society is more connected than ever between Twitter, Facebook, and that Blackberry you never let out of your sight.  Even helping the environment has gone hi-tech.

Join us for a celebration of Armed Forces Day with a late afternoon performance by the 380th United States Army Reserve Band on Saturday, May 15th at 6 p.m. at the Heritage Amphitheater.

Join park staff for the first annual "Adult Saltwater Fishing Fanatic Tournament"  at York River State Park in Williamsburg.

On Saturday, May 15, 2010 a crew of ten active duty sailors will attempt to row and sail a 26-foot long Monomy Pulling Boat across the Chesapeake Bay from First Landing State Park to Kiptopeke State Park and back.

One of the benefits of being the Information Manager for State Parks is to be aware of the many events that take place at all of our parks.

For the first time, the “Gathering in the Gap” Music Festival, which takes place at the Southwest Virginia Museum on May 29, 2010, will include a new Songwriting Contest.

Smith Mountain Lake State Park Boat Ramp saw extra business last Saturday, May 1st.

Last night I read an article from CNN's SciTech Blog (Children and Nature Network tweeted it) about the new Boy Scout Video Game Badge.

Virginia State Parks has joined in a partnership with several agencies including, Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Tourism and numerous County Tourism Agencies to promote fishing in Southwest Virginia.

For Earth Day, America's State Parks offer the following birthday card.

Local schools were invited to participate in Douthat State Park’s Twelfth Annual Earth Day Celebration which was held on Friday, April 16, 2010.

Kiptopeke State Park’s campground roadway is starting to take shape as crews started removing the tar and chip roadway yesterday.

Claytor Lake State Park offers season boat slips to allow boating enthusiasts an opportunity to park their boat within Claytor Lake State Park for a rental fee from March to November yearly.

The Friends of Holliday Lake State Park will hold its second of two organizational meetings in starting a Friends group on April 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center.

Once again the Eagle Festival is coming to Mason Neck. This event, the largest Earth Day related environmental event in Northern Virginia includes exhibits from nearly 30 non-profit, environmental, historic ...

Although I myself am new to geocaching, I would like to get the word out about a new and fun geocaching game that all Virginia State Parks will be launching on March 29, 2010 that will run until December 15, 2010.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in Big Stone Gap, VA honors the coming of Spring and Virginia Garden Week with a day-long event, “A Celebration of Spring,” Saturday, April 24, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Have you ever thought of running a triathlon with your kids but the opportunity was not there?  Well that opportunity is now available.

My trip to Occoneechee State Park was well worth the two hour drive to Clarksville, Virginia.

Visitors to Douthat State Park lined Wilson’s Creek and Douthat’s lake in anticipation for 9 o’clock to drop their fishing lines in the water for Douthat’s first day of fee fishing on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

Think about it, you deserve a little more “me” time.

Last year 2009 my husband and I took our two kids ages 3 and 5 on their first camping trip to Staunton River State Park.

Looking for a change in venue now that spring has finally come to the Eastern Shore of Virginia?

Jo and Johnny Finch, stalwart friends and volunteers for Virginia State Parks, are also Friends of Lake Anna State Park (Jo is President the Friends Group and Johnny is President of the Virginia Association for Parks).

As I kid I was never a very successful kite flyer but boy did I have some fun trying!

Join wild foods enthusiast and park interpreter, Vicky Shufer, for a journey through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to False Cape State Park's interior on Saturday, April 3 from 1pm-5pm.

After writing this morning's post about rain showers bringing spring wild flowers to Mason Neck State Park, I couldn't resist going to look for early flowers myself.

In honor of the start of Spring, here are a few pictures to wet your appetite for a visit to a Virginia State Park.

Last week I started a weekly series on recommending other great websites for readers of this blog similar to the Twitter tradition called #FollowFriday. Today's recommendation is The Blue Ridge Parkway.

Kiptopeke State Park, Natural Heritage and Chesapeake Bay Foundation teamed together today planting trees and shrubs creating wildlife habitat while conserving natural resources.

Every college student dreams of sandy beaches and warm sunshine for spring break, but there are some that put service to their communities above this thought.

One of our most popular destination parks is Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Natural Tunnel State Park along with the Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Association and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park will be hosting a 2-day workshop "Skills Along the Wilderness Road."

Come and walk in the park. Take a look out on the water and you might see a bald eagle.

After a couple active snow storms this winter, the weather appears to be taking a turn for the better.

My thoughts are turning more and more towards spring and summer. Maybe it's a touch of  spring fever. Growing up in San Diego, I never really experienced the fever until recent years spent in Virginia.

Women are looking for affordable vacations where they can leave their hectic lifestyles behind.

Conservation Officers with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation this week received accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission.

Virginia's State Parks have always been fantastic family vacation spots. The parents can relax and unwind from their normally busy vacations while the kids enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, hiking or a variety of programs offered at the park.

I started working for Virginia State Parks in 1986 and in a long career have had the chance to get up close with wildlife and working on enhancing it.

I just read a story that in the toughest of times, Americans are volunteering at a record rate.

I just went to check out the "Eagle Cam" that is set up at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens on an active nest.  This is really cool and several school groups were checking it out for education.

With shrinking budgets across our nation, one of the first things that is thought of to be cut is our parks.

Eleven volunteers from the American Hiking Society are working at Douthat State Park this week and have started their first day of trail work.

March brings many things like longer days and more sunshine.  It also means it is spring break time.  One group of college students is spending their spring break at Hungry Mother State Park volunteering.

Normally I like to use a background image on my computer that matches the season.  Here at Mason Neck State Park, I work indoors most of the time but still try to keep my desktop image in tune with the natural world.

I've done a lot of tent camping in my days and still do, but every now and then I want the camping experience without the tent camping part.

Technology has been great in many ways, for instance I'm using it this very moment to communicate to an entire audience of people I don't really know.

I've been camping at a lot of Virginia State Parks, some by myself, some with a dozen or so Boy Scouts and leaders.

Join us at Pocahontas State Park during National Wildlife Week, March 15th –21st, for outdoor nature programs that will introduce you and your family to the wildlife found in the park.

Almost all Virginia State Parks have some sort of body of water associated with them.

Spring has to be close now and as soon as we start having a few days in the 60's and 70's there will be a rush to get out to our great Virginia State Parks.

Del. Athey says he does not support Gov. Robert McDonnell’s plan to close state parks and says it would not save money because they are profitable.

A trip to the beach or manual labor doing work around a Virginia State Park?  That is the choice 19 college students are making for their spring break this year.

Enjoy the outdoors and want to do something new? Now you can enjoy looking for treasures hidden within Kiptopeke State Park as part of the Star Spangled Banner Geotrail.

Girls weekends are one of my favorite adventures because you never know where you’ll end up or who’ll you’ll meet, which is the fun of the weekend anyway.

My most recent state park visit was to Smith Mountain Lake State Park at the beginning of December.  My husband and I got married on December 5, 2009 and spent our honeymoon at Smith Mountain Lake.

This year's theme is: "I Love Virginia State Parks." I thought you would all enjoy seeing the two television spots.

Claytor Lake State Park added to the increase in visitation with 268,472 visitors in 2009, up 19,450 visitors from 2008.

New River Trail State Park added to the increase in visitation with 960,096 visitors in 2009, up 8,104 visitors from 2008.

Douthat State Park added to the increase in visitation with 205,654 visitors in 2009, up 10,090 visitors from 2008.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary spring fever is a listless, lazy, or restless feeling commonly associated with the beginning of spring.

Spotsylvania couple active in projects, new technology for state parks here and elsewhere

For those of you that grew up camping, do you remember how good food tasted cooked outside over a campfire?  Wasn’t it the best?

Traditionally spring break - the week before and after Easter - are busy times in Virginia State Parks.

Kiptopeke State Park closed its campground early this past fall much to the chagrin of our fall patrons. Work is progressing with most of the drain pipe installation complete and road grading work starting soon.

Virginia State Parks kicked off the promotional show season with the Washington Camping and RV Show (Jan. 15-17) at the Dulles Expo Center.

False Cape State Park is hosting Wild Women Weekend on March 5-7, 2010 at their Environmental Education Center.

False Cape State Park is offering an Winter Woods Walk on Saturday, Feb. 7th from 1pm-4pm.

Arizona sold a dozen state buildings on a lease back arrangement just this week to try and make up their $2 billion deficit. On Friday the decision was made to close 21 of the 30 state parks to help close the gap.

One aspect of the recession is that tight pocketbooks send families looking for lower cost vacation alternatives.

The Virginia State Parks Office of Volunteer Services is part of the Operations Section that I manage.

This is the second of a four-part series about what we do in parks during the off-season, Part II

Okay so this will probably give away how ancient I am, but when I was a girl Alan Sherman did a song called A Letter From Camp: "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh. Here I am at Camp Granada."

A survey done by the NASPD (National Association of State Park Directors) have shown some great results.

Unfortunately, with all the traveling, shopping, cooking, and general hustle and bustle of the season, families are often too busy to really connect with each other during the holiday season.

Each year all state park employees participate in the Virginia State Park's FOCUS for Excellence customer service training program.

I have mentioned before that we are deeply indebted to our volunteers in Virginia State Parks.

Take a Winter Tram Ride to Wash Woods at False Cape State Park.

On Friday, December 11, the Fish Virginia First steering committee met at beautiful Douthat Lake View Restaurant at Douthat State Park.

This is the first of a four-part series about what we do in parks during the off-season.

Our Agency held two employee recognition events in the last month to honor employees who have made special contributions to Virginia State Parks.

Everyone knows what rocks and whoppers are, don’t they? Did you answer a rock is a stone and a whopper is a juicy hamburger? Normally you would be correct, but we’re not talking about the same things now.

How to make a Snow Day Special by having fun outdoors.

Douthat State Park will begin lowering Douthat Lake beginning Monday, Jan. 4, 2010 and will begin refilling the lake on Friday, March 26, 2010.

Several members of the Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes (BRFAL) Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program recently installed new interpretive signs along the Oak Hickory Trail at Fairy Stone State Park.

If you were in Leesylvania State Park on the morning of Saturday, November 21, you might have seen a sight that is increasingly rare these days: children having fun while being active outside.

A special “volunteer hug” goes out to a group of volunteers from Longwood University’s Greek Society.

If you are a shopping hater like me, or have folks on your gift list that love Virginia State Parks, we have cyber options for you!

With a few basic preparations, you and your family can enjoy winter hiking at Holliday Lake State Park or any state park in Virginia.

Regardless of falling temperatures or even falling snow, Mason Neck State Park is a great place to visit in December.

Fairy Stone State Park is truly at a mountain lake. For those flat landers this means trees, wildlife, rocky outcroppings,fresh air and NO SHARKS!

This year, Virginia State Parks has 13 of their State Parks offering special programs to celebrate the holiday season.

The Park Manager at Staunton River State Park tells of how different the park and cabin guests are in the winter verses the rest of the year.

Leesylvania Elementary school children were invited to get outside and experience Northern Virginia nature on Nov. 21, 2009 at the Turkey Trot.

Claytor Lake State Park and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are hosting a Youth Deer Hunting Workshop on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19.

Fall is a gorgeous time to visit Mason Neck State Park.

Take time to read highlights from Tom's visits and to five state Parks on the far west side of the state. This is the last in the series of five articles.

Tom takes time to share highlights of his visits to Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, Wilderness Road State Park, Natural Tunnel State Park, Grayson Highlands State Park and Hungry Mother State Park.

False Cape State Park invites the entire family for a fun-filled weekend of hiking and exploring Virginia’s Outer Banks while discovering tricks and tips on how to survive in the wilderness.

Staunton River State Park is excited to announce that it will be keeping four cabins open year round starting this winter. 

Regardless of whether you are a lark or owl, False Cape State Park has a kayak program right up your alley during the month of October.

Johhny Finch, President, Virginia Association for Parks (VAFP) announces rennovation of VAFP website, its new companion virginiaoutdoors.net and dates and location for the 2010 Spring Conference.

Explore what the Virginia State Parks have to offer.

A look back at how jobs were created through the building of America's State Park System.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy.

Virginia Beach is a great destination year round and First Landing State Park makes an excellent base for visiting that resort city and the surrounding cities.

Autumn is a great time to explore nature in Mason Neck State Park.

Although the smallest Virginia State Park, the Southwest Virginia Museum State Park is packed with facinating historical treasures worth taking the time to explore.

Apple Day, a Celebration of Appalachian Heritage at Douthat State Park is just around the corner on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Virginia State Parks Director Joe Elton was elected president of the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) at the NASPD annual meeting this week.

Innovative program that’s getting kids to check their sap buckets before checking their emails.

National Association of State Park Directors Honor Individuals for Enhancing Parks

Virgil S. Possum explores the Virginia State Parks and tells tales of his adventures.

MSNBC Profiles the Wildlife Center of Virginia. This video from MSNBC features the National Wildlife Federation's Doug Inkley:

Virginia State Parks soon to launch a great new program “Trail Quest – Explore Virginia State Parks One Step at a Time”.

Summer is the best time of year for star gazing, programs available at Belle Isle State Park.

Pocahontas Premieres featuring Page Wilson with Recklass Abandon, Marna & Macy and Li'l Ronnie and the Grand Dukes

Often overlooked in its importance to birds, the Piedmont provides valuable nesting, migration, and wintering habitats that are scarce in other parts of the state.

Take a Fall Bird Walk to Celebrate the Fifth Birthday of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail

Virginia State Parks Camping Tips

Director designate Jon Jarvis testified at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources yesterday morning. The text of his opening statement follows.

Activities At Bear Creek Lake State Park

Junior Ranger programs will continue this week at Occoneechee State Park. Students who attend all eight sessions will earn a Junior Ranger badge.

Butterfly found in Virginia State Parks

Kiptopeke will feature the Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Festival in September, and birdwatchers the world over will be on hand.

A new buoy system on the Chesapeake provides paddlers with real-time conditions as well as historic information.

The shallop is a handy boat that John Smith and those after him brought with them to Virginia.

Virginia is a state literally overflowing with things to do in the outdoors, yet not everyone takes advantage of the opportunities to get outdoors.

Fairy Stones State Park is so named for interesting geological formations

Several state parks offer moonlight canoe tours throughout the summer, offering a fun evening of nature and the stars.

Studies show that children are becoming more disconnected to the outdoors.  Learn about the causes and effects, and what some are doing to reverse the trend.

Virginia has more national parks and monuments than almost every other state in the U.S., and there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Moonlight canoe ride on the Staunton River

Mathews County, Rebecca Grow

George Klein Fishing Report, 04/16/2009

Canoist Lillie Gilbert takes an active roll in sharing knowledge about the coast backwaters of Virginia that she works to protect.