The Art League of Marion invites you to attend a weekend of arts, crafts, entertainment and food.

Independence Day, an American holiday through and through!  A perfect excuse to gather the family and have a cookout, vacation on the beach, or visit one of the many historic areas in Virginia as we celebrate the birth of our great country!

Calling all children ages 10-12 for a week of fun, educational and entertaining activities as part of Wilderness Road State Park’s annual Junior Rangers program set for Monday, July 19 through Friday, July 23 from 9 am- 12 noon daily.

Take a walk on the wild side this 4th of July and enjoy America's beautiful outdoors!!

Surprises come in all different packages, this particular day the surprise came wrapped in bright blue eyes and a sweet smile!

We are revamping the interpretive information at False Cape State Park.  So far, we've changed the names of trails to reflect the park's cultural and natural history...

On Saturday, June 5, come down to the river for food, fun, and culture. This daylong event at will take place at Staunton River Battlefield State Park from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

It's the unofficial start of summer and one of the big three summer holidays so sometimes the reason for Memorial Day gets a little lost in our pursuit of summer happiness.

Wilderness Road State Park will host a special birding program on Saturday, June 5 at 1 pm, entitled Backyard Birds.

Saturday May 15th was a beautiful spring day and just perfect for Bear Creek Lake State Park's 70th Anniversary Celebration.

On Saturday my wife and I headed down to Occoneechee to attend the Native American Heritage Festival (Pow Wow).

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.

Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care.

Take a scenic tram ride through Back Bay national Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park to teh site of the historic Wash Woods community in what is now False Cape State Park.

Spring is nearing full bloom here at Wilderness Road State Park and thanks to the Odwalla Plant a Tree program, we are happy to be able to host ...

This year’s "Raid" at Martin's Station promises to be the best yet and will be held May 7-9, 2010 at Wilderness Road State Park.

Here at Wilderness Road State Park, we were just getting used to the cool morning turns to warm sunshine weather pattern that is Springtime in Southwest Virginia…

A warm 70-degree afternoon set the perfect Spring stage for our first-ever rain barrel workshop at Wilderness Road State Park

According to Wikipedia, "Cercis canadensis L. (Eastern Redbud) is a large shrub  or small tree native to eastern North America from Southern Ontario, Canada south to northern Florida."

When visiting the Hillsman Farm House Museum you’ll have the opportunity to see the results of the recent transformation from abandoned house to a museum.

In Part I of Turning a Farm House into a Museum we learned to accurately recreate the physical surroundings numerous primary sources exist to help us understand how the house was furnished following...

After extensive research and consulting with experts, the mystery of what the Hillsman farm house resembled in 1865 is close to being solved.

False Cape State Park sits on property that was once the Wash Woods community of Virginia.

History runs deep in the heart of Southwest Virginia, through the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky.

Plans are being finalized for a milestone event at Wilderness Road State Park.  This year mark's the 10th anniversary of the Raid at Martin's Station, the park's annual signature event that has...

Wilderness Road State Park is about as far as you can go in Virginia without leaving the State.

When you enter the new visitor center at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park you’ll have the opportunity to see a magnificent painting by Virginian, Sidney E. King.

Spring is just a short time away and many people are already planning their vegetable and flower gardens.  Their biggest obstacle throughout the year is water or, to be more precise, lack thereof.

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.

Virginia State Parks is home to a park whose black history dates back to the depression era and the civil rights movement of the 50s.

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.

Our Friends Groups are all about supporting our state parks. The Friends of Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park demonstrated their support for the park by donating funds they have raised in support of two important projects.

In this episode of The Civil War Day By Day we discuss the battle of Malvern Hill.

False Cape State Park is considered Virginia's Outer Banks.  It's barrier spit island stretches south from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Sandbridge, Virginia to the North Carolina border.

No place in America suffered civil war in more ways than did Virginia.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Happy Holidays to all our park visitors, reguar readers and folks who just stumble on this post. Enjoy this pictorial of Virginia State Park snow pictures!

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Karl Harris, who renovated "Karlan" bought the property sometime in the '50s.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

Besides a love for the great outdoors, it turned out I found a second love, the weather.

I also received a love of nature through a great upbringing by my parents and grandparents.

Nice title to chapter 2, could be a good television show someday.

The second great event in my life to help mold my career was when my Dad built us a cottage in the woods on Pymatuning Lake near Linesville, Pennsylvania the year I was born, as a place to escape the big city lights and noise of Cleveland.

Readers you are in for a treat as Tom Cervenak, Visitor Services and Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks, weaves the story of how he came to work for parks and what his career has been like.

As part of a new initiative, Virginia State Parks is using GPS technology to redesign our trail maps to more accurately reflect current conditions.

The Sixth Annual Foster Falls Festival of Lights was a huge success at New River Trail State Park this past Saturday, Dec. 5.

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!

Touring the Southwest Virginia Museum this time of year is like walking through a holiday wonderland.

Wilderness Road State Park will be offering magical and historical views of our most treasured of holidays, with a Christmas Past and Present on Dec. 4-5, 2009.

The Sixth Annual Foster Falls Festival of Lights at New River Trail State Park is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Foster Falls Village.

On Saturday, November 7, 2009, Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park will host “A Ceremony on Hallowed Ground” to commemorate Veterans Day.

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.

The Civil War In Virginia, hosted by Christopher Gowin and Bobby Wilcox. In this episode: The Emergence Of Robert E Lee.

©2009 VirginiaOutdoors.com

Discover an event 400 years in the making.

Come explore the rich history of Wilderness Road State Park

Discover the history of the Chippokes Plantation.

The history of how Leesylvania State Park came to be.

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

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

The Civil War In Virginia, hosted by Christopher Gowin and Bobby Wilcox. In this episode: The Battle of Bull Run.

©2009 VirginiaOutdoors.com

The Civil War In Virginia, hosted by Christopher Gowin and Bobby Wilcox. In this episode: Lincoln's decision to preserve the Union.

©2009 VirginiaOutdoors.net

The latest exhibit upgrade at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park mixes new technology with historic artifacts to give visitors an in-depth look at the story of coal mining in Southwest Virginia.

Captivating visitor's attention by utilizing state of the art storytellers and the latest in new media technology, the stories of Confederate and Union soldiers will bring history to life inside a dimensional set.

The Legend of the name of Hungry Mother State Park and the history of her creation.

A brand new visitor center will open at the historic Sailors Creek Battlefield State Park this summer.

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

Fairy Stones State Park is so named for interesting geological formations

The annual Raid at Martin's Station provides one of the most realistic historic reenactments in the country May 8-10.

Legend has it that a Union payroll of gold was buried near Fairfax and never recovered.  Could it still be there after all these years?

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

A plantation has been sacked; burnt to the ground with nothing left but ruins. Legend has it that the souls of the innocent still roam these woods every fall in search of revenge!

After this unspeakable accident years ago, they say the trainsman still roams the tracks at night waving a red lantern. What is his ghost trying to overcome?

The story of how the term Saved by the Bell originated.

The story of Rebecca's Revenge, a woman put to death in 1705 for practicing witchcraft, who is still haunting the area today.

The story of Richard's Haunted House, built in 1856 just prior to the Civil War and taken down in 1975 when all old, insignificant structures in the park were knocked down and destroyed by fire as the Parks facilities were being built.