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!

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!

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.

Our cousins arrived in Virginia from cold blustery Ireland (Yes summertime in Ireland!) just in time to enjoy Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

False Cape State Park is offering some great paddling programs for all levels of ability.

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.

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...

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.

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.

First let me introduce myself, Moose here, a basset hound born & bred in Cumberland County who moved to the big city of Richmond to reign over the West family.

June is National Get Outdoors Month and after the record setting Memorial Day weekend we had, it is clear folks are ready for a great summer playing outdoors!

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.

A few years back I took my girlfriend's son on his first camping trip to Westmoreland State Park.

On Saturday, June 5, 2010, High Bridge Trail State Park will host the 2nd Annual National Trails Day Celebration in celebration of American Hiking Society’s 18th Annual National Trails Day.

With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, the unofficial kickoff of summer is here and with it comes camping.

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

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.

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

Saturday, May 22, 2010, is the park’s newest special event, The Night Owl.  The Night Owl is a mountain bike race with a different twist, it begins at 9:00 PM.

Discover Shenandoah at Parkfest!

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.

On Saturday, May 15, 2010 from 7:30pm-10:30pm False Cape will offer a new program called, "Stargazing and Owl Hoot." 

Kick off the summer at the York River State Park Outdoor Expo.

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.

Want to do something fun and unique for your mom for Mother's Day? Bring her to Holliday Lake State Park on Saturday, May 8, for our 11:00 am Wildflower Hike.

As the weather warms up, there are lots of things to do here at Mason Neck State Park.

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

Find out how coastal plants were used by American Indians for fiber, food, and other crafts.

False Cape State Park staff will conduct a guided exploration of Back Bay and its marshes during the evening sunset hours.

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.

Saturday, May 8 from 10am-2pm False Cape State Park is offering a "Shell & Tell" seashell program.  False Cape boasts an incredible treasure trove of huge whelk, oyster, and moon snail shells.

Virginia State Parks Director Joe Elton attended the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors on April 16, 2010.

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.

Discover ways to find directions using nature as a guide, learn how to use a compass, and how to use a GPS as a wayfinding tool.

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

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.

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.

Spring comes early on the coast and with many plants have begun to grow and bloom at False Cape State Park.

Catch a glimpse of spring along the coastal forest during the "Back Bay Kayak Paddle" hosted by False Cape State Park on Sunday, April 4 from 3pm-6pm.

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.

What is 57 miles long and parallels an American Heritage River for 39 miles? New River Trail State Park.

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.

A few weeks ago, False Cape Park Manager Kyle Barbour snapped this beautiful picture of an elusive coyote that has been living in the park.

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...

There's nothing like the chaos and traffic of the Washington D.C. and northern Virginia area to leave residents screaming for a good dose of nature ...

Goodbye Old Man Winter, boy you were tough this year.

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.

I know it's almost spring because a glance at our events database show the beginning of our canoe and kayak programs.

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.

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.

Come on out to False Cape for an outdoor adventure in a wild winter wonderland.

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?

The Great White Egret is the symbol of the National Audobon Society and represents the regal beauty of all bird species.

False Cape State Park offers some of the most unique landscape and wildlife viewing opportunities in Virginia.

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

Macro photography--artistic close-ups of insects, plants, flowers--has become quite popular in the photography world with new digital stabilization technology and macro lenses for digital cameras.

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

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.

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

Sure, it's cold outside here in Virginia.  It's cold at Holliday Lake State Park, but things are happening here!

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

Make it a False Cape State Park Wildlife Winter Wonderland Weekend! (Say that 10 times fast)

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Our family LOVES a relaxing week at Claytor Lake.

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.

Hundreds of visitors traveled to Wilderness Road State Park on December 4th and 5th to witness Christmas Past and Present, a unique look at our most popular holiday.

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

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.

An additional six miles of trail are now open at High Bridge Trail State Park, a perfect place for hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders  to enjoy the beauty of Central Virginia.

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

The Friends of Hungry Mother will again be sponsoring Hungry Mother State Park’s Fall Fear Bike Race on Oct 24, 2009.

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.

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

©2009 VirginiaOutdoors.com

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Activities At Bear Creek Lake State Park

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?

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

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

The Foundation announced that it has received a commitment of $110,000 from the Dominion Foundation to install electronic kiosks at the new trailheads to enhance the quality of the biking experience for future trail users.

Mathews County, Rebecca Grow

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.