High Bridge Trail State Park has opened a six mile section of the trail from Rice’s Depot Road to Burkeville.

Whether in the bright morning sun, the soft colors of sunset or the quiet of a full moon, kayaking at Caledon is at its best.

Geocaching (Gee-oh-Cash-ing) is hide and seek for treasure at Virginia State Parks!

Molly's Knob at Hungry Mother State Park was a 1.9 mile strenuous hike up, then add on the Vista Trail 0.4 mile and this was the reward!

Enjoy the waning days of summer at False Cape's Sunset and Early Bird kayak paddling programs.

Free night hikes are offered on Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

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

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.

On Saturday, June 19th, Chippokes Plantation State Park will host "James River Day" featuring stewardship activities, beach clean ups, canoe trips, and wagon rides.  Don't forget sunscreen, bug spray, a bag lunch, and bottled water!!

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.

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.

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

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.

Did you know that Mason Neck State Park has six canoes, four solo (one-passenger) kayaks and two tandem (two-passenger) kayaks available for rental from April through October?

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!

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.

Discover Shenandoah at Parkfest!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

A trip to the beach or manual labor doing work around a Virginia State Park?  That is the choice 11 college students are making for their spring break this year.

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.

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

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?

Virginia State Parks has something for everyone when it comes to planning a wedding.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

State Parks Director Joe Elton talks with staff from Virginia’s National Award Winning State Parks.

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.

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

Kayaking the Potomac River from Westmoreland State Park

Activities At Bear Creek Lake State Park

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

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

Folks don't often spend time outdoors unless someone first takes them under their wing and shows it to them.

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

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

Moonlight canoe ride on the Staunton River

Mathews County, Rebecca Grow

A crew of ten participants were chosen from current high school students 14 to 17 years-old who demonstrated an interest in protecting Virginia’s environment.

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