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

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

I had one of those dream childhood experiences - I had my own horse. In my memories my horse, named King (yes, after the horse in the National Velvet TV series) looked like the TV King or Black Beauty or Flicka of some other beautiful stallon.

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!

Sky Meadows State Park is one of the most unique of Virginia State Parks.

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

The Mechanicsville Riding Club has embraced the Tread Lightly! concept and is working with James River State Park to promote a good conservation ethic with all visiting equestrians.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

Saturday, May 8th, from 8-11 PM there is another opportunity to experience one of Sky Meadows State Park most popular and entertaining programs- Astronomy for Everyone.

State Parks Director Joe Elton talks with staff from Virginia’s National Award Winning State Parks. In this episode, Joe talks Tim Skinner, park manager at Sky Meadows State Park.

On April 24th Cub Scout Pack 962 demonstrated their dedication to the Earth by planting five new trees at Sky Meadows State Park.

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

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.

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

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?

Fairy Stone State Park recently finished construction of a new trail.

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!

Our family LOVES a relaxing week at Claytor Lake.

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.

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.

Virginia State Parks staff met with representatives of the Halifax Saddle Club at Staunton River State Park to discuss approved funding for an equestrian campground.

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.

Presentation to 8th grade students to demonstrate the vast array of options available for careers in and around the equine industry.

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

Being an avid horse person my entire life, during a family vacation to Virginia, a highlight of our trip was to Grayson Highlands State Park.

Activities At Bear Creek Lake State Park

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

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