The Northern Copperhead is one of three venomous snakes in Virginia (the others being the Canebrake and the Cottonmouth).

I was at York River State Park strolling along the river and snapped this photo of a Grass Spider, also known as a Funnel Weaver.

This past June, 7 students and 2 staff left the Cove Ridge Center at Natural Tunnel State Park, heading off on the annual Virginia Is For Students Tour 2010.

Part of my work here at Chippokes Plantation State Park is mapping out where different species of trees are located, with a special focus on finding the invasive ones.

The new Trail Center at First Landing State Park is under construction.  As a LEED-certified "green" building, recycling of any useable materials from the old building was a priority.

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

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.

American cellist, pianist, and composer Dave Eggar will be appearing at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, on Tuesday, June 29.

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.

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

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.

The Hillsman Farm House Museum located at Sailor’s Creek Historical State Park will be open during the summer starting Wednesday, June 2nd.

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.

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!! 

You load up a pile of firewood in your truck and haul it to your campsite to burn during your stay. Sounds like a cost saving idea since the park will charge you for wood.

Interested in Virginia's reptiles and amphibians? This fun new "A Look Outside" series of videos tracks a group of cub scouts as they learn about spotted salamanders, canebrake rattlesnakes, wood turtles and more!

Interested in Virginia's reptiles and amphibians? This fun new "A Look Outside" series of videos tracks a group of cub scouts as they learn about spotted salamanders, canebrake rattlesnakes, wood turtles and more!

A healthy and feisty Bald Eagle is released on April 13th by Ed Clark, President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

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.

After researching Odwalla's Plant a Tree program I thought maybe I should share some of the benefits of trees to everyone.

As a child I enjoyed crocheting. It probably started with one of those pot holder weaving kits when I was even younger, but I enjoyed the feel of the yarn and the satisfaction of being creative.

On Friday, April 23rd, participants from Bear Creek Academy, the Friends Of Bear Creek Lake State Park, and park staff worked together to plant five trees in Bear Creek Lake State Park's picnic area.

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.

The weather at Belle Isle State Park on Friday, April 23 was perfect for about 180 kids to celebrate Earth Day. This event was held in conjunction with the Chesapeake Bay Governors School.

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

Last weekend twenty-four educators became the students at Leesylvania State Park. Chief Ranger Sarah Phillips, organized the teacher training event and invited local teachers to participate.

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.

The Friends of Bear Creek Lake State Park is one of Virginia State Parks newest Friends group.

On May 15, Bear Creek Lake State Park will celebrate its 70th Anniversary along with the grand opening of the newly renovated trail system.

Many thanks to Odwalla and those who took part in its 2009 Plant a Tree program.

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Holliday Lake State Park celebrated Earth Day with a special tree planting ceremony.

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

A little bad weather didn’t stop the volunteers at Leesylvania State Park from doing their best for Earth Day.

On Thursday, April 22, members of the Friends of Hungry Mother and a local home-school group met with staff of Hungry Mother State Park to plant trees in honor of Earth Day.

I am the Marketing Manager for Virginia State Parks and was asked by Fort A.P. Hill to come to their Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 22 to share with school groups and military families some...

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

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.

I could not think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day than spending the afternoon with Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell and students in the park planting trees.

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

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 ...

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.

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.

The Friends of Pocahontas State Park will host a weekend-long volunteer event Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th at Pocahontas State Park.

Odwalla donates funds to purchase trees in area State Parks through a national internet competition in which Virginia State Parks came in second.

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…

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.

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

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

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

When many people think of a quilt, they envision something that you throw on a bed to help keep warm on a wintery night or something you cuddle up under when you’re under the weather.

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

Jim and Patti Gerhart, members of the Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park, submitted this great story

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

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."

Of course, since I'm a native Virginian, I already knew that the Dogwood is the state flower and tree of Virginia.

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.

Another installment in Caledon Natural Area's Volunteer Bob as he works to keep the shoreline clean

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...

Spring weather is finally here at Mason Neck State Park, and with warmer days we see not only more park visitors but more park wildlife.  We also see many visitors exploring nature for the first time.

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.

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

National Tourism Week is May 8-16, 2010 and as part of the celebration, the City of Virginia Beach is hosting the Virginia Beach National Tourism Week Hospitality Awards on Friday, May 7th.

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...

It is the 77th anniversary of the Virginia Garden Club premier event: Historic Garden Week.  Once again, Chippokes Plantation State Park in Surry, Virginia will be a featured site during the event

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

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.

I love electricity, it powers just about everything I do at home and allows me to keep working well past dark. My kids love it too, they watch television, play video games, use the computer, etc.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The crew at Shenandoah River State Park has got to be looking forward to spring!

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.

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.

As Winter sets in I can’t help but reflect how quickly Fall passed. As with each season there are always regrets and always delights to be tucked away.

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

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

The Virginia Master Naturalist Program is a statewide corps of volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities.

With generous donations of $1,500 from Tidewater Striders Running Club and $2,500 from Tidewater Fibre Corporation, First Landing State Park has installed a multi-functional drinking fountain at the 64th Street/Narrows entrance parking area.

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

Governor Kaine announced that his ambitious goal to conserve 400,000 acres in the Commonwealth was reached at the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center near Charlottesville on Friday, January 8th.

The Biscuit Run property in Albemarle County has been acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia for $9.8 million for use as a future state park.

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.

A discussion with Lynn Davis about the Virginia Association For Parks.

Thanks to the 2002 State Parks and Natural Area Bond, we have had a number of new and significantly remodeled visitor centers opening.

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

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.

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.

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

Douthat State Park is offering an ornament making contest for students through Monday, December 14, 2009.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Discover an event 400 years in the making.

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

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.

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.

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

26 state park volunteers participating, two fantastic canoe companies, our Park's chief ranger and two other rangers, and even an ace reporter from the Warren County report collected 1340 lb of trash from the river.

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

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.

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

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.

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

National Park Service and Virginia State Parks getting together to take on the collective challenge to get our children and families in to the outdoors.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Interested in Virginia's reptiles and amphibians? This fun new "A Look Outside" series of videos tracks a group of cub scouts as they learn about spotted salamanders, canebrake rattlesnakes, wood turtles and more!