Virginia State Parks

Cruising Together

Explore Smith Mountain Lake aboard a 19th-century replica sidewheeler. If you want to relax and enjoy a dramatic Blue Ridge Mountain backdrop from the water, there’s hardly a better vessel than the 19th-century replica sidewheeler operated by Virginia Dare Cruises & Marina on Smith Mountain Lake. A cruise on the 63-foot-long boat takes […]

by Markus Schmidt

Diving In

Where to safely make some waves this summer.

by Staff

Curing Cabin Fever

Where to go and what to do (safely) over Memorial Day Weekend.

by Markus Schmidt

Snow Birds

In cold-weather months, golden eagles soar high above Virginia’s western mountains.

by caroline kettlewell

Hungry for More

Tricia Pearsall takes us on a journey to Hungry Mother State Park in Smyth County, one of Virginia’s six original state parks.

by tricia pearsall

All-Terrain

Thanks to our wildly divergent geography, we Virginians get to do it all in the great outdoors. Join us as we meet some of each region’s most devoted sportsmen who boulder, fish, kayak, mountain bike, race and surf their way to recreational bliss.

by Sandra Shelley

Nothing to See Here

Why I don’t want Virginia’s newest state park to get any press.

by Robert Nelson

The Weekender: Virginia Beach

A year-round hotspot.

by Staff

High Times

With the completion of the High Bridge Trail State Park, a promise has been fulfilled.

by tricia pearsall

State Parks Celebrate

The Virginia State Parks System—opened in 1936 in the midst of the Great Depression—turned 75 this year.

by Meredith Rigsby

Cakes & Trails

It is the 75th Anniversary of Virginia State Parks.

by Christine Stoddard

Rock Hopping

There are few better getaways than a jaunt on the Appalachian Trail. It’s the most famous hiking corridor in America, and there is more of it in Virginia than any other state. Joe Tennis spent two days near Grayson Highlands State Park.

by tennis joe

Events

May 28, 2025

May – June @ Art Works!

Art Works

May 28, 2025

Flute Frenzy’s ‘Overture’ Flute Class

May 29, 2025

47th Annual Richmond Greek Festival

Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Most Popular

A New Experience at the Virginia Scenic Railway

Virginia Scenic Railway Adds Dome Car for Spectacular Valley Views The popular Virginia Scenic Railway just upped its game with a vintage dome car offering breathtaking 360° views of the Shenandoah Valley. The “Shenandoah”—built in 1948 as the “Silver Palace” for the California Zephyr—now gives passengers an unmatched vantage point on three-hour excursions from Staunton. […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Eight Virginia schools received the National Blue Ribbon 2024 award for their high performances. The Exemplary High Performing Schools are Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Bethel Manor Elementary in Hampton, and St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are Central Academy Middle […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Williamsburg Archaeologists Uncover Secret Garden

In Colonial America, a grand garden was the ultimate status symbol—the 18th century equivalent of a Lamborghini. So when archaeologists at Colonial Williamsburg uncovered John Custis IV’s property, they struck horticultural gold: the remains of a football field-sized garden alongside his Jacobean manor house. Custis, a tobacco magnate and Martha Washington’s first father-in-law, went all […]

by Madeline Mayhood