Is there something you have always wanted to try but have not yet done so? Now is the time, life is too short to put things off, get outside and visit one of your 35 Virginia State Parks and get ready for your next adventure!
Geocaching is great exercise, adventure and fun for the whole family!
Discovering the cache is always exciting
Sign the log book and add something to the cache before putting it back
Have you kayaked? Have you paddled a canoe?
Have you geocached (and hunted for hidden treasure the high tech way?)
Have you bought a new digital camera and not christened her yet?
Have you always wanted to volunteer but were not sure how?
Allow me share some information with you below to help plan your next getaway to aVirginia State Park. Don't make it too formal, don't get stuck in all the details, consider a spur of the moment getaway and just go for it!
Geocaching – The Mother Lode
Whether a seasoned geocacher or brand new to the hobby, you'll want to sign up for our 75th Anniversary Geocaching Adventure game. Take the whole family on modern-day treasure hunts and enjoy the great outdoors.
Here's how the game works. Geocaches containing Virginia State Parks history cards unique to each park have been stashed in all state parks. Collect a card each from five parks to get a special prize. There are prizes at the 10-park, 20-park and all-parks levels, too. Plus, each park has a few “wild cards.” They’re placed in caches throughout the year. If you're lucky and your timing's right, you'll snag one of these rare finds.
geocaching.com, where you can learn all about geocaching. (A free membership there is required.) The fun ends Dec. 15, 2011, so don't delay. Remember you can rent these units at many of the state park's visitor centers!
Canoe and Kayaking
Whether you prefer the open waters of the Atlantic, the quiet backwaters of the Chesapeake, or the rapids of the Little River, Virginia has a perfect setting for you to paddle! What you see along the way can range from a downtown daytrip view of Richmond to an all-things-natural extended tour in the secluded corners of the Commonwealth. Your everyday stress will drift away with each passing mile that you paddle on Virginia's abundant waterways. See which state parks offer this here.
Photography
Mountain vistas of the Appalachians! Birds aplenty at Kiptopeke State Park! Spring flowers in the Great Dismal Swamp! Fall colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains! Seaside sunrises on Chesapeake Bay! And history at every turn! If you're looking for a photographic subject, Virginia is jam packed with opportunity in almost any direction you go. Make sure you have plenty of battery life in your camera because you will surely need it in the Old Dominion!
Staunton River State Park is seeking your photographs – click here for more info.
VSP is holding it's first ever digital photography contest – click here for more info.
Volunteering
Stewardship Virginia. April 1-May 31 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31. Stewardship Virginia is a statewide initiative held twice annually to help citizens with projects that enhance and conserve Virginia's natural and cultural resources
Special Events
Click hereto for a full list of special events being held in our award-winning state parks.
Lastly, don't sweat the small stuff, get outside and have some fun!