Virginia in the winter is proof that state parks are a four-season experience — and that “winter” means something different depending on where you are in the state.
At the beach in Virginia Beach, it can be sunny and mild. In the mountains at Sky Meadows, you might be hiking through fresh snow. And everywhere in between, Virginia State Parks are putting on some of the most thoughtful seasonal programming in the country — owl prowls after dark, wreath making in the forest, birding for beginners, luminary hikes at Natural Bridge, and First Day Hikes on January 1st at every single park in the system.
Katie Shephard — Chief of Education and Interpretation for Virginia State Parks — joins me to walk through everything happening this winter and how to find what’s closest to you.
A note from Missy: I did wreath making this year for the first time and it was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. If you’re in Virginia and you haven’t explored your state parks in winter, this episode is your sign. Katie also reminded me that First Day Hikes are free — no parking fee on January 1st. It doesn’t get easier than that.
Episode Guest
Katie Shephard, Chief of Education and Interpretation
Virginia State Parks
Show Notes & Links
- Virginia State Parks website: dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks
- First Day Hikes: January 1st — free entry, guided hikes at all parks
- Luminary Nights at Natural Bridge — advance registration required; fills quickly
- Owl Prowls: James River State Park and Holiday Lake State Park — check calendar
- Park Explorer App — find events near you
- America’s State Parks First Day Hikes: stateparks.org
Episode Transcript
Winter in the Parks: Virginia State Parks
The Parks Podcast, Episode 54 | Katie Shephard, Chief of Education and Interpretation, Virginia State Parks
Winter Activities Across Virginia State Parks
Missy Rentz: As we continue to celebrate winter in the parks, today we are catching up with Virginia State Parks. I’m excited to welcome Katie Shephard to The Parks Podcast. Katie is the Chief of Education and Interpretation for Virginia State Parks. Katie, welcome to The Parks Podcast.
Katie Shephard: Thanks so much for having me. I’m excited to talk to you today.
Missy: It’s extra kind of seasonal to talk to you about wintering in the parks because you and I are in Richmond, Virginia, and we are in the middle of a snowstorm.
Katie: Yes, it is snowing right outside my window. I tried to find a nice snowy background and could not.
Missy: Virginia State Parks are brimming with activities this holiday season. Visiting parks is so unique in the wintertime, and I know, being a Virginian, I was looking at all the things going on and I’m thrilled and excited about it. But I want to talk to you a little bit about what people can expect all around Virginia this holiday season, but also throughout the winter.
Katie: Yeah, we have tons of activities in Virginia State Parks that go on in the winter. I think winter is one of my favorite times to visit parks. I love a winter landscape in our forests and it’s just a great time to go out and take a hike and check out all of these events. We have holiday events, things for people that like to experience nature in the winter, and there’s just a lot to choose from.
Missy: And there are guided hikes — you can certainly go to Virginia State Parks events — but also the Parks Podcast has a whole blog post on what’s happening in Virginia. There are guided hikes, lights, some conservation, some historic programming. Can you give us just a little bit about what we can expect around the state?
Katie: Sure, absolutely. There’s a little something for everyone. Just a few things to highlight — we do have a lot of holiday programming. A lot of parks put on light shows. We’ve got Lighting of the Bridge at Staunton River Battlefield State Park, Lighting of the Tunnel at Natural Tunnel State Park, Lights at the Lake at Bear Creek Lake State Park. So lots of lights to choose from. But we also have a lot of natural programming as well. Some of our parks have winter wreath workshops where you can bring a little bit of nature home for your holiday decor. We have winter solstice hikes, and winter’s also a great time for birding. A lot of our parks feature Birding 101 programming. Wide Water State Park and Ferry Stone State Park have birding for beginner hikes — so if you’re just learning how to use all your equipment and learning how to identify birds, that’s a great opportunity. And then since we are in winter and it gets dark a little earlier, it makes it really easy to join one of our Owl Prowl programs. You can go out and listen and look for owls in our parks. It’s great to be at the park after dark and you don’t have to stay until 10 o’clock at night — we can do those programs around 6:00 PM when it starts to get dark and the forest comes alive with nightlife.
What Is an Owl Prowl?
Missy: What is the Owl Prowl?
Katie: It’s generally a short hike where you learn about owls. The ranger often has a device where they can call owls. Owls are very vocal and sometimes you don’t see them but you hear them. And so it’s a great opportunity to be out in our parks after dark with a ranger on a trail and just experience some things you might not get to see otherwise.
Missy: That’s one I might need to actually check out for myself because owls are one of those — I’m sure I’ve heard them and don’t realize it, but I’ve not seen one yet. And I just want to learn more about them because I think they’re so intriguing when you’re out in nature. I feel like it’s good luck if I see an owl.
Katie: Absolutely. I know this winter, James River State Park and Holiday Lake State Park are both doing Owl Prowls. I saw those both on the calendar a couple of times throughout December and January. So definitely check those out. I remember my first time giving an interpretive owl prowl — I used to work at Douthat State Park — and the first time an owl flew in and landed in a tree right over top of our group, it was just magical. I definitely remember that moment. It was a little screech owl. It was great.
Missy: Oh, that’s so cool. One of the events that is happening that I might give a whirl is the Luminary Nights at Natural Bridge. Natural Bridge is pretty spectacular anyway, and the pictures from previous years just look really stunning.
Katie: It is very cool. I went last year and checked it out — it is magical. The bridge is all lit up, you’re hiking along the trail by luminary, they have campfires and cocoa. It’s a great experience. Some nights they do a horse-drawn carriage. It amazes me they can fit that down the trail, but it works. You do have to register in advance, and I would guess those seats go pretty quickly. So you definitely want to check those dates now.
Virginia’s Diverse Winter Landscape
Missy: In states like Virginia, the weather is diverse. Richmond is getting snow right now — we don’t get snow this time of year very often, so it’s particularly special. But you have the snowy mountains and you also have the beach, where it can be sunny and warm in winter. So there really is a little bit of something for everyone depending on where you are.
Katie: There is. Just depending on where you go, you might be hiking in the mountains and see snow, or down at the beach and have some nice sun. The best example of that is our First Day Hikes. I have given First Day Hikes in the teens, bundled up, where everybody’s cold but still excited to be there. But I’ve also given them on beautiful, sunny, 60-degree days.
First Day Hikes — January 1st
Missy: Virginia is a state that really embraces First Day Hikes — the initiative our state parks throughout the country use to encourage people to spend January 1st going out on a hike. You have things going on at almost all of the state parks. What can people expect on January 1st?
Katie: Absolutely. First Day Hikes is an initiative of America’s State Parks, which is an organization that supports all state park systems across the country. We do have activities going on at all of our parks — even our brand new state park, Hayfields State Park, which just opened in September, has a First Day Hike planned. Each park is a little bit different. Some parks offer multiple hikes because they have big crowds and want to accommodate everybody. Some parks have self-guided hiking opportunities. But January 1st is a free day to visit our Virginia State Parks — no parking fee. People can go out and join one of the guided hikes. Some require advance registration, which you can find on our website. Some you can just show up and enjoy the hike and learn a little bit about the park or the history of the area, and just start the year off on your right foot.
Missy: And I love that because after the holidays — you have the hustle and bustle that right now we’re all looking forward to — but afterwards it’s nice to get back outside and move our bodies and start the year off on this good note.
Katie: Absolutely. It’s one of my favorite activities that we do throughout the year. Before I took this position, I worked at Belle Isle State Park for about 10 years, and I just saw the same families come back every year. It was a tradition for them, and that is really cool.
Self-Guided Activities, Accessibility, and Junior Rangers
Missy: Katie, we’ve talked a lot about what’s going on for the holidays and First Day Hikes. What else is happening in Virginia this winter that we should be aware of?
Katie: So we’ve talked a lot about our ranger-guided opportunities, but there’s also a lot of self-guided opportunities. So if you just want to be out in our parks but need an activity for your kids while you’re there, we offer junior ranger booklets, park packs that you can check out, scavenger hunts. New River Trail State Park just opened a new track trail — a guided brochure you can use as you walk along the trail. So even if our guided schedule doesn’t work for you, you can still come out to our parks and have a lot of fun.
Missy: One other thing I want to bring up — a high priority of Virginia Parks is accessibility. There’s something out there for everyone, whether it’s accessibility or mobility issues.
Katie: There are. We launched our track trails program in the last year. If you have mobility needs, there are six of our parks that offer assistive devices that help you get out on our trails. We have accessible trails throughout our park system — trails that are easier, paved, good for wheelchairs. So there’s a lot of options.
Missy: I’m excited to be in Virginia for this winter to experience it, and I hope all of you Virginians — or those who are coming to celebrate — make it to one of our amazing state parks. You can find out all of this information on the Virginia State Parks website or visit TheParksPodcast.com. We have a Winter in the Parks blog that links to every state’s activities. Katie, thank you for updating us and letting us know what’s going on in Virginia. I think it’s gonna be really exciting here.
Katie: Thanks for having me.
Missy: Thanks for joining us today. Happy holidays to you, Katie, and happy holidays to you listeners. Until next time — we’ll see you in the parks.
Music for The Parks Podcast is performed and produced by Porter Hardy. Follow us @TheParksPodcast or visit TheParksPodcast.com.