Explore the Wild
With over 1,000 wild places to explore to your heart’s content, Explore the Wild is your online tool to find the best public lands in Virginia to hunt, fish, boat, paddle, view wildlife, hike, and go primitive camping!
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Celebrate 15 Years of the Winter Wildlife Festival!
Over 15 years, the Winter Wildlife Festival has grown in its length and offerings and now spans nine days of wildlife viewing, education, and fun.
Virginia Angler Breaks 30-Year State Rainbow Trout Record
A normal day of fishing turned into a historic one for Grant Bentz when he landed a new Virginia state record rainbow trout, breaking a 30-year-old record.
2025 DWR Archery Open: You Are Invited!
Join us at the DWR Archery Open! Event proceeds will contribute to connecting people to conservation.
Conserve. Connect. Protect.
DWR has been a steward of the outdoors since 1916, leading in wildlife conservation and inspiring people to value the outdoors and their role in nature.
How Do We Fund What We Do?
You might be surprised to know that Virginia DWR is primarily funded from sources other than Virginia general tax dollars.
A lot of our funding to help conserve wildlife and habitat comes from public spending on things like fishing and hunting licenses, tags, or stamps, boat registrations, and via a federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.
Those sources of financial support have helped us protect hundreds of species and their habitat for over 100 years, but there’s always more we can do for Virginia’s wildlife. That’s where you come in. You too can become a steward of the outdoors by supporting our work or working with us — whether you hunt, fish, and boat or simply enjoy the outdoors.
How You Can Help
