Virginia National Parks

Virginia national parks are a paradise of cultural history for civil war history buffs! The state also tells the history of notable African American men and women, and early farming and colonial life. Nature lovers can catch glimpses of wild horses and spectacular seashores, drive "America’s favorite" parkway, relax in its urban parks or enjoy the only park dedicated to performing arts.

Visit These Virginia National Parks:

Appalachian National Scenic Trail: The People's Path, and America's First National Scenic Trail   "The body of the Trail is provided by the lands it traverses, and its soul is in the living stewardship of the volunteers and workers of the Appalachian Trail community."

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park: Here, in the parlor of the McLean home, on April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all United States forces effectively ending the Civil War.

Appomattox Weather

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial: Robert E. Lee once wrote that at Arlington House "my affections and attachments are more strongly place than at any other place in the world." Lee considered Arlington his home and spent many of the happiest occasions of his life here.

Arlington House Weather     Arlington House Ratings

Assateague Island National Seashore: Want to live on the edge? Visit a place recreated each day by ocean wind and waves. Life on Assateague Island has adapted to an existence on the move. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Rest, relax, recreate and enjoy some time on the edge of the continent.

Blue Ridge Parkway: A drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway is meant to be slow paced and relaxing. A stop at almost any overlook or trail will reveal much of the natural and cultural history here. The Parkway meanders 469 miles between Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, so explore the many communities along the way that make our region so special. Enjoy the view, but watch the road!

Booker T Washington National Monument: Booker T. Washington was once valued at a mere $400 on the Burroughs Farm.  Come explore the birthplace of the man who rose to be the voice of his race and found the great Tuskegee Institute. 

Booker T Washington Weather

Cape Henry Memorial: "HERE AT CAPE HENRY FIRST LANDED IN AMERICA, UPON 26 APRIL 1607, THOSE ENGLISH COLONISTS WHO, UPON 13 MAY 1607, ESTABLISHED AT JAMESTOWN VIRGINIA, THE FIRST PERMANENT ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA". Upon this inscription rest the granite cross erected by the National Society Daughters of the American Colonists on April 26, 1935, memorializing the wooden cross erected near this spot by the English colonists on April 26, 1935, memorializing the wooden cross erected near this spot by the English colonist in 1607.

Cape Henry Weather

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail: Imagine a world of deep, ancient forests, strong, proud people and water teeming with life. Such was the Chesapeake that Captain John Smith and his fellow travelers encountered on their journeys through this "goodly bay" and its rivers. Follow in the wake of Smith's journeys on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, America's first national water trail.

Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park preserves and interprets key historical sites and the rich cultural heritage of the Shenandoah Valley. At present there are no National Park Service operated visitor facilities. Instead, almost all park lands and buildings are owned and administered by the park's partners: local landowners, county governments, and nonprofit organizations.

Cedar Creek Weather

Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network: First thoughts of the Chesapeake Bay often bring up images of crabs and oysters. But, as the largest estuary in North America, the Chesapeake Bay has touched and influenced much of the American story - early settlement, commerce, the military, transportation, recreation and more.

Claude Moore Colonial Farm: Step back in time and experience life on a small farm in northern Virginia.  Living history programs and demonstrations offer a glimpse of what life was like for a poor farm family, just before the Revolutionary War.

Claude Moore Weather

Colonial National Historical Park: It began on the swampy marshes of Jamestown in 1607. It ended on the battle scarred landscape of Yorktown in 1781. It was one hundred and seventy-four years of hope, frustration, adventure, discovery, growth, and development that saw a lonely settlement of 104 men and boys grow into a nation of 13 colonies of 3 million people, of many races and many beliefs.

Colonial Park Weather

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park: Here is where the confrontations between Lee and Grant began.  Here is where Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded.  Here is where 100,000 Americans lay dead or wounded. Coe explore the intense battles.

Fredericksburg Spotsylvania Weather

George Washington Memorial Parkway: The US National Park Service built the Mount Vernon Trail in 1973 so visitors could better enjoy the diverse natural and historic areas along the Potomac River. Today, this foresight is appreciated by thousands who enjoy the trail for its many recreational opportunities. Please help us care for this park – for your pleasure and for future generations.

Netherlands Carillon: Near the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial stands a large bell tower, the Netherlands Carillon. This was a gift "From the People of the Netherlands to the People of the United States" in gratitude for American aid during and after World War II. The carillon symbolizes and is dedicated to the friendship between two countries and their common allegiance to the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy.

George Washington Parkway Weather     George Washington Parkway Ratings

George Washington Birthplace National Monument: Come explore the early life of George Washington, and see how he was a passionate farmer and reluctant leader.   

George Washington Birthplace Weather

Great Falls Park: Welcome to Great Falls, Virginia. Here, near the Nation’s Capital, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through a narrow gorge. This dramatic scene makes the falls and Mather Gorge, named for the first National Park Service director, Stephen T. Mather, a popular site with local residents and with tourists from around the world.

Great Falls Weather     Great Falls Ratings

Green Springs: Green Springs National Historic Landmark District encompasses over 14,000 acres in the piedmont of central Virginia. The homes and farms are a continuum of Virginia rural vernacular architecture, reflective and respectful of their location, preserved in their original context with little alteration. Here the landscape has been enhanced, rather than despoiled, by the presence of civilization.

Green Springs Weather

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park: A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields.

Jamestown National Historic Site: Come, walk in the steps of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas as we explore America's beginnings. Here is where the successful English colonization of North America began.  Here is where the first English representative government met and where the first arrival of Africans to English North American was recorded in 1619. Jamestown, the Beginning of America.

Jamestown Weather

Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac: Formerly known as Columbia Island, this park was renamed in honor of Lady Bird Johnson and her campaign to beautify Washington D.C. The Grove, a site chosen by Lady Bird herself, is the site that the Johnsons often stopped to admire the city. Today, the Grove is relaxing spot for people to watch the river, view Washington D.C., and to recreate.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Weather

Maggie L Walker National Historic Site: Maggie L. Walker was already famous as a dynamic leader in Richmond’s black community when she and her family moved to 110 ½ East Leigh Street in 1904. She had devoted more than 20 years to the Independent Order of St. Luke and had founded a newspaper and chartered a bank.

Maggie L Walker Weather

Manassas National Battlefield Park: In the summer of 1861, enthusiastic volunteers in colorful uniforms gathered to fight the first major land battle of the war. Confident that their foes would turn and run, neither side anticipated the smoke, din and death of battle. Nearly one year later, both sides met again on the same battlefield with the Confederates winning a solid victory bringing them to the height of their power.

Manassas Weather

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail: The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail travels through VA, TN, NC & SC, retracing the route of patriot militia as they tracked down the British. Eventually the two forces clashed, ending in patriot victory at the battle of Kings Mountain. The trail is still under development through partnerships, but the public has many places to visit and walk today.

Petersburg National Battlefield: "Dear Mother, we remained in the broiling sun in little pits the size of a common grave though not half so well furnished. There we lay and everytime a man Show his head Zip would come a minnie." This pressure was central to a soldier's experience in a siege 292 days and 37 miles long. Here, Union forces slowly cut off Petersburg from the world and brought the fall of the Confederacy.

Petersburg Weather

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail: Linking the Potomac and upper Ohio river basins from Chesapeake Bay and Potomac tidewater to the Allegheny Highlands, this national scenic trail network lets you retrace – by foot, bicycle, horse, or boat – the corridor George Washington explored as essential to U.S. national development.

Prince William Forest Park: Once the land here was bountiful, and the water that ran through it was pure. Algonquin-speaking Native Americans, who had lived in the region for thousands of years, hunted, fished, and raised crops. Then, in 1607, Europeans came to Virginia – and things began to change.

Prince William Weather

Richmond National Battlefield Park: Richmond's story is not just the tale of one large Civil War battle, nor even one important campaign. Instead, the park's resources include a naval battle, a key industrial complex, the Confederacy's largest hospital, dozens of miles of elaborate original fortifications, and the evocative spots where determined soldiers stood paces apart and fought with rifles, reaping a staggering human cost.

Richmond Weather

Shenandoah National Park: Gazing across the horizon from the peaks of Shenandoah National Park it's hard to believe you are just 75 miles from the bustle of our nation’s capital. Take Skyline Drive along the crest of the mountains through the woods and past spectacular vistas. Hike in the shade of oak trees along the Appalachian Trail, discover the stories from Shenandoah’s past, or just relax in the wonder of wilderness.

Shenandoah Weather

Theodore Roosevelt Island Park: One of Theodore Roosevelt's greatest legacies was his dedication to conservation. Today, this island stands as a fitting memorial to the outdoorsman, naturalist, and visionary who was our 26th President.

Theodore Roosevelt Island Weather

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts: Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts began as a gift to the American people from Catherine Filene Shouse. Encroaching roads and suburbs inspired Mrs. Shouse to preserve this former farm as a park where people could find spiritual nourishment in the peacefulness of nature and in the performing arts.

Wolf Trap Weather

Yorktown National Cemetery: On October 19, 1781, a British army under General Charles Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington's combined American and French army. Upon hearing of their defeat, British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is reputed to have said, "Oh God, it's all over." And it was. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history.

Yorktown Weather