Virginia National Park Sites

Virginia’s National Park Service sites range from mountain roads and forest trails to battlefields, historic neighborhoods and Chesapeake Bay landmarks. “National parks” is often used as shorthand: the National Park Service’s Virginia list includes places with many different designations, as well as multi-state trails and parks. Use the list below to find a starting point, then check the official NPS page for current alerts, access, events and planning details before you go.

Choose a park experience

Virginia’s NPS sites are not all the same kind of destination. Some are landscapes designed for a scenic drive or outdoor day; others preserve particular places and stories. Trails, parkways and historic routes may cross state lines, so a Virginia listing does not necessarily mean the whole site is within the Commonwealth.

Shenandoah National Park
Mountain scenery, waterfalls, wooded hollows and the Skyline Drive corridor in the Blue Ridge.

Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
A slower-paced mountain drive with overlooks and opportunities to explore along the route.

Great Falls Park
See the Potomac River’s powerful falls and Mather Gorge, with the historic Patowmack Canal nearby.

Prince William Forest Park
A Northern Virginia landscape of woods and streams, with opportunities for hiking, biking and camping.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
A national park where the visitor experience includes outdoor performances as well as the park setting.

History, memory and historic landscapes

The NPS list includes sites connected with the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, early English colonization, African American history and the lives of notable Virginians. Their designations and visitor experiences differ: some are large landscapes with multiple locations, while others focus on a particular home, battlefield or historic district.

• Colonial National Historical Park links the story of Jamestown with Yorktown Battlefield, where the British surrender in 1781 effectively ended the Revolutionary War.
• Appomattox Court House National Historical Park preserves the village where the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered in April 1865.
• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park encompasses the battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania.
• Manassas National Battlefield Park interprets the two major Civil War battles fought at Manassas, also known as Bull Run.
• Petersburg National Battlefield preserves sites associated with the long Siege of Petersburg and its impact on the war.
• Richmond National Battlefield Park includes sites associated with Richmond’s role as the Confederate capital and a center of wartime industry and military action.
• Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park brings together the Shenandoah Valley’s agricultural landscape and Civil War history.
• Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site preserves the Richmond home of the civil rights leader, businesswoman and newspaper editor.
• Booker T. Washington National Monument interprets the birthplace and early life of Booker T. Washington.
• Fort Monroe National Monument tells stories spanning Indigenous presence, colonial history, slavery, escape and freedom, and the site’s later military role.
• George Washington Birthplace National Monument preserves the Northern Neck landscape associated with the Washington family and George Washington’s birth.
• Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial is a place for exploring difficult themes including slavery, freedom, citizenship and the Civil War.

The NPS also lists Green Springs National Historic Landmark District, a rural Piedmont landscape of farms and historic buildings that is privately owned and viewed from public roads. It is not a conventional visitor attraction; respect property boundaries and follow posted signs.

Trails, parkways and multi-state sites

Some NPS experiences are best understood as routes or networks rather than single destinations. The Appalachian Trail in Virginia is part of a trail managed with multiple partners, while the George Washington Memorial Parkway connects parkland, trails and historic places in the Washington metropolitan area. The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail also extend beyond Virginia.

Other multi-state sites with Virginia connections include Assateague Island National Seashore, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. For these places, check the relevant NPS site to identify the Virginia-area locations and understand how the broader park or route is organized.

Plan your visit

Start with the NPS Virginia directory and follow its link to the specific park or trail. Check current alerts and conditions, maps, calendars and basic information before setting out; hours, road access, facilities, programs and seasonal conditions vary by site and can change. For a multi-site park or long-distance route, use the individual site’s maps and planning guidance to choose a manageable stop or segment.

A few sites are especially easy to pair with nearby Virginia destinations: Yorktown Battlefield with Yorktown, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia; Manassas National Battlefield Park with Manassas, Virginia; and Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site with Richmond, Virginia. Allow time for travel between locations, and confirm access arrangements for any site that requires a tour, reservation or scheduled program through its official page.

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References

External links

• National Park Service: Virginia parks and sites
• National Park Service: The National Park System