In 1994, the last Saturday in September was officially designated as National Public Lands Day. In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the same day as Virginia Public Lands Day, which will celebrate outdoor recreation and wide open spaces across the state for the first time Saturday, Sept. 30.
Between Shenandoah National Park, the George Washington-Jefferson National Forest, 37 state parks, 24 state forests, 41 wildlife management areas, and the numerous natural areas and wildlife refuges, Virginia boasts nearly 3 million acres of public land available for hunting, fishing, boating, rock climbing, camping, wildlife watching and host of other activities.
