Virginia has one of the most diverse collections of public lands in the country. We have 37 state parks spanning from beaches on the Atlantic Ocean to Appalachian mountain range hiking trails and everywhere in between. First Landing State Park sits on the Chesapeake Bay at the exact spot where English colonists first arrived 410 years ago. Natural Bridge State Park, known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,’ can be found in southwestern Virginia.
The commonwealth is also home to 22 different national park sites, including the Shenandoah National Park, Great Falls National Park, several national battlefield parks, and historic Jamestown. Thousands of acres are also preserved in Wildlife Management Areas and State Forests, set aside to promote wildlife habitats and outdoor recreation opportunities. Virginia also has 1.8 million acres of public land in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, including swaths of forest that protect the headwaters of the James, Shenandoah, Rappahannock, and Potomac Rivers.
