Parks around Yorktown

On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that would eventually seek independence from Great Britain. On October 19, 1781, American and French troops defeated the British at Yorktown in the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.

Discover what it took for the United States to be independent as you explore the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Here at Yorktown, in the fall of 1781, General George Washington, with allied American and French forces, besieged General Charles Lord Cornwallis's British army. On October 19, Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending the war and ensuring independence.

Discover what it took for the United States to be independent as you explore the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Here at Yorktown, in the fall of 1781, General George Washington, with allied American and French forces, besieged General Charles Lord Cornwallis's British army. On October 19, Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending the war and ensuring independence.

English colonists first landed here in April 1607, erected a wooden cross and gave thanks for a successful crossing to a new land. In 1781, Americans could watch from these same sand dunes the largest naval battle of the Revolutionary War. Our French Allies defeated a British fleet just off this shore to set the stage for General George Washington's victory at Yorktown.

English colonists first landed here in April 1607, erected a wooden cross and gave thanks for a successful crossing to a new land. In 1781, Americans could watch from these same sand dunes the largest naval battle of the Revolutionary War. Our French Allies defeated a British fleet just off this shore to set the stage for General George Washington's victory at Yorktown.

The Colonial Parkway not only illustrates the English colonial experience in America, but is also an outstanding example of American parkway design. Retaining its original scenic and historic integrity to a remarkable degree, the 23-mile route connects the historic sites of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown.

Walk in the steps of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas where a successful English colonization of North America began. Despite early struggles to survive, the 1607 settlement evolved into a prosperous colony. As the colony expanded, the Virginia Indians were pushed out of their homeland. In 1619, the arrival of Africans was recorded, marking the origin of slavery in English North America.

Walk in the steps of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas where a successful English colonization of North America began. Despite early struggles to survive, the 1607 settlement evolved into a prosperous colony. As the colony expanded, the Virginia Indians were pushed out of their homeland. In 1619, the arrival of Africans was recorded, marking the origin of slavery in English North America.

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was designated the nation's first national marine sanctuary on January 30, 1975. The site was the wreck of the USS Monitor, a Civil War vessel that lies off the coast of North Carolina. The Monitor was the prototype for a class of U.S. Civil War ironclad, turreted warships that significantly altered both naval technology and marine architecture in the nineteenth c...

The Chesapeake Bay (VA) National Estuarine Research Reserve features four components that are all within the York River basin--Goodwin Islands, Catlett Islands, Taskinas Creek and Sweet Hall Marsh. Like most of the reserves in the national system, Chesapeake Bay-VA is diverse. The source of its diversity is its range of salinity gradient. Salinity is an important determinate of what species can li...

Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge is situated on the southwestern corner of the Chesapeake Bay in the City of Poquoson and is strategically located almost midpoint on the Atlantic Flyway. It consists of 3,501 acres of saltmarsh, shrub-scrub and wooded habitats that provide a haven ...

Fort Monroe National Monument spans the American story through the 21st century: American Indian presence, Captain John Smith's journeys, a safe haven for freedom seekers during the Civil War, and a bastion of defense for the Chesapeake Bay. A public planning process will determine future public services and programming at this new national park with a centuries-old tradition.

James River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge encompasses 4,200 acres of forest and wetland habitats along the James River, bordered by Powells Creek to the west, and the historic Flowerdew Hundred Plantation to the east. Located in Prince George County, Virginia, the refuge is 8 miles southe...

Lying at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge serves as one of the country's most valuable stopovers for migratory birds. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, this 1,127-acre refuge was established in 1984 for migratory birds and endangered species management and for wildlife-dependent recreation including interpretation and e...

The Virginia Barrier Island chain, including Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, is one of only 17 sites in the United States classified as a "A Wetland of International Importance." The refuge is the southern most barrier island, separated from the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge by approximately one-half mile. Sand continues to expand the island's size, which is current...

Celebrate life on the Chesapeake Bay. Observe watermen bringing their bounty to shore, visit historic towns, and travel through scenic stretches of productive farmland. See the truly special landscape of the Mid-Atlantic Region and gain an appreciation for the working life of Maryland's Eastern Shore farmers, watermen, and merchants.

The Dismal Swamp Canal and the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal form alternate routes along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) between the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound. The AIWW provides pleasure boaters and commercial shippers with a protected inland channel between Norfolk, Virginia and Miami, Florida. The history of these two canals, which contain the only locks along the AIWW, pai...

Presquile National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Refuge is a 1329-acre island in the James River, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. Established to protect habitat for wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds, Presquile is an important component in the network of refuges on ...

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.

Nine and a half months, 70,000 casualties, the suffering of civilians, thousands of U. S. Colored Troops fighting for the freedom of their race, and the decline of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of No. Virginia all describe the Siege of Petersburg. It was here Gen. Ulysses S. Grant cut off all of Petersburg's supply lines ensuring the fall of Richmond on April 3, 1865. Six days later, Lee surrendered.

In July 1862, Congress passed legislation giving the President of the United States the authority to purchase land for the establishment of cemeteries "for the soldiers who shall die in the service of their country." This legislation effectively began the National Cemetery system. With more than 6,000 graves, Poplar Grove National Cemetery reflects the tragedy that befell the United States during ...

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is located in Virginia and was established in 1938 to provide habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl. The refuge contains more than 9,100 acres, situated around Back Bay, in the southeastern corner of the City of Virginia Beach. Because of its unique geographic location along the Atlantic Coast that provides overlapping ranges for both northern and southe...

Maggie Walker devoted her life to civil rights advancement, economic empowerment, and educational opportunities for Jim Crow-era African Americans and women. As a bank president, newspaper editor, and fraternal leader, Walker served as an inspiration of pride and progress. Today, Walker's home is preserved as a tribute to her enduring legacy of vision, courage, and determination.

Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is the newest of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Established in 1996, the goal of the Refuge is to protect 20,000 acres of wetlands and associated uplands along the River and its major tributaries. As of May 2005, a total of 7,393 acres have been purchased from willing sellers or donat...

Martin National Wildlife Refuge includes the northern half of Smith Island, which lies 11 miles west of Crisfield, MD, and Watts Island, which is located between the eastern shore of Virginia and Tangier Island. Both islands are situated in the lower Chesapeake Bay. The Refuge was established in 1954 when the late Glenn L. Martin donated 2569 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since t...