First Landing State Park
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| First Landing State Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
| Location: | Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 2,888 acres (11.69 km²) |
| Visitation: | 1,000,000+ (in 2004) |
| Governing body: | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
First Landing State Park (formerly Seashore State Park) offers recreational opportunities at Cape Henry in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The state park is near the site of the first landing on April 26, 1607 of Christopher Newport and the Virginia Company colonists before establishing themselves at Jamestown. The park includes cabins, areas for camping, fishing, and swimming, and over 19 miles of trails for hiking and biking. Virginia's most popular state park, it's visited by over a million people each year.
[edit] History
Development of the Seashore State Park began in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps on 1,060 acres (4.3 km²) of donated land. Most of the workers were African American men. The new park opened on June 15, 1936. Several additions of land and adjustments of the border with Fort Story resulted in the current total area of the park of 2,888 acres (11.69 km²).
The park’s natural area was included in the National Register of Natural Landmarks in 1965. In 1997, the park's name was changed from Seashore State Park to First Landing State Park to reflect its heritage as the first place where members of the Virginia Company landed.
[edit] External links
| Protected Areas of Virginia Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation | Virginia Department of Forestry |
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| State Parks | Bear Creek Lake | Belle Isle | Chippokes Plantation | Claytor Lake | Douthat | Fairy Stone | False Cape | First Landing | Grayson Highlands | Holliday Lake | Hungry Mother | James River | Kiptopeke | Lake Anna | Mason Neck | Natural Tunnel | New River Trail | Occoneechee | Pocahontas | Sailor's Creek Battlefield | Shenandoah River | Sky Meadows | Smith Mountain Lake | Staunton River | Staunton River Battlefield | Twin Lakes | Westmoreland | Wilderness Road | York River |
| Historical State Parks | George Washington's Grist Mill | Shot Tower | Southwest Virginia Museum |
| State Natural Areas | Bethel Beach | Bush Mill Stream | Caledon | Goshen Pass | Hughlett Point | Lick Creek | Pinnacle |
| State Forests | Appomatox-Buckingham | Bourassa | Browne | Chilton Woods | Conway-Robinson | Crawfords | Cumberland | Devil's Backbone | Hawks | Lesesne | Matthews | Niday Place | Paul | Prince Edward-Gallion | Sandy Point | Whitney | Zoar |
| Other Affiliated Areas | Breaks Interstate Park | Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum | Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area | Holliday Creek Trout Fishing Area | Tabb Monument |
