STATEWIDE — Across the country, Aug. 25 is recognized as National Park Service Day. For the anniversary of the National Park Service’s birthday, let’s journey across Virginia for a historical look into the Commonwealth’s national parks.
But first, a little history:
Aug. 25 is recognized as the “birthday” of the National Park Service.
On this date in 1906, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law an act which created the National Park Service (NPS). This was a federal bureau housed within the Department of the Interior whose duty was to protect the 35 recognized national state parks and monuments.
Today, the National Park System of the United States includes more than 400 locations which, according to the NPS website, encompasses 84 million acres in all fifty states the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Virginia lays claim to twenty-two national parks. Click below to see historical images of the some of the parks, monuments, and sites that grace the Commonwealth.
To see a complete list of national parks, monuments, memorials and sites across Virginia, visit the website for the National Park Service.