First Landing State Park

Step from the named colonial shore into a much older living landscape.First Landing State Park protects 2,888 acres and 1.5 miles of Chesapeake Bay beach, with about 20 miles of trails crossing maritime forest, swamp, marsh, dunes, and open water. The former Seashore State Park received its current name in 1997 to mark the Virginia Company's 1607 landing on the way to Jamestown. Let that name remain one documented colonial event, not a claim that human history or meaning began here; the water, land, and Indigenous histories reach far beyond the park's commemorative frame.Access and safety truth: Day-use areas open at 07:00 and close at dusk, so the fixed Builder schedule is only a dated conservative snapshot and must move with daylight. The Office/Visitor Center currently runs 08:00–18:00 and the Trail Center 08:00–16:00. Weekends can reach parking capacity and turn visitors away; swimming is at your own risk with no lifeguards. An adjacent military training center can create unusual sights and loud noise at any hour but the park says it poses no risk. The Trail Center is accessible, part of Cape Henry Trail is universally accessible, and an all-terrain wheelchair can be reserved; surfaces elsewhere vary. More

Step from the named colonial shore into a much older living landscape.First Landing State Park protects 2,888 acres and 1.5 miles of Chesapeake Bay beach, with about 20 miles of trails crossing maritime forest, swamp, marsh, dunes, and open water. The former Seashore State Park received its current name in 1997 to mark the Virginia Company's 1607 landing on the way to Jamestown. Let that name remain one documented colonial event, not a claim that human history or meaning began here; the water, land, and Indigenous histories reach far beyond the park's commemorative frame.Access and safety truth: Day-use areas open at 07:00 and close at dusk, so the fixed Builder schedule is only a dated conservative snapshot and must move with daylight. The Office/Visitor Center currently runs 08:00–18:00 and the Trail Center 08:00–16:00. Weekends can reach parking capacity and turn visitors away; swimming is at your own risk with no lifeguards. An adjacent military training center can create unusual sights and loud noise at any hour but the park says it poses no risk. The Trail Center is accessible, part of Cape Henry Trail is universally accessible, and an all-terrain wheelchair can be reserved; surfaces elsewhere vary. More