All parks

23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles (3,540 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims the Appalachian Trail to be the world's longest hiking-only trail. More than three million people hike segments of it each year.

Want to live on the edge? Visit a place recreated each day by ocean wind and waves. Life on Assateague Island has adapted to an existence on the move. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Rest, relax, recreate and enjoy some time on the edge of the continent.

Preserving America's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures.

State park in Maryland, United States

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created programs to give people a chance to rebuild their lives from the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps gave this land a second opportunity and through re-growth, a new role as a recreation area.

Cunningham Falls State Park is a Maryland state park located west of Thurmont, Maryland, in the United States. The state park is the home of Cunningham Falls, the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland, a 43-acre (17 ha) man-made lake, and the remains of a historic iron furnace. The park is one of several protected areas occupying 50-mile-long Catoctin Mountain; it is bordered on its north by Catoctin Mountain Park and on its south by Frederick Municipal Forest.

Dans Mountain State Park is a Maryland state park located nine miles (14 km) south of Frostburg and to the east of the town of Lonaconing in Allegany County, Maryland. The park occupies 482 acres (195 ha) on 16-mile-long (26 km) Dans Mountain and is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Gambrill State Park is a Maryland state park located on Catoctin Mountain near the city of Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland. The park is known for the dramatic views of the surrounding area that can be seen from stone overlooks built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park is operated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Greenbrier State Park is a Maryland state park located on South Mountain, three miles (4.8 km) northeast of Boonsboro in Washington County, Maryland, USA. The park has camping, hiking trails, and a 42-acre (17 ha) man-made lake. It is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Gunpowder Falls State Park is a Maryland state park comprising six non-contiguous areas covering 15,088 acres (6,106 ha) in northeastern Baltimore County and western Harford County, Maryland. The park is primarily made up of the stream valleys of the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls and the Gunpowder River; its natural features range from tidal marshes to rugged interior slopes. The park has over 120 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing plus facilities for picnicking, tubing, canoeing and kayaking, tide-water fishing and crabbing, fly fishing, and hunting, among other activities. It is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Janes Island State Park is a Maryland state park on Chesapeake Bay lying adjacent to the city of Crisfield in Somerset County, Maryland. The park features some 30 miles (48 km) of marked water trails through the island's salt marsh leading to isolated pristine beaches. The park is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Liberty Reservoir is a reservoir west of Baltimore, Maryland; about a mile north of Patapsco Valley State Park's McKeldin area. It is owned by the City of Baltimore Department of Public Works, but is located outside the city, and it divides Baltimore and Carroll Counties.

The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland. It is fed by the Big Gunpowder Falls river, and has a capacity of 23 billion US gallons (87,000,000 m3) of water.

During the summer of 1864, the Confederacy carried out a bold plan to turn the tide of the Civil War in their favor. They planned to capture Washington, DC and influence the election of 1864. On July 9, however, Federal soldiers outnumbered three to one, fought gallantly along the banks of the Monocacy River in an effort to buy time for Union reinforcement to arrive in Washington, DC.

Patapsco Valley State Park is a Maryland state park extending along 32 miles (51 km) of the Patapsco River south and west of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The park encompasses multiple developed areas on over 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land, making it Maryland's largest state park. In 2006, it was officially celebrated as Maryland's first state park, its first formation being in 1906. Patapsco Valley State Park is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Patuxent River State Park is a Maryland state park located along the upper reaches of the Patuxent River in Howard and Montgomery counties in Maryland. The park features hunting, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking on unsigned and untended trails. Planning for the park began in 1963, with the Maryland General Assembly funding land purchases in each year from 1964 to 1968. It is part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion.

Pocomoke River State Park is a Maryland state park lying on both banks of the Pocomoke River between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City in Worcester County, Maryland. The park comprises two areas within Pocomoke State Forest: Shad Landing on the south bank of the river and Milburn Landing on the north bank.

Point Lookout State Park is a Maryland state park occupying Point Lookout, the southernmost tip of a peninsula formed by the confluence of Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary's County, Maryland. The park preserves the site of an American Civil War prisoner of war camp and the Point Lookout Light, which was built in 1830. It is the southernmost spot on Maryland's western shore, the coastal region on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay.

Prettyboy Reservoir is a 1,500-acre (610 ha) reservoir in the Hereford Zone of northern Baltimore County, Maryland. While the reservoir is in Baltimore County, the independent city of Baltimore owns the reservoir and the surrounding land. The reservoir is one of three reservoirs created to supply the municipal water system for Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and northern Anne Arundel County constructed by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Prettyboy Reservoir, along with Loch Raven Reservoir further down the Big Gunpowder Falls, provide about 61% of the drinking water for the Baltimore metropolitan area system; for this reason, the Prettyboy is considered a "source water" or drinking water watershed. The reservoir contains about 19 billion US gallons (72,000,000 m3) of water on average.

Rocks State Park is a Maryland state park located in and around Deer Creek Valley near Pylesville, Harford County, Maryland. The park's 1,060 acres (430 ha) preserve the geologic formation known as the King and Queen's Seat and other features in three non-contiguous areas near the junction of Maryland Route 24 and Maryland Route 165. It is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Rocky Gap State Park is a Maryland state park with resort features located on Interstate 68, seven miles (11 km) east of Cumberland in Allegany County, Maryland. The park's 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) include Lake Habeeb, Evitts Mountain, and the privately owned and operated Rocky Gap Casino Resort. The park offers water recreation, camping facilities, and hiking trails. The park is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the resort by Century Casinos.

Sandy Point State Park is a Maryland state park on Chesapeake Bay, located at the western end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The park is known for the popularity of its swimming beach, with annual attendance exceeding one million visitors. The park grounds include the Sandy Point Farmhouse, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse stands in about five feet of water some 1,000 yards (910 m) east of the park's beach.

Seneca Creek State Park is a Maryland state park encompassing more than 6,300 acres (2,500 ha) along 14 miles of Seneca Creek in its run to the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The park features facilities for boating and fishing as well as trails for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. It is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

nature reserve and serpentine ecosystem in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Sugarloaf Mountain is a small mountain and park about 10 miles (16 km) south of Frederick, Maryland. The closest village is Barnesville, located just over one mile from the foot of the mountain. The peak of this relatively low mountain is approximately 800 feet higher than the surrounding farmland. It is visible from many parts of northern Montgomery County and southern Frederick County, notably from I-270 north of the town of Germantown. Because of its geological and natural history interest, it was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1969. It is a notable example of an admission-free, privately owned scenic park.

State park in Maryland, United States

Tuckahoe State Park is a Maryland state park situated along Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline and Queen Anne's counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, United States. Adkins Arboretum, a garden and preserve maintaining over 600 native plant species, occupies 500 acres of the park. The arboretum provides classes to the public in horticulture, ecology and natural history.

Washington Monument State Park is a Maryland state park located approximately one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Boonsboro, Maryland. The park preserves the Washington Monument, a 40-foot-tall (12 m) tower honoring George Washington, the first President of the United States. The monument sits along the Appalachian Trail near the summit of South Mountain's Monument Knob. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The park is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Bull Run Regional Park is a 1,568-acre (635 ha) multi-use facility located in Centreville, Virginia, owned and operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.

State park in Virginia, United States

Fairy Stone State Park, located in Patrick County, Virginia, is the largest of the original Virginia six state parks that opened on June 15, 1936, and is named for the cross-shaped "fairy stones" (staurolite) commonly found in the vicinity of the park.

First Landing State Park offers recreational opportunities at Cape Henry in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. As the first planned state park of Virginia, First Landing is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Seashore State Park Historic District. A portion of the park is listed as a National Natural Landmark as part of the Seashore Natural Area.

The George Washington Memorial Parkway was designed for recreational driving. It links sites that commemorate important episodes in American history and preserve habitat for local wildlife. The parkway and its associated trails provide a scenic place to play and rest in the busy Washington, DC metropolitan area.

On July 21, 1861, two armies clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run. Heavy fighting swept away any notion of a quick war. In August 1862, Union and Confederate armies converged for a second time on the plains of Manassas. The Confederates won a solid victory bringing them to the height of their power.

Mason Neck State Park is located in Fairfax County, Virginia. The park is on a peninsula formed by Pohick Bay on the north, Belmont Bay on the south and the Potomac River to the east, which was once known as "Dogue Neck" but now as "Mason Neck". The park adjoins the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge and encompasses 1,814 acres (7.34 km2). It is home to bald eagles, great blue herons, ospreys, and many other types of wildlife. The park also contains white-tailed deer and many species of lichen.

National Forest in Virginia and West Virginia, United States

Shenandoah National Park is a national park of the United States that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont to the east. Skyline Drive is the main park road, generally traversing along the ridgeline of the mountains. Almost 40% of the park's land—79,579 acres —has been designated as wilderness areas and is protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet (1,235 m).

Pocahontas State Park is a state park located in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States, not far from the state capital of Richmond. The park was laid out by the Civilian Conservation Corps along the Swift Creek, and at 7,919 acres (32.05 km2) it is Virginia's largest state park. In 2015, the park welcomed 1,142,601 visitors.

Prince William Forest Park is an oasis, a respite of quiet and calm. In 1936, Chopawamsic Recreation Area opened its gates to house children's 'relief' camps during the Great Depression. Renamed Prince William Forest Park in 1948, these fragrant woods and trickling streams have welcomed generations of campers, hikers, bikers and nature lovers. Discover Northern Virginia's best kept secret!

Just 75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park is a land bursting with cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows. With over 200,000 acres of protected lands that are haven to deer, songbirds, and black bear, there's so much to explore...and your journey begins right here!

Sky Meadows State Park is a 1,862-acre (754 ha) park in the Virginia state park system. In addition to preserved woodland, meadow and swamp, sections of the park are farmed, in part because it contains the former Mt. Bleak-Skye Farm which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Located in extreme northwest Fauquier County, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Paris, Virginia off U.S. 17, one mile (1.6 km) south of U.S. 50 and seven miles (11 km) north of Interstate 66, it is an International Dark Sky Park located about an hour outside the Washington, D.C. metro region.

Westmoreland State Park lies within Westmoreland County, Virginia. The park extends about one and a half miles along the Potomac River and covers 1,321 acres. The Horsehead Cliffs provide visitors with a panoramic view of the Potomac River, and lower levels feature fossils and beach access. The park offers hiking, camping, cabins, fishing, boating and swimming, although mechanical issues have kept the swimming pool closed since 2021. Located on the Northern Neck Peninsula, the park is close to historical sites featuring earlier eras: George Washington's birthplace and Stratford Hall, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee.

The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is a trail system spanning the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. When complete, the trail will be 25 miles long and expand to the Washington Channel waterfront. On the north end it connects to the Anacostia Tributary Trail System; on the south end it will connect to the Oxon Hill Farm Trail and on the west it connects to the Rock Creek Park trail and the 14th Street Bridge. Of the 19 planned segments, 14 are complete for a combined total of 16 miles.

The Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) is a 7.04-mile (11.33 km), shared-use rail trail that runs from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Bethesda, Maryland. An extension of the trail from Bethesda to Silver Spring along a route formerly known as the Georgetown Branch Trail is being built as part of the Purple Line light rail project.

Fort Dupont Park is a 376-acre (1.52 km2) wooded park under the management of the National Park Service located in Washington, DC. The name of the park comes from the old Civil War earthwork fort that lies within the park. The fort was one of several designed to defend Washington from a Confederate attack during the Civil War. There are few remains of the actual fortifications.

Rock Creek Park is truly a gem in our nation's capital. This 1,754 acre city park was officially authorized in 1890, making it the third national park to be designated by the federal government. It offers visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge, recreation, fresh air, majestic trees, wild animals, and thousands of years of human history.

Theodore Roosevelt Island is an 88.5-acre (358,000 m2) island and national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, it was used as a training camp for the United States Colored Troops. The island was given to the federal government by the Theodore Roosevelt Association in memory of the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. Until then, the island had been known as My Lord's Island, Barbadoes Island, Mason's Island, Analostan Island, and Anacostine Island.

Alapocas Run State Park is a 359-acre (145 ha) public recreation area located in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, along Brandywine Creek and its Alapocas Run tributary. Much of the state park was created from land originally preserved by William Poole Bancroft in the early 1900s to be used as open space parkland by the city of Wilmington as it expanded. The park also includes the Blue Ball Barn, a dairy barn built by Alfred I. du Pont as part of his Nemours estate in 1914. In addition to walking trails, athletic fields, and playgrounds for children, one of the park's primary features is a rock climbing wall. The rock climbing wall is part of an old quarry across from historic Bancroft Mills on the Brandywine, and the quarry is also used for school educational programs centered on earth sciences.

State park in Delaware

Cape Henlopen State Park is a Delaware state park on 5,450 acres (2,210 ha) on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen would be for "the usage of the citizens of Lewes and Sussex County." Cape Henlopen State Park has a 24-hour and year-round fishing pier as well as campgrounds. The remainder of the park is only open from sunrise to sunset, and includes a bathhouse on the Atlantic Ocean, an area for surf-fishing, a disc golf course, and bicycle and walking paths. The beach at Herring Point is a popular surfing spot. The park is a stop on Delaware's Coastal Heritage Greenway.

First State National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit which lies primarily in the state of Delaware but which extends partly into Pennsylvania in Chadds Ford. Initially created as First State National Monument by President Barack Obama under the Antiquities Act on March 25, 2013, the park was later redesignated as First State National Historical Park by Congress.

Killens Pond State Park is a Delaware state park located south of the town of Felton in Kent County, Delaware in the United States. The park surrounds a 75-acre (30 ha) pond known as Killens Pond located along the Murderkill River. Amenities include boating, fishing, hiking, playgrounds, picnic areas, nature center, campgrounds, and a water park.

Lums Pond State Park is a 1,790-acre (720 ha) Delaware state park near Bear, New Castle County, Delaware in the United States. The park surrounds Lums Pond, an impoundment built by the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on St. Georges Creek. The C&D built the pond as a source of water to fill the locks of the canal that connected the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River during the early 19th century. Lums Pond State Park is open for a wide variety of year-round recreation.

Trap Pond State Park is a 3,993.28 acres (1,616.02 ha) Delaware state park located near Laurel, Delaware, United States. It preserves one of the largest surviving fragments of what was once an extensive wetland in what is now southwestern Sussex County. The state park features an extensive patch of bald cypress trees.

White Clay Creek State Park is a Delaware state park along White Clay Creek on 3,559 acres (1,440 ha) in New Castle County, near Newark, Delaware in the United States. North of the park is Pennsylvania's White Clay Creek Preserve, and the two were originally operated as bi-state parks to jointly protect the creek, but now they operate separately. The White Clay Creek is federally protected as part of the National Park Service's National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. White Clay Creek State Park offers 41 miles (66 km) of nature and fitness trails which are open to hiking and mountain biking. The park also preserves a number of historic structures and operates a nature center.

Babcock State Park is a state park located along the New River Gorge on 4,127 acres (16.7 km2) wooded in Fayette County, West Virginia. It is located approximately 20 miles away from the New River Gorge Bridge.

Blackwater Falls State Park is located in the Allegheny Mountains of Tucker County, West Virginia, US. The centerpiece of the park is Blackwater Falls, a 62-foot (19 m) cascade where the Blackwater River leaves its leisurely course in Canaan Valley and enters rugged Blackwater Canyon. It is among the most photographed venues in the state and appears on calendars, stationery, and advertisements. The river is named for its tannin-darkened water.

State park in Preston County, West Virginia

Coopers Rock State Forest is a 12,747-acre (52 km2) state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Its southern edge abuts Cheat Lake and the canyon section of Cheat River, a popular whitewater rafting river in the eastern United States.

The Cranberry Wilderness is a 47,815-acre (19,350 ha) U.S. wilderness area in the Monongahela National Forest of southeast West Virginia, United States. Its name derives from the nearby Cranberry Glades as well as from the Cranberry River and Cranberry Mountain. In addition to being wilderness, it is a designated black bear sanctuary.

The Dolly Sods Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia and is part of the Monongahela National Forest of the U.S. Forest Service.

At the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, on the ancestral home of the Tuscarora and Shawnee people, lies Harpers Ferry. Here you can explore John Brown's Raid against slavery. Find your connection to the struggle for freedom, education, and civil rights at Storer College. Discover miles of trail in the Blue Ridge and along Civil War battlefields.

state park in West Virginia, United States

The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US. It protects over 921,000 acres of federally managed land within a 1,700,000 acres proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.

A rugged, whitewater river flowing northward through deep canyons, the New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent. The park encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along the New River, is rich in cultural and natural history, and offers an abundance of scenic and recreational opportunities.

state park in West Virginia, United States

Pipestem Resort State Park is a 4,050-acre (1,640 ha) state park located in southern West Virginia, on the border between Mercer and Summers counties. The park was built with grants provided by the Area Redevelopment Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce under the administration of President John F. Kennedy. It officially opened on Memorial Day 1970. It is located in the gorge of the Bluestone River.

Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is the only peak inaccessible except by technical rock climbing techniques on the East Coast of the United States. One of the best-known scenic attractions in West Virginia, the sheer rock faces are a popular challenge for rock climbers.

Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area is a national recreation area in the Monongahela National Forest of eastern West Virginia.

Tygart Lake State Park sits on 391 acres (1.58 km2) along the shores of Tygart Lake in Taylor County near Grafton, West Virginia, United States.