Why was the name of the park changed?

The property was renamed from Seashore State Park to reflect its role as the arrival site for members of the Virginia Company.

What natural landscape does the park protect?

The reserve protects forested dunes and semitropical vegetation recognized as the Seashore Natural Area.

Who built the original state park infrastructure?

The Civilian Conservation Corps developed the park on donated land, with the construction workforce consisting largely of Black American men.

What memorial stands inside the park grounds?

Memorial markers placed by the Daughters of the American Colonists commemorate the arrival point of English colonists and the settlement at Jamestown.

Which historic and natural designations apply to the site?

The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Seashore State Park Historic District, and its natural section holds National Natural Landmark designation.

Where is the park located?

The grounds are situated at Cape Henry in the independent city of Virginia Beach, bordering Joint Expeditionary Base East.

Virginia Beach · United States

First Landing State Park: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Long-term residents treat the forested dunes of Cape Henry as their daily refuge, walking quiet coastal trails bordered directly by the Joint Expeditionary Base.

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About the place

Coastal forest and maritime dunes meet the Chesapeake Bay at Cape Henry, where protected trails run alongside an active military reservation.

Civilian Conservation Corps crews developed the original park grounds on donated coastal acreage, with Black American laborers carrying out most of the construction. Subsequent boundary adjustments aligned the property with Joint Expeditionary Base East, preserving forested maritime dunes and rare semitropical vegetation alongside active military land.

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Federal authorities designated the natural area as a National Natural Landmark and placed the historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Virginia later changed the property name from Seashore State Park to commemorate the arrival of the Virginia Company. A cross erected by colonial heritage societies marks the landing.

State administrators historically enforced racial segregation throughout the grounds, providing unequal facilities under Jim Crow policies. Following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, officials closed the park completely rather than desegregate, keeping gates shuttered until federal civil rights legislation forced an integrated reopening.

Associations

Civilian Conservation CorpsBlack American laborers built the park on donated coastal land.
Cape Henry LandfallA commemorative cross marks the arrival spot of English colonists.
Joint Expeditionary Base EastPark boundaries run directly against active military property.
Jim Crow ClosuresOfficials closed the entire park for years rather than integrate.

Facts

Black American laborers in the Civilian Conservation Corps built the park on donated land.
The Seashore Natural Area holds National Natural Landmark status for its forested dunes.
Virginia authorities shuttered the park following Brown v. Board of Education rather than integrate.
A memorial cross erected on site commemorates the landing of the Virginia Company.

Updated September 9, 2026Source: Wikipedia

First Landing State Park: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around17

Coastal forest and maritime dunes meet the Chesapeake Bay at Cape Henry, where protected trails run alongside an active military reservation.

Getting there and staying

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