 Virginia has 30 National Park Service units , such as Great Falls Park and the Appalachian Trail , and one national park , the Shenandoah National Park . Shenandoah was established in 1935 and encompasses the scenic Skyline Drive . Almost 40 % of the park 's area ( 79 @,@ 579 acres / 322 km2 ) has been designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System . Additionally , there are 34 Virginia state parks and 17 state forests , run by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Forestry . The Chesapeake Bay , while not a national park , is protected by both state and federal legislation , and the jointly run Chesapeake Bay Program which conducts restoration on the bay and its watershed . The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge extends into North Carolina , as does the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge , which marks the beginning of the Outer Banks . 
