By Michelle Smith

This year, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation celebrates its 100th anniversary, and this month marks the 90th year of Virginia State Parks.

Recognizing that Virginia’s forests, waterways, farmland, and historic landscapes are more than scenery — they are essential to the Commonwealth’s identity, economy, and future — on March 17, 1926, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation establishing the State Commission on Conservation and Development. This agency would eventually become today’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The move consolidated the Water Power and Development Commission, State Geological Commission, State Geological Survey, Office of the State Geologist, and Office of the State Forester into a single agency responsible for managing the state’s natural resources.

A decade later, on June 15, 1936, Virginia became the first state in the nation to open an entire system of state parks — six in total — on the same day: Douthat, Fairy Stone, Hungry Mother, Seashore, Staunton River, and Westmoreland.

Much of the early development of these parks was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 to help lift the United States out of the Great Depression. The CCC allowed single men between the ages of 18 and 25 to enlist in work programs that improved public lands, forests, and parks.

According to DCR, while William E. Carson, chair of the State Commission on Conservation and Development, was hosting President Roosevelt at Camp Rapidan (formerly Camp Hoover) near Shenandoah National Park in 1933, the president asked for Carson’s thoughts on the newly established CCC. Carson suggested that CCC labor should be used to create a state park system.

Roosevelt later agreed to provide CCC workers if Virginia could demonstrate the value a park system would provide to a state. Within a year, Virginia had acquired land for the first six parks.

Today, the Virginia State Parks system includes 44 locations, offering a park within an hour’s drive of most Virginians. The system provides more than 2,000 campsites, nearly 300 cabins, over 500 miles of trails, and extensive water access. Thousands of nature and history programs are hosted each year.

To celebrate its legacy, Virginia State Parks hosts History and Culture Day annually, highlighting the stories and landscapes that make each park unique.

Local Events

Westmoreland State Park — where many of the original roads and trails were hand-dug by CCC crews — will celebrate with a CCC Hike on June 13 from 10:30 – 12 p.m.

The 1.5-mile guided hike begins at the Rock Springs Pond Trailhead and will explore the history of the CCC and its lasting imprint on the park. The route includes a mix of paved, gravel, hardpack, and root-covered terrain. No registration is required.

Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster will host a Time Traveler Wagon Tour on June 13, from 10 -11:30 a.m. A ranger will highlight three significant historic events that took place in the Commonwealth. Space is limited and registration is required by calling 804-462-5030.

Caledon State Park will celebrate History and Culture Day on Sunday with “Caledon: Through the Ages,” a guided wagon ride exploring the park’s history. Visitors will tour Boyd’s Hole, where early settlers made their living, and learn about the families and individuals who once called the land home. Registration is required by calling 540-6633861 or by stopping by the Visitor Center.