Virginia State Parks to honor veterans on Nov. 11

Virginia State Parks will continue the tradition of honoring veterans by waiving parking and admission fees for all visitors on Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11. Special programs will also be offered in all 35 Virginia State Parks, managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

“Veterans Day is an important opportunity to honor the legacy of the one-in-eight Virginians who serve or have served in the armed forces. They deserve our eternal thanks for putting themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom,” Governor McDonnell said.  “In addition to special programs around the state we are pleased to offer free admission to Virginia’s State Parks for all visitors on Nov. 11, in recognition of the valiant service of our veterans.  This is a small gesture of appreciation for the women and men who have given so much to defend our liberty and freedom.  I encourage Virginians to visit a state park and discover first-hand our Commonwealth’s beauty and wonders.”

§  Visitors to Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge are invited to create a temporary wall of honor by providing a photograph of a friend or family member who served in the military.

§  Sky Meadows State Park in Delaplane and the Friends of Sky Meadows State Park will host a 5K walk-a-thon to support the Wounded Warrior Project. There will be prizes for the highest pledge amounts. Music by the Carolina Mountain Band and a guest speaker will round out the activities.

§  Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park in Rice will light 500 luminaries and host guided battlefield walks. The personal accounts of Civil War veterans from the Battle of Staunton River Bridge will be read at Staunton River Battlefield in Randolph. Storytellers will detail military service from the Revolutionary War to the current war against terrorism in a nighttime campfire program at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton.

§  Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster and Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield will hold workshops to create care packages for patients of McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond.

§  Local VFW posts and American Legion chapters will hold a special Veterans Day flag ceremony at Westmoreland State Park in Montross.

§  Re-enactors will honor those who have served, from the Revolutionary War to present day with a passing of historical flags at Wilderness Road State Park in Ewing.

§  Flag retirement ceremonies will be held at Caledon in King George, Chippokes Plantation in Surry, Douthat in Millboro, Fairy Stone in Stuart, First Landing in Virginia Beach, Grayson Highlands in Mouth of Wilson, Hungry Mother in Marion, James River in Gladstone, Kiptopeke in Cape Charles, New River Trail in Foster Falls, and Natural Tunnel in Duffield.

For details on these and other planned special events call toll free 1-800-933-PARK (7275) or click here.

Virginia State Parks are open year-round and, with the changing foliage and special programs, fall is fast becoming a popular time to visit.

For more information about Virginia state park activities and amenities or to make reservations for one of more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit http://www.virginiastateparks.gov.