Updated July 2026
Best Time to Visit Virginia National Parks
Virginia has 19 National Park Service units that report visitation. Below, each is ranked by annual visits, with the month our data recommends for the best balance of light crowds, comfortable weather and daylight. Crowds peak in summer almost everywhere — the recommended months show where the quieter shoulder seasons fall.
Virginia parks on the map
Click a marker for the park page, or use Where to stay in the table.
Ways to pick a Virginia park
Quietest months
- Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts — February
- Harpers Ferry — January
- Shenandoah — January
- George Washington Birthplace — January
Most-visited
- Blue Ridge — 16,533,753 visits
- George Washington — 6,732,932 visits
- Appalachian — 6,215,118 visits
- Assateague Island — 2,325,195 visits
Most-visited parks in Virginia
Blue Ridge
North Carolina, Virginia
View Blue Ridge →
George Washington
District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
View George Washington →Appalachian
Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia
View Appalachian →
Assateague Island
Maryland, Virginia
View Assateague Island →Shenandoah
Virginia
View Shenandoah →
Colonial
Virginia
View Colonial →| Park | Annual visits | Best time | Busiest | Quietest | Stays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue RidgeParkway | 16,533,753 | January | Oct | Jan | Where to stay → |
| George WashingtonMemorial Parkway | 6,732,932 | September | Aug | Jan | Where to stay → |
| AppalachianNational Scenic Trail | 6,215,118 | September | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| Assateague IslandNational Seashore | 2,325,195 | October | Jul | Dec | Where to stay → |
| ShenandoahNational Park | 1,682,152 | May | Oct | Jan | Where to stay → |
| ColonialNational Historical Park | 1,582,994 | February | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| Fredericksburg & SpotsylvaniaNational Military Park | 765,991 | September | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| Cumberland GapNational Historical Park | 765,010 | September | Oct | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Harpers FerryNational Historical Park | 537,876 | September | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| PetersburgNational Battlefield | 494,358 | October | Aug | Jan | Where to stay → |
| ManassasNational Battlefield Park | 473,482 | May | Apr | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts | 437,413 | May | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial | 363,284 | January | May | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Prince William ForestPark | 339,015 | April | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| RichmondNational Battlefield Park | 149,545 | September | Oct | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Appomattox Court HouseNational Historical Park | 77,496 | October | Jun | Jan | Where to stay → |
| George Washington BirthplaceNational Monument | 72,072 | September | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Booker T WashingtonNational Monument | 24,209 | January | Jun | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Maggie L WalkerNational Historic Site | 6,310 | January | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
Virginia park crowd calendar (19 parks, all 12 months)
Download the full best-months table for all 19 of Virginia's national parks — each park's month-by-month crowd index (1.0 = its average month), busiest and quietest months, and Best-Time-to-Visit score. Built from NPS visitation data. Enter your email to download. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Where to stay near Virginia's national parks
Find hotels, cabins and vacation rentals across Virginia to base your national-park trip — live availability and prices.
Top-rated places to stay near Virginia national parks
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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