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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue RidgeParkway | 16,533,753 | January | Oct | Jan |
| George WashingtonMemorial Parkway | 6,732,932 | September | Aug | Jan |
| AppalachianNational Scenic Trail | 6,215,118 | September | Jul | Feb |
| Assateague IslandNational Seashore | 2,325,195 | October | Jul | Dec |
| ShenandoahNational Park | 1,682,152 | May | Oct | Jan |
| ColonialNational Historical Park | 1,582,994 | February | Jul | Feb |
| Fredericksburg & SpotsylvaniaNational Military Park | 765,991 | September | Jul | Feb |
| Cumberland GapNational Historical Park | 765,010 | September | Oct | Jan |
| Harpers FerryNational Historical Park | 537,876 | September | Jul | Jan |
| PetersburgNational Battlefield | 494,358 | October | Aug | Jan |
| ManassasNational Battlefield Park | 473,482 | May | Apr | Jan |
| Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts | 437,413 | May | Jul | Feb |
| Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial | 363,284 | January | May | Jan |
| Prince William ForestPark | 339,015 | April | Jul | Jan |
| RichmondNational Battlefield Park | 149,545 | September | Oct | Jan |
| Appomattox Court HouseNational Historical Park | 77,496 | October | Jun | Jan |
| George Washington BirthplaceNational Monument | 72,072 | September | Jul | Jan |
| Booker T WashingtonNational Monument | 24,209 | January | Jun | Jan |
| Maggie L WalkerNational Historic Site | 6,310 | January | Jul | Jan |
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; you'll also get park crowd updates — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Where to stay near Virginia's national parks
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