Virginia

Virginia offers Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway hiking, paddling, caving, beachgoing, and wild-pony viewing. Shenandoah National Park's 500-plus miles of trail, over 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail (more than any state), Chincoteague and Assateague, and the Shenandoah Valley caverns anchor it.

Fall (mid-October) is peak foliage in Shenandoah; spring brings wildflowers and waterfalls. Summer is hot and humid, prime for the coast and the mountains' cool relief; winters are mild on the coast.

Black bears and white-tailed deer are abundant in Shenandoah, where peregrine falcons have been reintroduced, while the wild ponies of Chincoteague and the Chesapeake's blue crabs, rockfish, and waterfowl define the coast.

From spruce-capped Blue Ridge summits and Appalachian forest to the karst valley, Piedmont hardwoods, the Great Dismal Swamp, and Chesapeake and Atlantic coastal habitats, Virginia spans mountains to sea around the largest estuary in the U.S.

The ancient Blue Ridge Mountains (5,729-ft Mount Rogers is the high point) and the limestone-cave-riddled Shenandoah Valley rise in the west, descending through the rolling Piedmont and the fall line to the coastal plain, the Chesapeake Bay, and the barrier islands of the Eastern Shore.

The Powhatan and other peoples lived here, encountering the 1607 Jamestown colony — the first permanent English settlement. Rich in Revolutionary and Civil War history, Virginia was the 10th state, in 1788.

A storied Appalachian Trail and Skyline Drive tradition, Chesapeake Bay watermen's culture, and deep American history woven through the landscape define the outdoors.

Chesapeake Bay restoration, protecting Shenandoah's recovered forest and air quality, conserving the Eastern Shore barrier islands, and the Great Dismal Swamp are key efforts.

Washington Dulles and Reagan (near Shenandoah), Richmond, and Norfolk (for the coast) serve the state. A vehicle is essential; Shenandoah is about 75 miles from D.C.

Slick rock scrambles (Old Rag sees frequent rescues — start early), black bears (store food), summer storms, rip currents on the coast, and ticks are the main concerns.

State parks charge a fee, and the Virginia DWR administers licenses; Shenandoah requires a park pass, and Old Rag requires a day-use ticket in season.

Store food in bear country, and respect nesting-wildlife closures at Chincoteague.

Drive Skyline Drive for fall color (reserve Old Rag tickets in season), camp among the wild ponies at Chincoteague, and tour the Shenandoah Valley caverns. Visit the mountains in spring or fall.

Virginia borders Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and D.C., linking Shenandoah, the Blue Ridge, the Chesapeake, and the Atlantic.