James River State Park in Buckingham County, Virginia, opened in 1999 along the James River and preserves both part of the river and a section of the historic Kanawha Canal route. The park is especially notable for its more than 130 acres of native warm season grasses covering riverside fields. These uncommon grasslands, now rare in the Eastern United States, are maintained through periodic prescribed fire to sustain native plant communities. The park’s significance lies in protecting both a historic transportation corridor and an unusual large-scale remnant of native landscape along the river.

Arrington, Virginia · USA