Gray stone cross monument in front of a low stone wall at the end of a flagstone path
A granite cross erected in 1935 by the National Society Daughters of the American Colonists, in memory of the wooden cross erected by the English colonists in 1607. NPS Photo

Cape Henry Memorial Part of Colonial National Historical Park

National Historic Site · Virginia · National Park Service

English colonists first landed here in April 1607, erected a wooden cross and gave thanks for a successful crossing to a new land. In 1781, Americans could watch from these same sand dunes the largest naval battle of the Revolutionary War. Our French Allies defeated a British fleet just off this shore to set the stage for General George Washington's victory at Yorktown.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
7578982410
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Activities & features: Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking

Photos

  • Patinaed statue of a military officer flanked by flagpoles and benches
    NPS Photo
  • Battle of Capes Wayside
    Park Ranger Linda Williams

Nearby parks

Parks of Virginia

Douthat State ParkTwin Lakes State ParkWilderness Road State ParkAppomattox Court House National Historical ParkSailors Creek Battlefield Historic State ParkFort Monroe National MonumentWestmoreland State ParkGeorge Washington Birthplace National MonumentPowhatan State ParkBreaks Interstate ParkWolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsKiptopeke State ParkNew River Trail State ParkBear Creek Lake State ParkLeesylvania State ParkHungry Mother State ParkArlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialYork River State ParkPetersburg National BattlefieldColonial National Historical ParkFirst Landing State ParkCaledon State ParkShenandoah River State ParkGreen SpringsClaytor Lake State ParkMason Neck State ParkPrince William Forest ParkMachicomoco State ParkStaunton River Battlefield State ParkGreat Falls ParkSky Meadows State ParkYorktown Battlefield Part of Colonial National Historical ParkPocahontas State ParkJames River State ParkNatural Bridge State ParkCedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical ParkRichmond National Battlefield ParkFalse Cape State ParkWidewater State ParkHolliday Lake State ParkFairy Stone State ParkGrayson Highlands State ParkChippokes State ParkBooker T Washington National MonumentLake Anna State ParkFredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military ParkBelle Isle State ParkHigh Bridge Trail State ParkCaptain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic TrailStaunton River State ParkSmith Mountain Lake State ParkManassas National Battlefield ParkShenandoah National ParkOcconeechee State ParkHistoric Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical ParkMaggie L Walker National Historic SiteNatural Tunnel State ParkSeven Bends State Park

59 parks mapped in Virginia

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Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12