It’s not often that Virginia has the opportunity to receive a turnkey state park essentially free of charge, but that was the case with Oak Hill, the presidential home of our Fifth President, James Monroe, located in Loudoun County.
Despite the clear benefits of securing a new state park, which combines historical significance with necessary outdoor recreation access in a rapidly developing part of Virginia, Oak Hill had a rocky start.
In 2025, the legislature rejected a host of bad budget amendments sent down by former Governor Glenn Youngkin, which also included provisions to bring Oak Hill into the parks system, after the failure of earlier legislation in the Senate carried by Del. Alfonso Lopez.
This year, bills from Del. John McAuliff and Sen. Russett Perry failed in the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, leaving the state budget as the last pathway forward to protect Oak Hill.
After the Budget Bill that originally passed out of the legislature failed to deliver protections for Oak Hill, Gov. Spanberger sent down a budget amendment authorizing the Department of Conservation and Recreation to validate Oak Hill as a new state park.
The House supported this amendment on a vote of 75-14, it passed out of the Senate 31-7 and was signed into law by the Governor as part of the final budget package that passed in June, paving the way for Virginia’s newest state park.