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Yorktown in York County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Join the Adventure

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

 
 
Join the Adventure Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, April 20, 2013
1. Join the Adventure Marker
Inscription.
Explore the places Englishman John Smith traveled in the early 1600s. Learn about the thriving American Indian communities he encountered and imagine the bountiful Chesapeake he observed. Experience the natural and cultural richness that exists in the region today.

The 3,000-mile Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail traces the exploratory voyages Smith conducted from 1607 to 1609 on the Chesapeake Bay and along several major rivers. The trail includes parks, museum sites, driving tours, and water trails that align with Smith’s historic voyage routes and offer opportunities for recreation and discovery.

Experience the Trail
• Explore rivers, coves, and open water by kayak, sailboat, or motor craft.
• Bicycle or hike along woodland trails and shoreline paths.
• Follow winding back roads through rural landscapes and historic villages.
• Visit places that celebrate American Indian heritage.
• See birds and other wildlife foraging in marshes1 waterways and forests
• Attend festivals and demonstrations, or join a guided tour.
 
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration.
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In addition, it is included in the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1607.
 
Location. 37° 14.377′ N, 76° 30.643′ W. Marker is in Yorktown, Virginia, in York County. It can be reached from Water Street west of Buckner Street, on the right when traveling west. Located along Yorktown's Riverwalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 309 Water Street, Yorktown VA 23690, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: John Smith Explores the Chesapeake (here, next to this marker); The Watermen's Museum (here, next to this marker); Yorktown's Windmill (a few steps from this marker); Pages Rock Lighthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Tobacco Press (within shouting distance of this marker); Virginia Chesapeake Bay Patent Tong Work Boats (within shouting distance of this marker); Oysters and the Chesapeake Bay (within shouting distance of this marker); What’s a Chesapeake Bay Deadrise? (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yorktown.
 
Another marker is no longer nearby. Aviation Field Yorktown (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed).
 
Yorktown's Riverwalk image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher
2. Yorktown's Riverwalk
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 21, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 509 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on April 21, 2013, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
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Jun. 27, 2026