Two Virginia state parks---Sky Meadows in the northern Piedmont and Natural Bridge in the central Shenandoah Valley--recently received IDA designation as Dark Sky Parks. Virginia is now home to a total of five Dark Sky Parks (Staunton River State Park, James River State Park, and Rappahannock County Park are the first three).
You can read the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's press release here.
The Roanoke Times ran a story as did The Fauquier Times.
You can find IDA's press release on the IDA website.
A Dark Sky Park designation does not imply that the skies over that location are pristinely dark. In fact, both these parks are in regions where development, and light pollution, have dramatically increased and spread in the past few decades. Rather the designation indicates relatively dark skies that meet a minimum standard for night sky observation and reflects the park's dedication to protecting the park's nocturnal environment.
Learn more by visiting IDA's Dark Sky Places conservation program.
