2. Belle
Isle State Park - 804-462-5030
Location:
Lancaster County. Take Route 3 to Route 354 and
then Route 683 near Litwalton to the
park entrance.
With 733 acres, seven miles of
shoreline on the Northern Neck's Rappahannock River, and access
to Mulberry and Deep Creeks, visitors to Belle Isle State Park
can explore a wide variety of tidal wetlands interspersed with
agricultural fields and upland forests.
Belle Isle is open daily and
features three picnic shelters, hiking, biking and bridle
trails, motor boat launch, overnight lodging at the Bel Air
Mansion and the Bel Air Guest House, bicycle, canoe and
motorboat rentals, guided canoe trips, a car-top launch area,
restrooms, a universal access playground, and conservation
education programming and other interpretive programs.
5. Caledon
Natural Area - 540-663-3861
Location: King George County. From Fredericksburg, take
Route 218 east. From U.S. 301 take
Route 206 west 4 miles to the intersection of Route 218,
then go west about 1 mile. Summer home
to one of the largest concentrations of American bald eagles on
the East Coast, Caledon attracts bird watchers of all ages.
To
protect the eagles, access to the forests and marshes is
limited. However, limited tours of the eagle area are offered
seasonally. A visitor center with new exhibits, installed in
1999, and picnic area with restrooms also are available
seasonally between May and September.
6. Chippokes
Plantation State Park - 757-294-3625
Location: Route 634 in Surry County,
access is via State
Route 10.
With its recreational activities
and an opportunity to look at life of a bygone era, Chippokes
Plantation offers something for everyone. A working farm for
more than 370 years, visitors may tour an antebellum mansion,
stroll through gardens, or view a collection of antique
equipment in the Farm and Forestry Museum.
A campground and three unique
overnight cottages allow visitors to spend the night on the
historic grounds. The park has a visitor center with a gift
shop, interpretive programs, and features a children's
playground and opportunities to bike, hike, swim, and picnic.
Special Events: Steam and
Gas Engine Show in June, Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival in July,
Plantation Christmas Craft Festival in October, Christmas Open
House in December.
11. False
Cape State Park - 757-426-7128
Location: Southeast of Virginia Beach, 5 miles south of
Sandbridge. No vehicular access.
One of the few remaining
undeveloped areas along the Atlantic Coast, False Cape offers a
chance to experience nature in a one-of-a-kind setting. A huge
migratory bird population and a variety of wildlife, plants, and
trees make the park an outdoor classroom for students.
Wash Woods Environmental
Education Center is available for overnight groups. Hiking,
biking, and primitive camping are favorite activities. The park
is accessible only by foot, bicycle, people mover, tram, or boat.
Tram transportation through Back Bay Wildlife Refuge is
available April through October. For tram reservations, call
1-757-498-2473. Between Nov. 1 and March 31, access to the park
may be restricted to the beach or via the park's new people
mover, the Terra-gator.
12. First
Landing State Park - 757-412-2300
Location: U.S. 60 at Cape Henry in Virginia Beach.
On April 26, 1607, some 100
English settlers landed here and established the first elective
government in English America before pushing up the James River
to establish Jamestown. This historic event is reflected in the
name of Virginia's most visited state park.
Along with its historical
significance, the park offers recreational activities and
opportunities to explore a unique habitat featuring lagoons,
large cypress trees, and rare plants. More than 19 miles of
hiking trails wind through the natural area, guided kayak
ecological tours allow exploration of the marshes and bays, and
the visitor center exhibits explain much about this coastal
environment. Climate-controlled cabins, campsites, picnic areas,
a swimming beach, boat ramps, kayak rentals and tours, and a
bicycle trail are offered in the park.
The new Chesapeake Bay Center
features aquariums and a wet lab operated by the Virginia Marine
Science Museum, educational displays, historic exhibits about
the first landing, a camp store, an amphitheater, and an
ecotourism welcome center.
Special Events:
OpSail
2000, June 14-20, 2000 and Fall Harvest in October.
20. Kiptopeke
State Park - 757-331-2267
Location: Eastern Shore. Three miles north of the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge Tunnel on U.S. Route
13, then west on State Route 704
to park entrance.
Kiptopeke offers recreational
access to the Chesapeake Bay along with an opportunity to
explore a unique habitat featuring a major flyway for migratory
birds, rare animal species, and a coastal dune environment.
Full-service and tent campsites, a boat ramp, a seasonal 24-hour
accessible fishing pier, picnic areas, hiking trails,
playground, and a guarded swimming beach are offered in the
park.
Special Events: Eastern
Shore Birding Festival, October 6-8, 2000.
40. Westmoreland
State Park - 804-493-8821
Location: 5 miles northwest of
Montross, just off State
Route 3.
Located on the Potomac River on
the Northern Neck, this park offers many opportunities for
family fun - an Olympic-sized swimming pool and adjacent
bathhouse, restaurant, snack bar, camp store, launching ramp for
power boats, visitor center, both tent and electrical hook-up
campgrounds, climate-controlled cabins, a fishing pier, boat
rentals, and six miles of trails.
The new Potomac River Retreat is
an upscale overnight center suitable for extended family
reunions, retreats, and other small gatherings. The retreat
accommodates groups of up to 16.
43. York
River State Park - 757-566-3036
Location: From Interstate 64, take the Croaker exit.
Go
north on State Route 607 for 1 mile, then
right on State Route 606 to the park entrance.
This park is known for its rare
and delicate estuarine environment, where freshwater and
saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant
life. Taskinas Creek and the surrounding marsh are designated as
a Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Activities and the visitor center
focus on the history, use and preservation of the York River and
its marshes. More than 25 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian
trails - including two single-track mountain bike trails for all
levels of experience - allow visitors to explore the tidal
marsh, river shoreline, and upland forests. A boat ramp, fresh
and saltwater fishing opportunities, playgrounds, picnic areas
with shelters, and seasonal bike, boat, and recreational
equipment rentals are available.
Special Events: Mountain
bike-run duathalon in April, Harvest Moon Dinner and Dance in
September, and Estuaries Day in early October.
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