Hiking, coastal parks

From the banks of the Potomac River to the windswept beaches of the Atlantic Ocean and the massive Chesapeake Bay in between, Virginia is well known for its coastlines. Virginia State Parks provide access to 11 parks in the coastal region where rivers and the ocean meet to create brackish estuaries.

Popular coastal Virginia hikes

Bay View Trail – Just a half hour from Washington, Mason Neck State Park in Fairfax County offers more than 6 miles of unpaved hiking trails and 3 miles of paved multiuse trails. Bay View Trail is an easy loop just over 1 mile and offers a glimpse of nature by the bay.
Cedar Ridge Trail – Caledon State Park in King George offers 14 trails, including seven easy trails and one difficult one, Cedar Ridge, which is a little more than a mile out and back. Dog-friendly, it’s a great trail for eagle watching and enjoying fall foliage.
Hognose Trail - This 2.4-mile loop trail at York River State Park allows both hikers and bikers and features a river overlook and access to various points along the Mattaponi trail. The trail winds through hardwood and softwood trees and mountain laurel, and provides users unique views of park marshes, swamps and drainages. To access the trail, enter at the pump track (the intersection of Laurel Glen Quick Escape and Backbone trail) or at one of the entrance points along the Mattaponi trail. Keep alert for bike traffic if hiking.
Cape Henry Trail – In the heart of urban Virginia Beach, First Landing State Park is a 2,888-acre oasis of cypress swaps, undisturbed natural areas and sandy beaches. Rich in history and Virginia’s most-visited state park, First Landing has 10 trails covering about 20 miles, including bike and fitness trails. Cape Henry Trail is 10.1 miles out and back and is wide and flat. It’s ideal for bikers and hikers and those hoping to view eagles, turtles, snakes, frogs and other wildlife. The use of insect repellant is suggested.
Sand Ridge Trail – False Cape State Park is a remote barrier spit that allows visitors to observe beaches, dunes, maritime forests of oak and pine, wooded swamps, marshes and the bay in one visit. The West Dike, Barbour Hill, Sand Ridge Beach Loop is a 8.9-mile hike through remote sand along the Atlantic Ocean. This is not a hike for beginners, but it’s a park favorite that delivers. Carry plenty of water. Access through the federal refuge is limited from Nov. 1 to March 31. To access the park during this time, you have to travel along the beach or by boat.