Today was a great day for the outdoors so we visiting another one of the Virginia State Parks…read more First let me say - I've never had a bad visit at the VASP's Besides the great weather we wanted to visit this newer state park. We enjoy camping in our RV and discovered this park had camping sites. So normally if possible we will check out a park before we drag our big beast RV to a location. I found the camping sites real nice and fairly large. None of the site look difficult to back into. However, they do have several pull through sites. None of the sites seem to have any cover - so you will need to deal with the sun and maybe summertime heat. Just know that. Some sites do have E/W. The dump station appears clean and easy in & out. The bath house was very clean As for the rest of the park. Just wonderful biking/walking path. Not sure but there are a few miles of them and all look flat. As for the trails to the water, they are rocked and again I'm sure a mountain biker can easily handle them. Not 100% sure though if bikes are allowed on them - so check before you do. I even seen an older lady driving her motorized wheelchair on these paths and she didn't seem to have any difficulty. The restroom area and picnic pavilions looked great and were very clean. Of course this facility is newer, so I hope they stay looking as great as they do today. I expect we will be back here with the RV in the Fall or Spring. I say this again due to no real shade in the campground area and no swimming avail.

Meaning "A special meeting place", Machicomoco was a lovely place to take a quick walk and only…read morejust beating the downpour. The Interpretive Area has gorgeous water views, and short gravel trails. A longer loop trail circled the park, saw a few deer in the fields. There were several marsh birds, including white heron!

It's been a long time since last on the Noland Trail and I really enjoyed my two hour, six mile…read morehike. I started at Lions Bridge where there is limited parking. Much more availability of parking is at the Mariners Museum. The Noland Trail is not on public land, it's private and donated for public use. The trails snakes around the James River with beautiful scenery of woods and water. The trails snakes around is well marked. Every bridge has a marker, there are a lot of them. What impressed me the most was the trail is engineered. There is a massive amount of drainage to keep it dry. The elevations have wood ties to help with climbing. It's the most engineered trail I've ever hiked. You have options with length, but it's approximately 5-6 miles. There are no trash cans, or restrooms. However, the Mariners Museum has both and they welcome hikers. When talking to several friends about the Noland Trail they are unaware of its existence. Don't snooze on this trail and enjoy with the warmer weather.

The Noland Trail is one of my favorite spots to bike! I love soaking in all the views, the scenery…read moreis peaceful, and there's always something new to see. The trail is really well maintained, with a nice variety of hills, twists, and turns that keep the ride interesting without being too intense. There's plenty of parking and multiple entrances, which makes access super easy no matter where you're coming from. And don't be surprised if you spot some wildlife along the way. Whether you're biking, walking, or just looking to unwind outdoors, the Noland Trail is a gem!

Merchants Millpond State Park is located in Gates County. The park was created in 1973. The park is…read more3250 acres. The Visitor's Center has restrooms, a small gift shop and picnic tables outside. The area was originally home to gristmills and a sawmill, and a farm supply store, where the trading happened. When the mills closed around World War II, the land was sold to developers. The land was donated to the state and became the park. The pond has a unique ecosystem. Some artifacts from the old mill are displayed in the visitor center. The exhibits cover the history of the area and the wildlife there. Who knew that alligators are this far north? You will also find beavers, otters, bobcats, birds and fish.

Camping on an island that you canoe to. Seeing an…read morealligator. Turtles. Beautiful. Best when radios are not playing.

Beautiful shady walking trail in Williamsburg. Saw several neat insects, lots of ducks, tadpoles,…read moresome turtles and a heron. We also spied at deer! I do wish the trail was marked more clearly when you're on the boardwalk bridge but overall a good experience.

This was overall a great hike. It was a nice nature break during our vacation. It had beautiful…read morefall foliage and the paths were clearly marked. Lots of picture opportunities - in fact, I remember the city park's website promoting some photo contest for their trails. We only expected to be among the woods until we found the asphalt trail that borders a vast field. We took that path and took more pictures. We saw hawks circling the field but none took a land dive. I was happy to see it all and then return to the woods for more cold air. It was really enjoyable and I would recommend the trek. We were out there at least 2 hours. Restrooms were port-a-potties.

5.6 miles long. No trash. Nice people who like to be active…read more Parking on either side you come in on although there's no physical address on Maps. I love this trail because it's the longest I know in Hampton roads. There're Mom's with strollers. Whole families. Mini field trips with small children. Bikers. Skateboarders.... Everyone. Of course it's shaded because of all the trees. Just be careful because it's so soothing to walk, you might end up at the end and have to walk right back to your car lol. And if you didn't plan on waking over 11 miles... that could be tricky. My feet were sore for two weeks when I made that mistake with the wrong shoes on. Happy trails!!

One of My favorite place to walk and kayak. I will come…read moreBack later and kayak. there were great Paths, places for people to fish and to have small boats.

Went for a walk on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Took about an hour to walk the entire trail. It…read moreis entirely flat but you do need to watch where you step because of all the roots sticking out of the ground. There are many trash cans along the paths and a good amount of dog bag stations. There is a restroom in the by the front parking area as well as kayak launch areas and picnic tables. Many benches and areas to relax, as well as places to fish. This is a lovely, serene place to enjoy the outdoors and relax.

On this rainy Sunday newly arrived Snow Geese from Greenland and Russia have arrived. This has been…read morea bucket list for years. Hundreds of these geese, named for their white plumage, have landed in North Carolina. The snow goose is mostly covered in white feathers, but has black wing tips. They are typically native to Greenland, Canada, Alaska and the northeastern tip of Siberia. While seemingly rare to most people, there's another type of goose that's far more rare to spot along the Atlantic Coast that has also arrived- the Blue Ross Goose. Its color mutation is controlled by a single gene. This bird was the inspiration for cartoonist J.N. Darling to create the symbol of the the National Wildlife Refuge System. Populations of blue geese are found mostly in central North America and very rarely come to the east coast. Snow Geese fly to the Arctic and subarctic zone of North America, as well as marginal areas of neighboring Russia and Greenland to breed each year. They time their arrival to coincide with the melting snow and thawing ice. The tundra of the far north provides rich foraging grounds and a relatively safe place for these birds to raise their family. At such high latitudes however the summer is short-lived, and the birds must head south because they cannot survive the coming harsh winter. Once breeding is complete, the birds molt and then begin a long migration. The timing of migration is highly dependent on weather conditions, but normally begins shortly after the first snow begins in mid August and is usually completed by December. The migration is a pretty drawn out affair that lasts 3 or 4 months, making long stopovers at regularly used staging grounds to refuel for the next leg. They will begin their northward spring migration as early as February from the south and arrive at their breeding grounds by the end of May. Geese form lifelong pairs on their second northward spring migration. They will mate for life and return to the same nest site year after year.

If you have never been to this spot - you are missing out. This summer I have made it my mission…read moreto bike all the local refuge, parks, and trails and I have found some real gems but this has been my favorite so far. Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge is just across the Virginia/North Carolina border (through Pungo and Princess Anne Road) and takes up most of Knott's Island. There are two primary entrances and during COVID the facilities are closed but you can still adventure, hike, fish, ride bikes, bird and wildlife watch, and enjoy! Most of this refuge is made up of marsh land and I rode the loop from the end of the entrance road parking lot fully around earlier today which was around 5.5 miles total and it was beautiful. I saw huge cattails, tons of white baby's breath flowers along the trail, turtles, birds, fish, and white and blue herons! No snakes surprisingly. There is no shade on the trail so come prepared with tons of water and hats and sunscreen. Water and marsh on both sides and beautiful, beautiful, scenery is what you will be treated to here. It is a must see. My all-time favorite so far this summer!