It's a strange thing to try to put a Yelp rating to, because this is a small park. When they say…read moreonly eight parking spots and nowhere else in the area to park or access the trails, they mean it. And when you hit the beach, you'll struggle to walk far in either direction amongst the driftwood. It was maybe a little over an hour visit for me, and maybe you could push it a little more if you did all the side trails. But I guess the thing for me is that I don't really have any desire to see them do anything different with the space. While much of the shoreline is developed or inaccessible, this area offers a fascinating variety of landscapes. The flora shift dramatically and suddenly, and you don't need signage to tell you where one zone ends and another begins. The diversion off of the main highway is not a huge one, and it is an interesting and worthwhile site.

Full disclosure. We weren't able to fully experience this area because sunset was already…read morehappening. If coming from downtown Cape Charles, the parking lot will be on your right. Look for the kiosk sign, it's a small dirt parking lot. It's easy to miss if you don't pay attention. The lot is said to house 8 cars. Trails are not paved and consist of a mixture of dirt, root laden and sand terrain. There is a small boardwalk to cross on one of the trails that leads to beach access that veers to the right. The trail that leads to the right is roughly Half a mile to slightly a 3/4 mile to the beach. I recommend wearing shoes and not flip flops. I did have shoes on. The starting trails have plenty of shade. We only took one of the three trails due to limited time and it was dark by the time we made it back. They do close the gate by sunset. I happened to be too busy looking at my phone on the way back and actually walked right into the gate. If you do go to catch the sunset, make sure you give yourself at least 10-15 minutes to get back or else you will be stuck using your cellphone flashlight to find your way back or maybe bring a headlight just in case. Also, I didn't have cellphone service, so make sure if you visit in the evening, that you let people know of your whereabouts, prior to heading out in case of an emergency. On the website they say there are no bathrooms, but I happened to see a port a potty on one part of the trail. It looks like a nice place to take walks and explore. I would like to go back and check out the other trails.

The wildlife refuge near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel did not seem to offer a ton of access to…read morebeachy areas, instead containing a visitor center and some trails through reasonably pleasant forest. Stopping in at the visitor center got me a lot of welcomes, including from a retired physician with a biology background (this sounds like a nice way to spend one's retirement). Among other things, I was informed that the island which the bridge runs through is only open for tours a few weeks a year, and I received information on how to pursue those tours, which I might follow through on. Otherwise, I refilled my water bottles and got in a nice little walk.

Worthy of a stop in my book, but don't go out of your way if not passing by. There are two parts…read more The Eastern Shore Visitors Center which has its own listing and the grounds. I would recommend doing both and have enjoyed for years. The location is just a few miles from the Bay Bridge with good signage. If you plan on doing both park at the visitors center there is a grassy path to the refuge. It's approximately a mile walk. If refuge only drive past the VC and hang a right to a small lot. The entrance is under a WW II concrete bunker with a surprise upon passing through. A powerful gun originally mounted in the rear turret of the Missouri. A cool side note. The USS Missouri was the site of the 1945 Japanese surrender ceremony. The 16 inch 50 caliber gun saw extensive action in both WW II and in the Korean War. The weapon was placed inside the refuge in 2013 to represent the original that sat in the very same bunker. The 2,100 pound round could fire at a distance of 21 miles across the bay and then some. On top of the bunker is an over look and worth the climb. Stairs are located on the side and are in great shape. Unfortunately it's not the best Kodak moment with a lot of over growth that needs cleared. If you bring a selfie stick or foot ladder that's best to elevate. There is not a large trail network which is a limiting factor. However, the refugee itself is hundreds of acres all Federally protected. Along the trail to a second overlook is a small cemetery which is nothing of interest. The second overlook located just mInutes from the bunker is the ideal photo op location. It's green, it's marshy and it's expansive. So snap away. For lovers of birds you will see water fowl. I'm a bit surprised that the refuge has so few reviews with a lot of traffic that passes by nearby Highway 13. If time permits go for it. Both the ES Wildlife Refuge and Visitors Center and can be done in less than two hours easy.

We enjoyed a cold winter day on the beach. I'm sure during the summer. It is absolutely beautiful…read moreand a great place to vacation. However, come during the winter. It is just as beautiful and the small town of Cape Charles is so fun.

We go at least twice a year to Cape Charles. One of our favorite beaches! The kids can walk "a…read moremile away" from the shore line and the water will still be waist high on them. We love the fact there are no waves and that there is plenty of shops and eatery near by!

Stopped at the beach while I'm the area for a conference. Absolutely unprepared. Rented a tent and…read morechairs, bought a couple waters and had a nice relaxing time for what it's worth. Parking was free and close to the beach. Bring your bug spray. Dogs are allowed, there is a playground and bathrooms are nearby.

You've come a Long way baby! WOW! I used to come here as a kid and it was nothing like it is now!…read moreTalk about a glow up! The beaches were pristine and even had a buggy driving on the beach picking up bits of debris, but mostly you didnt see any trash on the beach or in the park. The pavilions were clean too! There's a huge playground for the kiddies with plenty of shade! There were lifeguard stations at regular intervals, as well as emt & police patrols making this a safe haven for beach goers! We checked out the lighthouse in the center of the park, the historical marker. There were regular benches and lounge benches at various spots so you could chill if you forgot your beach chairs. Speaking of which, there was a stand/kiosk that rented beachy items - umbrellas, tents water activities, etc. and also sold sunscreen, sunglasses, and other sundries and necessities. Also, we found a sweet swing set near the boardwalk where you can just melt away into the horizon. The beach wasn't crowded and the water was calm and beautiful. Such a relaxing vibe. We will definitely come back to this beach, way more chill than VA beach and cleaner than colonial beach. Plenty of parking too, come during the week if you can! Saturdays get pretty packed. It's only about 1 1/2 hours from Richmond. We saw a couple girls with a big dog on the beach, I think it was a boxer or a Rottweiler- a lifeguard nicely told them that dogs weren't allowed. They were compliant. I appreciated the way that was handled. The park was lovely with picnic tables, lots of trash receptacles to keep the area clean. Great family spot!

Nice small trail not much parking but enjoyable good view of the woods saw a deer squirrel lots of…read morewildlife very nice secluded little noisy from the factory next-door but overall pretty nice

Round up to 3.5 stars If you have to cross the CBBT like us…read moreand pay the hefty toll, I would tack on other places to check out while in Cape Charles. It's not an extensive area as I had thought with lots of access. I would say it would take 30 minutes to explore the area. Maybe 45 minutes to an hour if you just want to sit for a while and look at the overlooks from the boardwalk of the bay. The boardwalk to the right dead ends to the beach, and then if you back track there is another boardwalk that leads to another dead end that overlooks the woods with a partial view of the water. The trails to the right are shaded. But the ones to the left are more open but still surrounded by trees. There are three access points via the boardwalk on the left of the sign. If you have a wheelchair or knee scooter or stroller it may be better to access the boardwalk right in front of the Fuji film building since it's paved from the street. However the access point to the left from the park sign has a dirt path before you reach the boardwalk. All the boardwalks to the left do not connect directly to one another. One has to go to another dirt path to reach the other parts. Bring bug spray. The lot is small. There are two places where you can park. One is in front of the sign that can hold two cars and then adjacent to that a spot that can hold another two cars. It's a nice quiet tucked away area to take a short walk. We went across the street to see if there was more to it. We didn't think the area across the street is part of it, so we didn't head that way. It didn't seem to be a part of it? Not sure. Definitely don't go to the end of the street. We thought for sure it was part of the preserve, but there was a sign that was clearly marked PRIVATE PROPERTY no trespassing, so we turned around. We didn't see much wildlife at the preserve, except a ghost crab on the beach and one squirrel. Unfortunately, we ended up seeing a deceased fawn. :-( It looked like it had just recently passed away and was still intact.

I recently visited Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton and it was a great experience. It is free to enter…read moreand offers a fun, educational environment for all ages. They have a wide variety of animals, including goats, cows, horses, alpacas, peacocks, and ducks. The grounds are well-maintained and the facilities are clean. For groups, there is a covered pavilion with BBQ grills and picnic tables, as well as a playground for children. There is also a vending machine area located by the welcome center. It was not crowded and served as a great way to decompress in nature. I highly recommend visiting this hidden gem.

What a little hidden gem in Hampton! We brought our 8 month old here for about an hour and a half…read moreand it was the perfect spot for him to see animals up close. He even got to pet the donkeys, goats and horses. A decent amount of animals and exhibits. Not too crowded. Good walkability with a stroller. Nice playground. Bathrooms. Free admission!

Hey hey yelpers!!!! I have now lived in OV about 3 years now!! Ocean view park has been a pleasure…read moreto have!!! I have celebrated first dates here, movies in the park,country music in the park, enjoyed many of the parks reps welcoming demeanors, and it has just been a wonder experience. Most events here are free to the public and many vendors do come show love!! Pet friendly and all around a great vibe if you wanting to get out. Most events takes place are Friday or Saturday at this beautiful park!!!

Beautiful day at the beach. We found some shade and sat on the beach for nearly 2 hours, during…read morewhich an osprey flew back-and-forth and a large pod of dolphins jump and swam up and down in front of us for nearly 20 minutes. And of course there were the Navy helicopters and jets periodically passing overhead and seagulls running up and down the beach. One particularly grumpy seagull must've believed that the portion of the beach in front of us was his and his alone as he kept running around chasing all the other gulls away from "his" part of the beach. All in all a very entertaining and relaxing visit at the OV beach.

Small park with sports fields and disc golf. No water views here. There is an office with a…read morebathroom that can be used when they are open. Other hours, one must use the port-a-potties.