Great find while staying in Nags Head! We walked here from Dowdy park. Next time we will drive and…read morepark in the lot since they have marked hiking trails. Lovely views of flora and fauna. Bring bug spray, sun screen, and water!

Beautiful views. Bring serious bug spray and a camera. I…read morewish they marked the beginning of the trails and paths better. I mean even some spray on the trees would work!

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.

False Cape is Fantastic. Great for Hiking, biking, and camping. I will say it is an easy hike for…read moreme BUT can be challenging because of the sandy parts. This is an out and back not a loop. We always park at National Wildlife Refudge and go through there. Views are Beaches and trees, forest and dunes, wild plants and wild life. Take plenty of water and sunscreen. A hat is always good. I take a day backpack when we go. Tick spray is also a great thing. I can't believe I have never written a review on False Cape State Park. We have had countless adventures hiking and biking. We prefer biking because hiking is a very long hike. There is a long stretch that is not shaded. It is a wonderful area. Very well kept. You can camp with a tent . If you get a camp site on the beach they also give you a second camp site just incase it gets super windy you can fall back to the second campsite. You can book all that with the park. OOO they also offer kayak tours too. I have not done the kayak tour through them but we are planning our kayak trip for this year. Again you book that through the park. They supply you with kayak, life vest and paddle. I think it is about 5 miles from Back Bay Wildlife Refuge to False cape State Park and a little further is the beach. Don't quote me on that. So a round trip on a bike is about 10 miles. And some of the trails around in False cape are so sandy we have locked our bikes at the gift shop and hike the sandy trails. There is a old historical grave yard and a church steeple on one of the trails that is a really cool walk. maybe about a mile round trip. I love the visitor center at False Cape. They have the nicest restrooms. They have snacks and drinks and a place to fill up your water bottles and If you want to get a cool tshirt or a beach towel or a refrigerator magnet they have that too. It is the prettiest visitor center and ALWAYS a friend staff inside to answer any questions.

False Cape-VA State Park. My 20th state park visit. I get a 20 park pin for this in the mail from…read moreVA State Parks. I'm a hiker not a biker. Today, I wish I was a biker. Only bikes and hikes are allowed thru the Back Water Bay Refuge, to get to False Cape. 3.5-4 miles from BWB Refuge.That just gets you to the official sign/entrance to the park. It's another couple miles to the Visiors Center. Then miles of actual trail hikes and enjoying the park. Then , don't forget all those same miles to get back to your car. (BWB Refuge review to come shortly) It was an interesting hike into and out of False Cape on BWB trail. I finally made it to the sign/entrance for False Cape. Sat down, gulped my water and headed back to the car. What was at first an overcast day turned into a hot mess with a severe storm opening up as my foot touched the parking lot to get in my car! I may have been a weeny to get to the entrance and turn around to go back but a smart weenie I was, because, had I been stuck on that trail in that weather with massive lightning and torrential rain, my life would have been at stake. No kidding, my foot hit the pavement and BAM! It was insane. I'm so glad I listen to my instincts. As long as that trail was, 7.5 miles out and back, total, I knew time was limited and I wouldn't let myself stop for longer than a couple gulps of water and a quick pour over my head. Maybe I can go back in the next years. Why 5 stars? VA State Parks are always an adventure! I went! I made it! And I got back to my car just in time! Most of my story is for BWB Refuge, in which, I just told half that story here! It's hard to separate the locations into 2 reviews! 5 Stars for False Cape. The Southernmost VA State Park.

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!

Pettigrew is one of many hidden gems in the NC State Park system. When I visited I found it quite…read moreempty as it was nearing the end of fall. A bit brisk out, and just after a late fall rain it was the perfect time for a visit. There were yellow leaves fallen along the wet boardwalk and nobody around. You can take the hike along the boardwalk all the way to the end where you will find that the park connects to the State Historic Site called Somerset Place. The boardwalk also takes you to the swimming hole. I imagine this place gets quite popular in the summer with families and kids coming out for a swim. The incredibly secluded Lake Phelps is by all accounts in my opinion another Bay Lake of the Carolinas. However, supposedly it is not officially listed as such. Nonetheless, it has all or most of the features of one, including being no deeper than about 10 feet at the deepest point - quite shallow for its size. A good half of the lake is quite difficult to access. Private residences are few and gamelands crossed by only gravel roads aplenty out this way. If you're working on your state parks passport, you will certainly eventually find yourself out here. But even if you aren't, you owe it to yourself to pay it a visit. Especially with kids in the summer.

It's kind of of out of way as close to The coast as you are…read moreit would seem more Logical to make the extra 30 minute drive the the beach or islands Otherwise it was worth the trip to check out once and allow me dog to run around considering how few were there.

Absolutely love this place! It's the perfect place to go for a walk or run, there is plenty of…read morespace for walkers, runners and even bikers! ‍ There's a decent size playground. Oak Grove is definitely on the pretty side, and even if it's hot out, you are mostly in shade! There are smaller, shorter trails inside the woods you can walk through too if you'd like. Plenty of fishing spots!

Free Parking. Porta Potties available. This park has a cement walk way leading up to the…read moreplayground, porta potty, and a picnic area that would be great for wheelchairs. This park is great for adults, kids and dogs. The views are of a crystal clear lake NO swimming and NO boating. Plenty of trees. Great for bird watching. They have a nice size children's playground. Covered picnic tables throughout the park. a few fitness stations on the 1 1/2 mile hike. VERY easy loop hike. Starts out with a cement trail and turns into fine gravel trail around the lake. Lots of people running, kids playing and dogs walking. My favorite thing I found a bench dedicated to their sweet dog Savanna. And they offer doggy poop bags. Encouraging a nice clean park. Nice easy walk and if you time it right there are a lot of great places in that area to eat and a nice shopping area

One day when I was looking around on the National Park Service website, I spotted the Captain John…read moreSmith Chesapeake National Historical Trail (JST). There is nothing I love more than trails, but when you combine history with nature, I get damn giddy! 400 years ago, Captain John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay, and covered over 3,000 miles of trails--most of it being water. In 2006, Congress designated Smith's voyages as the first national water trail. Because of that, there is not one main trail for JST. There are several "trails" throughout Hampton Roads (HR). Each site has a sign and logo (see pictures) representing its inclusion with JST. Here is a list of the places you can visit in HR to check out JST: * Fort Boykin--Smithfield * Windsor Castle Park--Smithfield (Technically, Smithfield is not included in HR, but close enough to Suffolk, and many HR residents visit often.) * Mariners' Museum--Newport News * Virginia Living Museum--Newport News * Fort Monroe National Monument--Hampton * Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve--Portsmouth * First Landing State Park--Virginia Beach * Lynnhaven River NOW--Virginia Beach * Great Bridge Lock Park--Chesapeake TIPS: * Download the Chesapeake Explorer App (http://chesapeakeexplorerapp.com/) * Check out A Boater's Guide to the JST (http://goo.gl/dLi34r) * Here is the historical map from John Smith voyages: http://goo.gl/rGvgDA And here is the current map for JST: http://smithtrail.net/visit-the-trail/index * There is a Junior Ranger badge specifically for JST--ages 6 - 12. Go to this website and follow the directions: http://smithtrail.net/about-us/for-kids * Calling educators/parents! They offer lesson plans on the website: http://smithtrail.net/about-us/for-educators * Many of the water trails are accessible to kayaks and canoes! * Take a driving tour. (http://goo.gl/C4b7jk)

Very low key park - at least for the purposes of my visit. I primarily stopped by to go for a quick…read morerun. I think the main trail in the woods is 1.5ish mile loop with a flat terrain. The park also has a decent amount of parking although there were not too many people in the park during my visit. Also, the park/trails were pretty maintained with plenty of markers to keep you going in the right direction. While the park is nice, I probably would not go too far out of my way (30+ minutes by car) to visit unless I want to take advantage of the kayaking/paddle boating opportunities.

Great place to kayak! Quiet near a golf course. Huge lake to paddle. Love the scenery and seeing…read moreall the animals around.

The Mayor and City Council have ruined this beautiful area that I've been visiting for years. I was…read moreshocked when I went. Many people would come take pictures of the rare birds here. Their homes are now gone. What's left doesn't look taken care of. Shame on the city!

Beautiful spot to view wildlife and walk some trails through the woods or by the water. Parking is…read morelimited so plan ahead. Informative signs posted throughout which is helpful & interesting. Free !!!