Sandy Bottom Nature Park has always been a go-to when it came to walks. Starting back in 2018,…read moreit's never disappointing during each visit. Last month, I joined a friend of mine for a morning stroll. Let's see how the visit turned out. I met my friend outside of the information center on an early Saturday morning. The weather was cold but not to where walking was impossible. The path we took, Wetlands, was pretty good and mostly dry. It's the main one we take everytime I visit. I was surprised there weren't other people out and about since it had sunshine, but it was cold and breezy. Just the way a nice trail should be on a Saturday morning. Overall, a pretty good time to get some exercise in. This park is one which will continue to be one of my favorites. Till next time :)

The trails are mostly wide and shaded. The dog park also, my Enzo loves it,as do I !!read more

We call this FORT FUN, nice big big park for kids of all ages. My toddler (3) loves this park. I…read morefor one love the size of it and location.

Tons of different things for the kids to do. It was busy when we went on a Saturday afternoon, but…read morethere is so much space that it didn't cause any issues!

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.

This petting farm is Free to visit! Has good parking space. They have a great variety of animals,…read moreincluding sheep, goats, llamas, donkeys, horses, pigs, chickens, birds, and even a beautiful white peacock. There's also a nice play area for kids, plenty of picnic tables, clean bathrooms, and a lovely garden. It's a wonderful place to spend the day with family, enjoy a picnic, and get up close with the animals. Overall, a beautiful and well maintained place. Highly recommend!

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!

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.

Loving driving down to the Noland Trail. Never gets old and always a new adventure. A new…read morediscovery. I passed by this playground multiple times but ever stopped to check it out.

Stopped in to pick up the Christmas light tickets for this year and the visitor center part opens…read moreat 9:00. The park itself opens at 8:00 but this was such a cool little office visitor Center and they were so wonderful. So go in and get your tickets. I've honestly only been through the park for the Christmas lights so I do need to go back and check it out for a good hike

A lovely gem of a park that is kind of tucked away and would be easy to miss when in the area, that…read morewould be a shame, so do make a point of checking it out. Good for bikes, hikes, walking, running, dog walking, fishing, birding, etc. Plenty of parking is available and trails are well marked.

A simple place to just hang out. You can go crabbing here or fishing. We collect sea glass and all…read moreother rare finds. I have see. People take kayaks out here as well. There is a picnic table available under some trees to have a picnic. You can also sit and watch what I call America... F22s and other planes from Langley AFB. A great place to take photos.

Living in Newport News, trail walking has been a great hobby for myself. Checking out local nature…read moretrails has been one that I'm trying to upgrade. And it looks like I found a brand new one to add to my locations. Riverview Farm Park is located by Menchville High School. It has a playground area and soccer field for kids to play. They also have group shelters reserved for large picnics. For you trail lovers, they have a 2-mile loop where you can walk, jog or run. Some can even ride bikes. There aren't many trees around so walking during the summertime may not be your cup of tea. But it was really nice to take a morning stroll here with friends, even during cold weather. Everything was paved, which helps when your avoiding water puddles and such. Also, there is a separate trail located by the park visitor center where you have a view of the Warwick River. We didn't get the chance to go that route but will check it out when the weather becomes warmer. Again, this trail gets a thumbs up from yours truly and my friends. Till next time :)

This is a beautiful park with walking trails hills and plenty of room for skating or biking…read more There is even a small Skate park The playground is very big and fenced in they have a butterfly garden with beautiful flowers as well There is a dog park located on the far side of the park Close to the gymnastics studio my kids love this park because they have so much space to hang out and run and play. I love the fitness aspect

Nike Park (NP) is a 100-acre park, and in addition to many wonderful amenities, it has historical…read moreties. During the Cold War, the United States feared bombings from the Soviets, and created a Nike surface-to-air missile system. Because of that, Nike-Ajax Missile Base was started due to the large military installations in Hampton Roads. "The Carrollton Nike Missile Battery, N-75, was operational by 1954 and was one of eight bases that made up the Norfolk Defense Area. As with all continental bases, it consisted of two areas: a launch area and a control area. These two sites were connected by an underground cable system that enabled them to communicate" (http://www.historicisleofwight.com/nike-park.html). Here are the wonderful amenities at NP: * Restrooms with water fountains * Large playground * Skate/BMX park * Tennis courts * Picnic Tables with grills * Fishing Pier on Jones Creek * Nature trail * Mountain bike trail (the trail is about 2.5-miles but it's not a loop--you have to either turn around or follow the field out) * Softball/soccer fields * Basketball Courts * Senior Center * Recreation hall and multi-purpose room * Beautiful, old trees especially around the playground I had been to NP a couple of times, but I didn't realize the wonderful mountain bike trail, and the historic ties to the park. I will be taking my boys here soon to use the mountain bike trail, and check out the location of the underground missile magazines. NP is a wonderful park to visit, and so many things to do. For More Information: Here is video about the history of Nike-Ajax Missile Base on Nike Park. It's about 14 minutes long: https://goo.gl/appShO http://nikemissile.org/ http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html http://alpha.fdu.edu/~bender/N-view.html

Can I give this place 4 stars for nostalgia? I used to have Cross Country practices here back in…read morehigh school. There are plenty of nice trails, all leading to docks overlooking the muck, mire, and water. There are two kid's playgrounds, a bathroom facility, a skate park, and an outdoor area with exercise equipment. It's a good place to bring the kids to play, or a date for a walk.

We absolutely love this park…read more It is so nice that there is rubber down instead of mulch that gets stuck in the children's shoes. There are several slides so everyone can go down. There is a sunshade over top to help cut down on it being hot from the sun. There is plenty of grass around for children to run in as well if they wanna bring a ball. There are 2 tables with a shade so that you can sit and eat. Plenty of parking and clean restrooms.