Just spent a full weekend at Belle Isle - everything from the facilities to the park rangers and…read morestaff to the activities are fantastic. Friendly camp hosts, huge private camp sites, and very clean restrooms (with free showers!). This was our first time at this park and it will not be our last. The rentals are inexpensive, the canoeing and biking is great, and the park is absolutely beautiful. The quiet hours are definitely enforced (which I'm comfortable with... I wouldn't want a nearby site keeping me awake at night). As long as you're respectful of the rules you won't have any problems.

This is a fun state park to visit! There is a beautiful area by the water that is great for walking.read more

This is a lovely short trail. Parts of it is a raised wooden walkway. It's almost completely…read morelevel. At the end there is a raised wooden platform with beautiful views of the bay. If you never been, you should go. It's about one of the easiest trails you can do.

Dameron Marsh is located along the Chesapeake Bay in Kilmarnock, Virginia. The preserve in…read moreNorthumberland County is an excellent place to see marshland birds, local flora and fauna, and various wildlife. Managed by Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation, it is a must see in the Northern Neck / Northern Neck Heritage Area.

Hickory Hollow Natural Area Preserve offers various trees, ravines, swampland, and wetland…read more Additionally, you have an abundance of birds, wildlife, fauna & flora. The preserve has well marked trails and a small parking area. Arrowed signs and color code on trees help visitors verify/match desired trail with coordinating trail names. Throughout the trails and at the parking area, are informational signs and wildlife listings. Once at the swamp, there is a seating area so you can sit and enjoy the surroundings. Enjoy a day of exploring.

Nice close by place for walk in the woods. Great that folks set it aside. Well cared for. Close in…read moreand peaceful.

A beautiful park, the walks to the two beaches (fossil beach and the Potomac waterfront) are not…read morefor the faint of heart! Totally worth the hikes, but the beach trail down to the waterfront with all the breakwaters is about 250 stairs. And STEEP! It looks like they are building a road down to there right from the campground that will take you right there. You can drive down on an actual road but where's the fun in that? The camper sights are nice and mostly level. In campground A, most face into the forest so you don't see your neighbors. And it's the closest to the beach trails. Not all sights in campground A have water and electric so check b4 booking. We had site a26 and it was good. But the a sites (1-7) are the best. We did both hikes in one day, so there isn't much of anything else to do. Unless you love to just hike. In which case there are plenty of other trails. The staff is very friendly. There are no public restrooms close.

Westmoreland state park is a true hidden gem located in Westmoreland past King George VA. It is…read moreclose to the George Washington Birthplace. Parking cost about $10 at the entrance. When I was driving in I noticed campgrounds but unsure if there are cabins. They have a nice playground and bathrooms close by. Near the visitor center there is also a Discovery Center however we did not stop by. The ranger let us know that they have more things to look at. We came to check out the Fossil Beach and found a small shark tooth. The rangers were very helpful and kept my kids very engaged while sharing all about the cool things this park has to offer. Inside the visitor center you can find snacks, water fountains, restrooms, air conditioning, a neat gift shop, turtles, and snakes. Ask about their Jr. Ranger program/booklet. It is very kid friendly even for older toddlers. Definitely make a day trip out of this park. In addition to shark teeth hunting you can also swim in the river. Many people were here with umbrellas and towels. It is about a 0.5 mile hike to get to Fossil beach.

Really great place for a day trip with the family…read more The beach is nice and the water looked clean. There is a nice path about half mile to the beach. Go early as the parking lot can fill up.

Ok, the jellyfish were so bad this time that we couldn't even get in the water properly. I was…read morestung within a minute in not even ankle deep water (their stings are not terrible but not recommended). Minus one star, but I would still recommend it turning non-jellyfish season.

Totuskey Creek is located in Richmond County, VA which is included within the scenic Northern Neck…read more Seen outside of Warsaw, VA along Route 3, this creek is a tributary to the Rappahannock River which ultimately provides watersheds to the Chesapeake Bay. The area surrounding Totuskey Creek is full of history. It was the home of the Rappahannock Tribe. In April 1651, the area east of the creek was deeded to colonists. In 1730, a tobacco inspection site was located here. Along the creek, there is a public boat launching ramp. Dependent on the season, you will see various birds. Additionally, you can enjoy the local flora and fauna.

Battle Creek Cypress Swamp State Preserve is located in Prince Frederick MD. Had an opportunity to…read moreenjoy the flora and fauna of the preserve, and an amazing Boardwalk trail over the swamp itself! This is a relatively short (only 0.90 miles of trails) but nonetheless a fascinating adventure!

A cypress swamp sounds like something you'd find in Belize or in Dinotopia, but in fact we have one…read moreright here in Maryland. It's free, and from the parking lot one finds a visitor center with several animals (including some disabled rescue raptors outside). Restrooms are the first thing you see upon walking in, a wise choice given that this place is a pretty decent drive from almost anywhere. It is, however, not far off Route 4, and a viable stop on the way to other things in the region. After the visitor center, a boardwalk leads out into the swamp, and make no mistake it is pretty swampy. The trees apparently put their roots out aboveground to stabilize themselves, leading to a bizarre aesthetic of knobby root bits sticking up everywhere. The area is quiet but for the slow flow of water, and you can almost feel nature renewing itself; wetlands are tremendously valuable. It isn't a large area; not something you'd spend a whole day at with just the boardwalk and a few other areas to walk through, but it makes for a nice diversion.

Guys.. I only made it one mile in on the Powhatan Creek Trail on a knee scooter in the heat. Those…read moreelevations and ups and downs on the trail and the heat wore me out. The Powhatan Creek TRail is an ADA trail which means people with wheelchairs or strollers or wheels can access this trail. The Powhatan creek trail is paved which is a total of 2.05 miles, but not all ADA trails have to be paved as long as they are hard and stable- it can be packed gravel. The gravel near the church was maneuverable on a knee scooter. I did my research ahead of time to find ADA trails so that I would be able to join my husband on a walk. He wanted to walk somewhere we have never been and I wouldn't be able to join him unless I could wheel around on my knee scooter since I'm not walking long distances in the community yet. We opted to park at Clara Byrd Elementary which has four parking spaces near the trail head. The one mile of Powhatan Creek Trail we explored was nice and shaded. We crossed over two long bridges, which had a small creek below it. The trail meanders behind neighborhoods. Although the trail is paved, there are some cracks and buckled pavement due to uprooting from trees. Off the Powhatan Creek Trail, you will pass by some historical sites, such as the battle of Green Spring and an old main church CC 1750 or rather remnants. I would like to further explore the rest of this trail and the many other trails they have to offer when able to walk again and am fully recovered. There are so many trails and this area also leads to parts of the Capital bike trail as well. Definitely bring a hat, some sunscreen and water during the summer months. Bug spray and a first aid kit is also ideals. A bee stung my husband but thankfully he's not allergic. Fortunately, I did have my epi pen on me. Bottom line, just make sure you have a first aid kit available for emergencies like this. Just be aware that the hills on this path can be quite arduous, so make sure you are adequately physically fit to embark on this trail.

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.

Always enjoy visiting parks on travels & as a lighthouse buff I made it a point of visiting this…read moreone. Park appears well-maintained (including the restrooms near the lighthouse). Enjoyed walking around the lighthouse & paths. Great views of the River & Bay. Looking forward to the completion of exhibits and opening of the lighthouse to visitors!

This place is a joke. Went there yesterday just to drive through the park so I could show it to my…read moregirlfriend and was told by the park ranger that I had to download the app and create an account before we were allowed to get in. They couldn't simply take the $10.00 entry fee let us in and create the account later. Instead they had to inconvenience us and tell me that I had to create an account first, Bottom line is that I will never come back to this dump again. Maryland sucks all around as they have some of the most outdated facilities at virtually all of their state parks. Typical democratic run state

I had heard rumors about Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge while planning my Fourth of July…read moregetaway to Maryland. More importantly, I heard there was a scenic Wildlife Drive where I could experience the refuge without spending hours hiking in a 107-degree heat wave. As someone who enjoys both nature and air conditioning, this sounded like an outstanding life decision! Before leaving, I did a little homework. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is normally just $3 per vehicle (or $1 for pedestrians), making it one of the best bargains around. Even better, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service occasionally offers free admission weekends, and I happened to visit during one celebrating America's 250th birthday. Admission was waived July 3 through July 5, making an already inexpensive adventure even sweeter. Free is one of my favorite prices, especially when it's attached to some place this beautiful! PRO TIP #1: If you're the type of person who enjoys quirky travel sidequests, ask about the Blue Goose Passport while you're there. I had recently learned online that National Wildlife Refuges have their own passport program, similar to the National Park Passport books, and naturally that became my newest obsession. The Visitor Center sold the passport for just $9, and I happily bought one and collected my very first refuge stamp. I arrived around 1:15 p.m. and immediately noticed...there wasn't a single car in the parking lot. Thankfully, the Visitor Center was open, despite looking completely deserted from the outside. While I was browsing the small gift shop afterward, I picked up a Christmas ornament, a sticker for my memory ball and, of course, my brand-new Blue Goose Passport. Prices in the gift shop were surprisingly low! Now, I have to be honest. The employee working that afternoon wasn't exactly the welcoming face of America's National Wildlife Refuge System. She seemed...less than thrilled that visitors existed that day. When I walked in, beaming and excited, and exclaimed, "You ARE open today!" She looked me dead in the eyes and said, dryly, "Unfortunately." Well, FORTUNATELY, she was a very small part of an otherwise wonderful afternoon! I began the Wildlife Drive and immediately noticed signage confirming admission was free for the holiday weekend. The drive took me about an hour because I drove nice and slowly, stopping whenever something caught my eye and scanning the marshes for wildlife. I saw plenty of birds...and not much else. But honestly, I don't blame the animals. If it was 107 degrees outside, I'd be hiding somewhere cool too. Even without a parade of wildlife, the drive itself was beautiful! Blackwater protects more than 30,000 acres of tidal marshes, forests and wetlands along Maryland's Eastern Shore and is famous for its bald eagles, osprey and incredible birdwatching opportunities. The scenery alone made the trip worthwhile! PRO TIP #2: Bring binoculars. Seriously. Phone cameras can only zoom so much before every bird starts looking like a tiny feathered blob. I spent half the drive wondering, "What is that?!" Binoculars would have made the experience so much better. One thing I really appreciated was learning that visitors are welcome to walk or bike the Wildlife Drive in addition to driving it. The loop is roughly four miles, completely paved and almost perfectly flat. I could already tell while driving that I'd enjoy it even more on foot during cooler weather. If hiking is more your style, the refuge also offers several trails, including the 2.5-mile Key Wallace Trail, the one-mile Woods Trail, the 1.5-mile Tubman Road Trail and the shorter Marsh Edge Trail. Based on what I saw, spring and fall would be incredible times to come back. If you're hoping to maximize wildlife sightings, November through February is prime time for wintering waterfowl. September also sounds fantastic with migrating ospreys, blooming tickseed sunflowers, abundant toads and peak songbird migration. Despite my less-than-cheerful interaction inside the Visitor Center, I genuinely loved my visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It's peaceful, affordable, family-friendly and can be whatever you want it to be. Spend an hour driving the Wildlife Drive, spend half a day hiking or simply enjoy slowing down and taking in one of Maryland's most beautiful natural spaces. And if you're anything like me...don't leave without the Blue Goose Passport! Trust me. One passport stamp somehow turns into your next adventure!

Totally not what we expected! There wasn't much wildlife, the drive is not very long. We had more…read morefun at the Marina Bay in town. I would however give 5 stars to the helpful staff, very knowledgeable.