Perfect spot away from the city chaos…read more Has a decent parking lot and is on the city bus route There is a paved walking trail and basketball court The playground has been updated and is adorable with plenty for the little one to play on There is even a little puppy waste bag stand for your four legged friend definitely a cute spot to relax or run some energy out

This park has great potential....if you can look past the broken glass, beer caps, & endless trash…read morespread throughout the park. Do not recommend if you're trying to go for a walk with your wife and puppy!

This was a good addition to the neighborhood they redid the playground and it has all the new…read moreequipment and a serene red and grey color scheme The the place that is set far enough away from the main road, so that the kids are not in danger while playing There is also a Page track that circles the play area This park did not have an actual parking lot as it is meant for the neighborhood patrons to use however, it is walking distance from suffolk station apartments, as well as the houses and town houses that surround it I hope the children really enjoy this playground area this spring and summer

**There are four regional parks in Suffolk: Bennett's Creek, Lake Meade, Lone Star Lake and Sleepy…read moreHole. But, there are also 14 neighborhood parks as well. I am going to visit as many as I can before I move next month. That is my last parting gift to Suffolk.** Neighborhood Park #6 out of 14 Planters Park (PP) (yes, that Planters!) is a popular park in Suffolk according to information I found online. I never knew it existed as I rarely go by this part of the city. Unfortunately, there is no parking lot, but you can park on York Street. Amenities: *Playground *5-acres *Picnic Tables *Benches *Large open field *1/4 mile walking track around the park There's not a ton of amenities here at PP, but I think the draw is the track. There are some nice shady trees by the picnic tables as well. I was pleased to see that many people and children were out and about today at this park.

I have no idea what possessed me to want to pay the Ol' Dismal Swamp a visit as we were a good 45…read moreminutes away then after leaving it would take us an hour to get back to the hotel in VA Beach. Maybe because it was free but more than likely because I was intrigued at something which had dismal in the name or maybe because I was hoping on the off chance to encounter a Black Bear. Who knows? The Refuge got its formal start in 1974 when the federal government purchased the initial 49K+ acres from the Nature Conservancy who acquired it the year prior from the Union Camp Corporation (a logging company). The Dismal Swamp Act of 1974 gave responsibility for the swamp to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who over time purchased additional land to give the refuge it's current size of more than 112K acres. While the swamp was formally recognized in the 70's, human involvement in the area dates back around 13,000 years but for the most part until the mid-17th century the area was inhabited by Native Americans. European settlers start to find out about the swamp in 1665 when the first Governor of the Albemarle County colony (what is later called North Carolina) William Drummond discovers the swamp and the large circular freshwater lake which now bears his name at its center. (Historical dork sidebar - Drummond in 1677 is part of the great insurrection called Bacon's Rebellion and is eventually executed by Virginia Governor William Berkeley for his role in the rebellion.) Almost one hundred years later, George Washington visits the swamp and with a group of share-holders he organized the Dismal Swamp Company to drain, farm, and log portions of the swamp. A five-mile hand dug ditch leading from the western boundary of the refuge to Lake Drummond. The swamp is also now recognized as an official part of the Underground Railroad as it offered shelter and refuge for freedom-seekers traveling north to the port of Norfolk and beyond. For the purposes of our brief visit to the refuge, it was late in the day and cold as hell outside so we kept things simple by sticking to the Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive which starts at the Railroad Ditch entrance. I know the website mentions needing some kind of a permit and paying a fee but since I'm a douche I didn't bother and the gate at the entrance opened without issue. The road itself from the entrance until you drive the six miles to Lake Drummond is slow going unless you want to damage your car's paint or put nicks in the body on account of the rocky roadbed. Granted we weren't exactly looking for every little thing but aside of an owl we saw no wildlife the ninety minutes we were on the property. Along the way there are trails where you can get out an walk further into the brush/swamp/trees but there is very limited parking to be able to do that. Mostly just a single space or you would need to park I assume along the side of the road. Finally we get to Lake Drummond and while it's beautiful it is also spooky when it's that cold in winter and you're the only people out there for a few miles in any direction without any kind of cell service. It's like a perfect setting for something out of The Walking Dead. Eventually we double back and exit the same way we came in never seeing another car or person the entire time we're there. If you go there are five main access points for the refuge with over eighty miles of trails for hiking and biking. You can fish on Lake Drummond with the proper licenses and permits and hunting for things like deer and bear are available by limited permit in fall and winter but camping is not allowed. While the main refuge office is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, all trails are open daily year round sunrise to sunset. The one exception to that is the The Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive. It's entrance is gated and is open from April 1 to September 30, 7am-7pm and October 1 to March 31, 7:30am-5:00pm. www.fws.gov/refuge/Great_Dismal_Swamp/

We came here because it was our second to last trip to Virginia. If we didn't end up going, I would…read morehave been more than fine. We hiked all of the trails they had. It was decent but pretty underwhelming. I would not go again because it's a lot of driving for mediocre sites and views. Things you need to remember are sunscreen and bug spray! We forgot bug spray, and I got bit by some deer flies -___- I wish their brochures/pamphlets were better as well. Didn't really give any info. Didn't state how long trails were. Barely any pictures of the animals. We saw turkeys and turtles and bugs. Nothing too exciting.

Great organization! Well maintained fields , concessions, youth sports for boys and girls…read more Affordable and great experience

**There are four regional parks in Suffolk: Bennett's Creek, Lake Meade, Lone Star Lake and Sleepy…read moreHole. But, there are also 14 neighborhood parks as well. I am going to visit as many as I can before I move next month. That is my last parting gift to Suffolk.** Neighborhood Park #7 out of 14 Park #7 took me and my youngest to the southern end of Suffolk--all the way to Holland. If you didn't know, Suffolk is the largest city in Virginia by area as well as the 14th largest in the country. Suffolk is HUGE! To give you an idea, I live close to downtown Suffolk -in the middle of the city- and Holland Park and Athletic Fields (HPAF) is 13 miles from me. With a population of only 90,000, it's kind of crazy to think about. Amenities: *3 Picnic Tables *Benches *Playground with swings *Grassy field with a couple of old Magnolia Trees that gives lovely shade *Baseball/Softball Fields with Bleachers, Concession and Tables *Restrooms Located in the Historic Holland District, HPAF is in a nice little part of the city, and it was my first time being there. There's nothing special about this 9-acre park unless you live in this area, but my son and I both enjoyed checking out the really old Magnolia Tree. That part of the park has its own little section with a couple of picnic tables--separate from the playground and ball fields--very quiet, peaceful and lots of shade from the trees. It also has a decent sized grassy field. Because of its location, the restrooms, and the old trees--I'm giving it my first 4 stars out of the neighborhood parks that I've reviewed so far.

Not a large park, but there is lots of parking thanks to the convention center. Nice views of the…read moreriver in the swampy setting. The walkways are wonderfully paved.

Best rink in Virginia! Suffolk got really lucky getting a new rink this year! It even has a…read moretrampoline park!