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 :)

Beautiful views, lots of trails and dog friendly! I've run a few trails here, walked a few and…read morefrequent the dog park. It's well kept and I love it especially during the fall and spring. There's also plenty of parking!!

This is a little hidden spot in a local neighborhood. It does not look like much at first there is…read morevery little parking since it is mainly intended for the neighborhood residents however it is one of the coolest parks I've seen It had a trail that circles a small lake and has a playground at one end including a tucked away basketball hoop and small court The trail has several possible paths all leading the same way some are next to the water and narrow others are steps and at an incline it is a great workout and the views are beautiful I saw signs of fishing so I can assume fish may be active in the lake I did see several species of birds while here today. The actual playground is clean and a decent size it has swings and a jungle gym complete with slides I walked the circle a few times and really enjoyed the atmosphere Beechlake Park is truly a hidden gem

It is a neat park, but because the water has no circulation the alge is too thick to fish.read more

It's been a long time since last on the Noland Trail and I really enjoyed my two hour, six mile…read morehike. I started at Lions Bridge where there is limited parking. Much more availability of parking is at the Mariners Museum. The Noland Trail is not on public land, it's private and donated for public use. The trails snakes around the James River with beautiful scenery of woods and water. The trails snakes around is well marked. Every bridge has a marker, there are a lot of them. What impressed me the most was the trail is engineered. There is a massive amount of drainage to keep it dry. The elevations have wood ties to help with climbing. It's the most engineered trail I've ever hiked. You have options with length, but it's approximately 5-6 miles. There are no trash cans, or restrooms. However, the Mariners Museum has both and they welcome hikers. When talking to several friends about the Noland Trail they are unaware of its existence. Don't snooze on this trail and enjoy with the warmer weather.

The Noland Trail is one of my favorite spots to bike! I love soaking in all the views, the scenery…read moreis peaceful, and there's always something new to see. The trail is really well maintained, with a nice variety of hills, twists, and turns that keep the ride interesting without being too intense. There's plenty of parking and multiple entrances, which makes access super easy no matter where you're coming from. And don't be surprised if you spot some wildlife along the way. Whether you're biking, walking, or just looking to unwind outdoors, the Noland Trail is a gem!

Beautiful! This…read morespot is a hidden gem that locals kinda of know about and pass the word when in conversation. Thant is how I came about it. It is a great spot to visit and walk the beach. When I was there swimming was not going to be an activity. There was a lot of debris in the water, and the waves were a little much. It was nice to sit and enjoy a snack. This beach has a lot more nature to explore. A lot of people come here to walk the beach and/or run it seems. The path is really well maintained. Parking is located on the street. Follow the posted signs, and you should not have any problem. It is pretty quiet and peaceful. The walk to the beach is maybe 10 minutes. The path is wide and easy to navigate. If you're lucky you may come across some wildlife.

Beautiful and a must see…read more Has a private entrance towards the water and you walk through nature trail to get there wonderful spot for families not too crowded

This place may be small, but it is definitely mighty…read more I had one staff member who was in contact with us while we were planning our visit for our special needs class at our school. He was so helpful and also provided bags of feed to our children while we walked around. While walking around, we were able to see many animals . One of our favorite areas was the garden area. Our children really enjoyed watching and looking at some of the items they were growing, whether it was produce or flowers. Another area we enjoyed was the playground . Our children in our classroom are older, but they were able to enjoy the playground as well. There was plenty of seating around the playground so you could sit and watch the children. The bathrooms were pretty clean for the type of area we were at . All of the staff that we came in contact with were fantastic. There was a lot of hard-working staff members there whether they were feeding animals or watering or attending to ground crew chores. The parking lot is pretty large. It can accommodate both vehicles and buses. We will definitely return .

Bird Bird Gap Farm is a gem for families looking for a fun, safe, and engaging place to spend the…read moreday. Right near the entrance, you'll find clean and well-maintained restrooms--something every parent can appreciate! Off to the side, there are fantastic sensory and fine motor skill activity stations that are thoughtfully designed for all kids, including those with sensory needs. The highlight for many is the amazing playground. It's spacious and exciting, and best of all, the swings are inclusive and accessible for children with disabilities, which makes this space truly welcoming for everyone. In addition to all the fun, there are friendly farm animals to visit and interact with, which is always a hit with little ones. Plus, there are not just one but two free little libraries on-site (1:the one for kids is located near the garden gazebo and main animal area 2: The young adult one is located near the swings leading you to the fine motor skills and sensory bin area) perfect for encouraging reading and relaxing in a peaceful setting. I highly recommend packing a lunch a blanket and grabbing a book and enjoying by the small pond. Lots of photo and learning opportunities here! Bird Bird Gap Farm is more than just a place to play it's a space that values accessibility, creativity, and community. Highly recommend! Look out for the white peacock!

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.

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.

Went for a walk on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Took about an hour to walk the entire trail. It…read moreis entirely flat but you do need to watch where you step because of all the roots sticking out of the ground. There are many trash cans along the paths and a good amount of dog bag stations. There is a restroom in the by the front parking area as well as kayak launch areas and picnic tables. Many benches and areas to relax, as well as places to fish. This is a lovely, serene place to enjoy the outdoors and relax.

My wife and I came out here at around 10:30am on the Fourth of July for some exercise. It was a…read morescorcher and the UV index was petty high however this was a great location to hike given that the majority of the trails were covered by trees. The area was clean overall, there was nice scenery, and it wasn't too crowded. They have a picnic space for cooking out and a playground for the kids. I parked in the parking lot that had very limited spots for cars and mostly spots for trailers and boats. If you keep going straight past this lot there are plenty of additional parking spaces for cars where the playground is across from the houses on your right. I highly recommend parking there. We enjoyed this area and since it's so close to where we live, we will definitely be back soon !

A relaxing place to walk and enjoy nature. There is complimentary bugspray on the porch at the main…read morebuilding by the parking lot. The sights and sounds (and even smells) are some of the best Mother Nature has to offer. I love coming here to soak it all in and level up my mental health game. Breathtaking! Btw, there are portable restrooms near the parking lot.

I'm so happy to find this gem hidden in a community. The hours are currently limited with the…read moregate's closing at 4pm, but I don't know if the hours will change for Spring/Summer. From the notification it appears to have ticks and it was noted at a moderate level. While not a fan I would expect it in a natural environment and will wear tick protection next visit. No dogs allowed.

GPS sent us to the business entrance. Very nice woman tells us how to get to the entrance of the…read moremuseum. I walk along the side to the entrance. Husband drives over to the entrance. We pay $1 entrance fee for each of us. This was such a bargain. We only regret having 90 minutes to see everything, and we don't think we saw everything. We go immediately to the area to see the movie about the Battle of Hampton Roads: Merrimack versus the Monitor. Before we see it, we have time to see replica of CSS VIRGINIA which was built into Merrimack. Also see first ironclad from Korea with dragon head. Movie is a 360 experience, with seats that swivel all around. Three screens in front and 4 small screens on either side of us captivate us. Above us were gears that supposedly turned the turret out of site, rotating when the movie narrator said it did. After the movie we go to see the turret that was pulled out of the bay. It is upside down! It won't be rotated until it is restored. They do t want to damage it. Then we see the replica. When we go outside l, we walk the replica of the deck of the USS Monitor. Supposedly this is how it looked when it was built. It's huge! We go back inside to see a bit of the movie about the retrieval of the turret, and the dangerous weather they encountered. They almost thought they'd have to leave it behind, for fear of damaging it. But they succeeded and we saw what they retrieved. We go out into the lobby area, with a huge gold American eagle. There is a Lighthouse fresnel, projecting rainbow light around the area. We only have 15 minutes before closing do we rush through the remaining rooms that have shop replicas (including the Titanic and Queen Elizabeth cruise ships), ship figure Hills, a lifeboat that you can get into, and more. We will definitely be back when we have more time to see the movies we missed and to linger over the exhibits.

$1 for admission, count me in! We enjoyed looking around here and they do have a scavenger hunt for…read morethe kiddos. It was well worth the money in my opinion..