First Landing State Park – Hike the Cape Henry Trail

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

Spring can be the best time to try out some coastal trails, before it gets too hot or or crowded with Summer visitors.   One great place to visit is First Landing State Park.

Situated at the juncture of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, First Landing is the most visited State Park in Virginia and includes one of the most endangered habitat types in the world – the maritime forest.

I first visited First Landing State Park several years ago, on a long Spring weekend with That Man and the puppy.

We hiked several of the park’s trails on that visit, including the Cape Henry Trail – which is the longest trail in the park.

The 6.1-mile (one way) Cape Henry Trail winds through many diverse habitats, including the rarely-found maritime forest.

This past October, I had some free time and took a day trip to the park from where I was staying in nearby historic Williamsburg, specifically to hike the Cape Henry Trail again.

I wasn’t disappointed –  both the park and the trail were just as beautiful as I remembered!

 

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First Landing History

First Landing State Park is named after the spot where the Virginia Company’s ships first landed in this country on April 26, 1607.

The historic landing of those three small ships from England – the Discovery, the Susan Constant, and the Godspeed – brought the first English settlers to America, right next door to the current park site at Cape Henry.

The three ships left London on December 20, 1606.  The voyage from London to Cape Henry lasted 144 days, around four and a half months.

The 100 Englishmen and women aboard these ships, after exploring what is now Virginia Beach for several days, went on to establish the first permanent New World settlement at Jamestown.

Jamestown served as the capital of Virginia until 1690, when the seat of government was moved to Williamsburg.

A Maritime Hub of Activity

Over the years, Native American canoes, Colonial settlers, 20th century schooners and modern cargo ships have all navigated the First Landing State Park’s waterways.

Its cypress swamps were a source of fresh water for merchant mariners and military ships during the War of 1812, and interior waterways were used by Union and Confederate patrols during the Civil War.

Legend even has it that the infamous pirate Blackbeard hid in the Narrows area of the park…

Keep An Eye Out for Pirate Treasure

100 years after the settlement of Jamestown, the coastline of the Chesapeake Bay was home to pirates, including the most infamous pirate of them all – Blackbeard!

The beaches of the Chesapeake Bay  – ideal for scanning the bay for treasure-laden merchant ships and Navy vessels hunting for pirates – were a favorite pirate lookout.

After sacking a particularly rich merchant ship, the pirates spotted a Navy ship coming from the west.

The pirates hastily buried their treasure in the dunes, then fled through the narrows and back out to the ocean, before sailing to their hideout in North Carolina.

Blackbeard intended to return and reclaim his gold when they were clear of the warships, but it never happened.   The Navy caught up with him in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where a bloody battle ensued.

The battle ended when the infamous pirate captain was beheaded at the hands of Lt. Robert Maynard.

And so, the lost treasure of Blackbeard remains buried at First Landing, a mystery to this day. 

While his death occurred in North Carolina, legend says the headless specter of the infamous pirate has returned to First Landing to watch over his hidden gold.

Who knows what you could find on the beach at First Landing???

Becoming a State Park

First Landing has been a State Park for about 85 years.

In 1933, the Commonwealth of Virginia bought the park’s more than 2,000 acres from the Cape Henry Syndicate Inc.

The park was built in part by an all African-American Civilian Conservation Corps from 1933-1940, and was dedicated June 15, 1936.

The park lands  include many unusual habitats including bald cypress swamps, lagoons and maritime forest.

In 1965, because First Landing is the most northern place on the East Coast where subtropical and temperate plants grow together,  the park was included in the National Register of Natural Landmarks.

In 1977, the park’s trail system was designated as part of the U. S. Department of Interior’s National Recreational Trail System.

First Landing State Park is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Park Attractions

Historical and educational exhibits in The Chesapeake Bay Center   in Virginia Beach help visitors learn more about First Landing’s history and natural habitats.

Inside the park, the two best places for information are the Trail Center and the Visitors Center.

The Visitors Center

First Landing’s visitor center has educational displays that focus on the First Landing by English settlers here in 1607.

It also has parking spaces, restrooms, and a central trailhead access to all of the trails in the park.

Best of all, you can take the boardwalk beside the Visitor’s Center right out to the beach.

First Landing Trail Center

The trail center, accessed through the south entrance off of Shore Drive, is the main hub for accessing the nine trails that run through the park.

First Landing State Park offers trails that cover everything from a leisurely walk to off-road biking.

There are approximately 20 miles of trails available for hiking and biking, and 1.5 miles of sandy Chesapeake Bay beach for walking, and general beach frolicking 🙂

The ancient 2,888-acre park’s hiking trails make their way through varied environments that include protected salt marsh habitat, freshwater ponds, dunes, tidal marsh and cypress swamp, plus the Chesapeake Bay beachfront – usually one the least crowded beaches in the area, BTW.

(The beach can be accessed through the northern entrance of the park.)

Hikers can choose from nine hiking trails through the park’s seven distinct ecosystems, including the longest trail – the Cape Henry Trail.

Bicycles are allowed on only Cape Henry and Live Oak trails.

Trail walks are conducted by interpreters in-season, and trail guidebooks are available in the Trail Center.

The Trail Center also has a conference room, outdoor courtyard, pavilion and amphitheater that can be rented for special events and weddings.

The Cape Henry Trail

The  Cape Henry Trail is the longest trail in the park, stretching from the northern border to southern entrance off of Atlantic Avenue, and is accessible to both hikers and bikers.

A variety of trail surfaces including  asphalt, gravel and sand, make this trail ideally suited to biking, hiking, walking and running – and it’s a favorite workout trail for locals.

The Cape Henry Trail runs for 6.1 miles (one way) through heavily wooded forests, paved urban segments and alongside peaceful, quiet beaches.

You’re also likely to see some wildlife along the way, including ospreys, herons, foxes and deer.

The trail end points are at Jade Street (south of Shore Drive) and US 60 at 64th Street.  If you start at the 64th Street entrance, drive in slowly and head to the back of the park.

The first parking lot on your right is where you’ll want to get on the trail.

You can also start your hike at the Visitor’s Center trail hub, which is what I did, but be aware it increases the total distance by  about 1 mile.

The extra distance was well worth it for me, because of the convenient parking, restrooms, and beach access at the Visitors Center.

Along the Trail

Starting your hike at the Visitor’s Center adds the Live Oak Trail (purple blaze) onto the beginning and ending of the hike.

Trailhead access is marked by a post at the left side of the parking lot (as you face the park office building).

The post lists all of the trails, and you’ll want to follow the Live Oak Trail to the Trail Center.

Once you reach the Trail Center, you’ll need to look near the picnic area for the trailhead and dark green blazes for the Cape Henry Trail.

The trail here is wide, flat and easily accessible, and is one of the park’s most popular trails.

It’s definitely a favorite with bikers and joggers (as well as hikers) so be aware of bicycles and stay to the right.

The Cape Henry Trail is all dirt with some boardwalks along the way, so it’s not ideal for a stroller (but is perfect for a baby carrier).

The long stretch from the Trail Center to 64th Street goes through the forests along the Wolf Snare Creek, with romantic Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

The trail continues on sand trails and boardwalks through occasional  swamps, you can see cypress knees poking out of the water, with several overlooks on to the marshes.

In some places, the water comes almost to the edge of the trail.

Once you round the corner at 64th Street, you’ll have peaceful views of  Lake Susan Constant and the expansive salt marshes.

You’ll end up at the Narrows, which is a local swimming hole.  Due to the shallow water there, the water is usually warmer than the Ocean.

When I got to the Narrows, I took off my hiking boots and socks, and rolled up my pants for a nice wade in the water. 

It was a great place to put down my towel and have a snack before hiking the trail back to the Visitor’s Center.

Cape Henry Trail with Kids

I wouldn’t go in to the Cape Henry Trail planning to do the whole trail with kids – at 12-13 miles round trip (depending on where you start), it’s probably too long for the littlest ones.

Also, it’s an okay surface for strollers for part of the trail, but you’d probably want to carry infants in a baby backpack if you’re walking the whole thing.

Hybrid or off-road bikes shouldn’t have any problems, unless there’s been a lot of recent rain.   In that case, there are some spots that can get a little wet or muddy.

If you start at the Narrows end (64th Street) you could do some hiking and then come back to the beach there.

If you start at the other end, the kids could ride bikes, and return to the boardwalk and the beach access behind the Visitors Center.

The Bald Cypress Trail

If you’d like a shorter scenic hike through the cypress swamps, the Bald Cypress Trail is a  good alternative.

The Bald Cypress Trail starts at the Trail Center and intersects many other trails as it winds through bald cypress swamps. 

The trail follows red blazes in a 1.8 mile loop featuring several boardwalks and platforms overlooking the low wetlands.

Numbered and lettered posts along this trail correspond  to a self-guided tour booklet you can find in the Trail Center.

Park Info

First Landing State Park is close enough to Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and even Norfolk to be a great day trip.  But if you want to stay longer, there are facilities to do that, too.

First Landing has cabins, water and electric hook-up campsites, picnic areas, boat ramps and a camp store available for visitors who want to stay for more than day.

Cabins and Camping

On my first visit, we had the pleasure of staying in one of the Park’s cabins, right across the road from the beach.   It was a perfect location, and I highly recommend it!

The south side of the park offers 20 rustic cabins, with running water and electricity, as well as heating and air conditioning.

First Landing also offers 200 campsites, nestled within the back dunes of the northern, beachfront side of the park.

Sites vary from smaller sites – perfect for tent camping – to sites that have water and electricity hookups and can accommodate 50-foot RVs.

Campsites are available from March 1 through early December, while the cabins can be rented year-round.

Learn more about how you can book a stay in the park .

Location and Directions

PARK ADDRESS:  2500 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451-1415

DIRECTIONS:  From I-64, take Northampton Blvd.-U.S. 13 North (Exit 282). Go through eight lights, then turn right at the Shore Drive/U.S. 60 exit (last exit before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel).

Take a right on Shore Drive and go four and a half miles to the park entrance.

To reach the Chesapeake Bay Center, park office, camping or cabins, turn left off U.S. Rt. 60 at the stoplight and check in at the contact station or park office.

For the Trail Center, picnic area and trails, turn right instead.

Hours and Fees

Day-use areas open 8 a.m.-dusk. When open, overnight areas are accessible 24 hours a day.

See this  park page for entrance, cabin and other park associated fees.

Have a great trip to First Landing State Park!   If you’re interested in other Virginia parks,  you can read about Shenandoah National Park here.

For more history at the beach, try going a bit further south to  Fort Macon State Park or even further south to St Simon’s Island off the Georgia Coast!

If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a note and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can. 

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time!  LJ

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