(757) 426-7128
4001 Sandpiper RoadVirginia Beach, VA 23456
Latitude: 36.593813
Longitude: -75.886521
Trails provide for hiking, bicycle trails, self-guided trails. Five trails, including the Barbour Hill self-guided interpretive trail, total 7.5 miles. They are available for hiking, biking and exploration. The parks location on a barrier spit allows visitors to observe beaches, dunes, maritime forests of oak and pine, wooded swamps, marshes and the bay all in one visit.
Back Bay Wildlife Refuge
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is the main gateway to False Cape State Park. Visitors who plan to hike or bicycle from the parking areas near the Little Island Life Saving Station may access the trail near the Refuge Office. The trail is a wide, three mile gravel road, that passes through a controlled wetlands and into the state park. The route along the top of the dike system changes seasonally so watch for directional information. The trail leads to the Visitor Center and access to the park’s network of trails. This is a good area for spotting songbirds, migratory waterfowl and freshwater turtles.
- Length: 3.3
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Natural, Gravel
Barbour Hill Interpretive Trail
The Barbour Hill Interpretive Trail is a 2.19 mile, moderate difficulty trail for hiking and biking that passes through areas of shrub oak and pine trees. The trail is an extension of the Barbour Hill Trail and another mile of trail that runs north-south near campsites 1 through 3 and provides an alternate route out of the park to the north. This trail provides access to the Barbour Hill Boat Dock which is the launching point for guided interpretive kayaking programs. Please look at the events and programs schedule for more information.
Blaze Color: Purple
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- Length: 2.19
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Surface: Sand, Grass
Barbour Hill Trail
The Barbour Hill Trail is the northernmost of three trails in the park that connect the Back Bay on the west side of the park, to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean side of the park. An easy 1.4 mile trail for hiking and biking, it is accessible from the main False Cape entrance trail, the Barbour Hill Interpretive Trail, the False Cape Interior Trail, and from the northern part of the beach near campsites four through six. This trail passes by the Visitor Center and, before the park’s establishment, was once used as a small landing strip by local hunt clubs.
Blaze Color: Gold
- Length: 1.4
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Sand, Gravel
Cemetery Trail
The Cemetery Trail is a .65 mile, moderate difficulty trail, that is accessible from the same beach access as the Wash Woods Interpretive Trail and from the Interior Trail. This trail makes a particularly sandy crossing over the dunes and across the Interior Trail. The trail is named for the cemetery and former church site through which it passes. The Wash Woods Methodist Church was abandoned in 1922 and succumbed to the migrating dunes and Atlantic storms that have virtually wiped away the former community of Wash Woods. Today, all that remains is part of the steeple and the nearby graveyard. One can see that all of the graves are positioned with the head pointed towards the west, in tune with the strong Christian tradition.
Blaze Color: Blue
- Length: 0.65
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Surface: Sand, Grass
Dudley Island Trail
The Dudley Island Trail is a .6 mile, easy trail, accessible from the Interior Trail. This trail leads to the site of one of the many hunt clubs that used to be in this area. All that remains is the small caretaker’s house that was adjacent to the club. At the end of the trail there is a small loop around an area of tall grasses where the hunt club used to stand.
Blaze Color: Brown
- Length: 0.6
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Sand, Grass
False Cape Interior Trail
The False Cape Interior Trail is a 7.09 mile, easy trail, that runs almost the entire length of the park. Its northernmost access point is near the Visitor’s Center at the intersection with the Barbour Hill Trail. The trail provides access to nearly all other trails in the park. At the southern end of the trail, hikers may access the Monument Trail and the trail head at the North Carolina border. This trail is open to hikers and bicyclists though bicycle riders should watch for loose and shifting sand as most bikes will have to be walked through these areas. When hiking the park’s trails watch for wild ponies and feral pigs which should not be approached or fed as they can be aggressive.
Blaze Color: Green
- Length: 7.09
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Sand, Gravel
False Cape Landing Trail
The False Cape Landing Trail is a .7 mile, moderate difficulty trail, that is accessible from the Interior Trail, the False Cape Landing Boat Dock, and from the beach access point at its eastern end. The trail is one of three trails in the park that connect the Back Bay on the west side of the park, to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean side of the park. It is also the shortest of these spanning trails and the most centrally located in the park, making it popular for boaters and surfers wishing to access the beach. The trail passes by the group camp area (sites 10-12) and takes users over the sand dunes to the ocean.
Blaze Color: Gray
- Length: 0.7
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Surface: Sand, Grass
Monument Trail
The Monument Trail is an easy, .48 mile trail, that leads from the Dudley Island Trail, through the maritime forest, to the North Carolina state line. At the monument site, one can see the obelisk that was placed in 1887 by governor Fitzhugh Lee (nephew of Robert E. Lee) to commemorate the 1728 surveying of the state line.
Blaze Color: Black