VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Though First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach is the most visited state park in the commonwealth, there is a less crowded but no less lovely place to take a walk about 10 minutes away.
Pleasure House Point Natural Area is just off of Shore Drive, like First Landing, but it's on the west side of the Lesner Bridge.
The 118-acre park is among the largest undeveloped spots along the popular Lynnhaven River.
Take a Walk
Enjoy a day full of activities with your family at Deep Creek Park
It has two walking trails: the Meadow Trail and the Beach Trail. Together they create a 2-mile loop that's a fairly easy walk. If you take on both, it'll take you about an hour.
The trails themselves are pretty diverse. There's a wide crushed gravel section that's a really easy and beautiful walk through the trees. It's even lit, which is something I'm not sure I've ever seen on a wooded walking path.
Not all the paths are as smooth and easy to navigate. One section is pretty prone to flooding and that means navigating around the puddles can be a little tough.
We slipped around a bit in the mud and both almost fell, but I'm glad we didn't!
Watch previous Take a Walk: Enjoy a day full of activities with your family at Deep Creek Park
When you get to a much more stable, sandy part of the path that takes you along the Lynnhaven River, the views are really pretty and you might even see wildlife like osprey, egrets, turtles and an occasional dolphin in the river.
Away from the river, there are even more types of trails to challenge you, including one surrounded by some wildflowers and another that's covered mainly in pine straw.
There aren’t a lot of signs to guide you, so it's easy to make a wrong turn but since it's only 118 acres, you won't get lost for very long.
Dogs on leashes are welcome and fishing is allowed with a saltwater license.
It is mainly street parking and there's not always a lot of it, so make sure to plan ahead for your visit.
