PORTSMOUTH, Va. - In this week's Hiking Hampton Roads, sports reporter Megan Plain explores Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve in Portsmouth, Virginia.
According to the preserve's website, its 142 acres features over three miles of trails that take you through four separate habitats.
The longest path is the Lake Ballard Trail, which circles the entire 32-acre lake.
Bluebird Trail passes through a meadow and ends at an observation deck overhanging a salt marsh. The Riparian Trail cuts through a riparian forest runs alongside Hoffler Creek, a salty tidal creek at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The Homestead Trail features a bird blind at the end with views of Hoffler Creek and the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel.
The types of wildlife you may come across ranges from larger animals like deer and foxes, to smaller animals like turtles and lizards. If you like bird watching, more than 200 species of birds have been identified at Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve.
