First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park is located on the Chesapeake Bay and was first built by the 1930's civilian conservation corps. This is Virginia Beaches most popular state park. Attractions at First Landing include boating, swimming, hiking, biking, picnicking, a boat launch, cabins over 15 miles of trails on over 2,000 acres. Some of the campsites have bay access and water /electric hook-ups. The restrooms and showers are nearby.

The park's name used to be Seashore State Park but was changed in 1997 to First Landing State Park to reflect its heritage as the first place where members of the Virginia Company landed. These original settlers went on to create the area now called Jamestown.

How to get there:

From I-64, take Northampton Blvd./U.S. 13 North (Exit 282). Go through eight lights, and 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. For the Trail Center, picnic area and trails, turn right.

The park is one of the favorite camping spots for visitors to Virginia Beach. The two bedroom cabin rentals begin on the weekends (Friday through Sunday) and are available from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They are fully stocked except for food-- which you can purchase at the Bay Store Concessions --and include a full kitchen, complete with cooking utensils; even a microwave! (So you can really feel as if you're roughing it.) The non-cabin campsites have firewood available for sale and the boat launch is free for overnight guests. (There are no lifeguards at Chesapeake Bay, swim at your own risk.) Fishing and crabbing can be done from the Narrows located between Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay and a valid Virginia saltwater fishing license is required. Annual parking-launching passports are available by calling 1-800-933-PARK.