Back to nature in Virginia Beach: watch for wildlife as you hike, paddle, or cruise along the Atlantic shores of Tidewater Virginia

Travel America, July-August, 2004 by Diane Bair, Pamela Wright

YOU COULD SPEND DAYS IN the Virginia Beach area roaming the halls of museums and historic homes. But you won't! Miles of sandy beaches, leafy state parks, and a spidery network of inland marshes and waterways makes Virginia Beach an outdoor lover's paradise.

Of course, you'll want to walk the famous three-mile boardwalk, with its rollicking, carnival-like atmosphere. Or, if you prefer, rent a bike and pedal the trail that runs parallel to the boardwalk, along the beach. But don't stop there. Just minutes from the jam-packed, bustling boardwalk, you'll discover quiet natural areas and fascinating wildlife--and lots of opportunity to play outdoors. Here are some suggestions:

First Landing State Park

You won't find solitude here--this is Virginia's most popular state park--but there's plenty of outdoor fun. The park marks the spot where the first English settlers landed in 1607 and includes 2,888 acres of wetlands, tidal marshes, dunes, beach, and a maritime forest.

Stop by the Trail Center to pick up self-guided hiking and biking maps. Bike rentals are available here, too. The park offers nine walking trails encompassing 19 miles of natural area. A favorite is the Bald Cypress Trail, an easy one-mile meander through marshes, dunes, and a cypress swamp. The park is also a fine place for birding and wildlife watching.

During the winter, harbor porpoises and humpback whales are often seen from the shore. Look for bottlenose dolphins during the warmer months.

Drift through the park's watery wilderness of wetlands and marshes in a kayak. (Kayak rentals are available at the park.) Keep your eyes out for osprey that hunt for fish in the rich waters. Or try your hand at fishing or crabbing, both popular in the narrows and bays.

Park rangers and naturalists lead a variety of interpretive programs and guided tours throughout the year. For information, call (757) 412-2300 or visit www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/1stland.

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Bring your binoculars and walking shoes to this 8,000-acre refuge nestled on a spit of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay at the southern end of Virginia Beach. The refuge hosts large flocks of waterfowl during the fall and winter months. More than 10,000 snow geese, and hundreds of tundra swans and ducks feed at the refuge during fall migration.

More than 300 bird species have been sighted at the refuge as well as threatened or endangered loggerhead sea turtles, piping plovers, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk trails that circle the island, through beach, dunes, and marshlands.

The refuge also provides the only access to False Cape State Park, a thin barrier island, no more than a mile wide, rich with sea and animal life. The Back Bay Restoration Foundation (757-498-2473) operates a tram that leaves from Little Island City Park, drives through the wildlife refuge, and lets visitors explore the park for about an hour.

Kayak tours of the refuge's coves and inlets are 'also offered by local outfitters; contact Kayak Nature Tours, (757) 480-1999, www.tidewateradventures; or Chesapean Kayak Tours, (757) 287-0938, www.chesapeankayak.com.

For general information on visiting the refuge, call (757) 721-2412 or visit www.backbay.fws.gov.

Get Out on the Water

Get an up-close look at the marine life that inhabits Virginia Beach waters on a guided boat excursion. A variety of ocean, bay, and salt marsh tours are offered by the Virginia Marine Science Museum (757-437-BOAT, www.vmsm.com).

We did coax you to skip museums on this Virginia Beach trip but this may be the exception. The award-winning Marine Science Museum boasts 300 hands-on exhibits and the largest collection of Chesapeake Bay fish in the country. More than 800,000 gallons of water house the aquarium's fascinating array of sea life. There's an aviary, too, and a short nature trail.

When you're done touring the museum, hop aboard the Atlantic Princess catamaran to search for bottlenose dolphins that frolic in the waters along the Virginia Beach coastline during summer and fall. Join a guided whale-watching trip in the winter when fin and juvenile humpback whales return to Chesapeake Bay.

Ready to get your hands wet? On the museum's Ocean Collections boat tour, you'll trawl for fish and invertebrates, then haul them up to the onboard aquarium for a closer, hands-on look. The museum also offers a short, 30- to 40-minute pontoon boat tour through the Owls Creek Marsh, the last undeveloped salt marsh in Virginia Beach.

Contact: Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) VA-BEACH; www.vbfun.com. The "Adventure Getaways" brochure abounds with nature-based activity options.