Laura S.
Yelp
We LOVE Virginia State Parks, so when visiting Virginia Beach, we knew that we'd have to visit First Landing State Park. Entering inland from Shore Drive, you first come to the Park Office/ Contact Station. Here, you need to pay the required fee of $7 for parking, and envelopes are provided to self-pay if the ranger isn't manning the booth. We have an annual pass, so we continued to the Trail Center (TC) where there is plentiful parking, restrooms, vending machines, small shop/information from a ranger, and the trailheads for a few trails.
We picked up a trail map, and decided that we would walk a little over 4 miles, starting on Long Creek Trail (trailhead is back on the entrance road), eventually walking along the edge of Broad Bay and Long Creek, then veering onto the connector Kingfisher Trail to get back to the Cape Henry Trail and back to our car via the Bald Cypress boardwalk. It was a perfect March day, with temperatures in the mid-60s with a gentle breeze. The trails were well-maintained, and we encountered quite a few people out for strolls or walking their dogs. There are quite a few benches in strategic and picturesque locations, especially along the water -- so we enjoyed a picnic lunch while enjoying a view of the water.
The trails are mostly flat, and easy to navigate. You are often walking on pine needles, or sand, or gravel. There is sometimes the sound of airline jets in the distance.