Pleasure House Point Natural Area

This is such a beautiful area! It has walking trails and lots of beautiful water views. As a photographer, I always loving coming here to photograph in the tall grass that is easily accessible along the paths. It is important that visitors maintain respect for the natural habitats and stay on the designated walking areas.

This is one of those places that I would consider a hidden gem. Almost to the point, I don't want to share 🙂. This is the perfect spot to forget that your in the city. The paths are clear to where you can walk or run. Some people even fish. It's a nice nature spot when you need some peace.

Beautiful and serene… comfortable walk with multiple trails .. always a new and surprisingly gorgeous view around every turn!

A nice little treasure off the beaten path. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has great information posted about oyster fields and not only how to protect them but what lives there. There is information on oyster rehabilitation projects and some signs on local history.

A wonderful place to spend time and lose yourself. Take a peaceful walk along or with a companion, allow the quiet and tranquil natural surroundings engulf you. An excellent place to push the “reset” button on your soul.

This is probably the best trail in Virginia Beach. It is so quiet and never very busy. You may pass one or two people, or you may not see anyone else, depending on what time of day you go. You get a great view of the water no matter where you are on the trail and if you walk far enough you will end up at a (very) small private beach. It is the perfect place to take dogs to swim, especially if they are just getting used to the water. It’s warm and there are no waves. There are also tons of birds to watch as you walk!

Nice beach access inside this wetland/protected area, and many trails that go along & around the area, with many access points. We went in bad weather but was still an enjoyable experience. There is also public access to the facilities on sight, but not sure what that's about, but does seem like they encourage visitors when applicable, they also recycle old shells here, and have designated fishing spots around the wetlands!

Has wonderful paths to take to enjoy nature. The building for the main nature area was closed when we arrived so we just got to see the park. The park was okay. No public bathrooms and hardly anyone there. The playground was clean but my children, who are all under 8 years old, found it rather boring. The highlight of the park for my children was the sand although it was not very clean.

Correcting a typographical error in my previous review. Quite a few. (Not, quick a few).

Perfect weather for a nice leisurely walk after work!! This place is so serene and tranquil. It's such a lovely place to unwind after a busy work day! The chirping birds and the golden sunset just melt your cares away! Nature is by far the best prescription for stress or worry! It's a great way to unwind your day.Try it!!

Perfect little hike and stroll Along the river with my senior dog. She rates 5paws! Bring some water and make sure you do not need a bathroom. Otherwise it's a short little get away from the hustle.

An absolute slice of paradise tucked right off of Shore Drive. This was my second time here and I enjoyed it even more. The sandy paths are well maintained and it is just so peaceful with beautiful water views. A lovely place to walk solo, with your pet, or family. We brought our dog and saw many other well behaved and leashed dogs. Sweet families enjoying the outdoors with their children while the explores the trails and beaches. Fishermen wading in the water or sitting along the shore banks was also a nice sight. We even saw 2 bald eagles soaring overhead. Loved that so much. We walked by the The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Brock Environmental Center but did not go inside. We took advantage of sitting at the tables underneath for a few minutes while we and our dog had a water break. Apparently it is one of the world's greenest buildings so I would like to go back and check it out another time. It is most definitely worth your while to take a hike here. We explored for 2 1/2 miles but you can make it as long or as short as you like.

What a beautiful place to walk with my family! We loved our visit here. The reserve is dog friendly and it's one of many highly well maintained parks in Virginia Beach. The whole area is absolutely gorgeous. The parking is free and it's right near the Brock Environmental Center. You can grab the doggie bag prior to entering and I highly recommend doing so. There won't be any upon entering and it will help do your part to keep the park clean. The water was very calm and it was mesmerizing. The gentle breeze and lovely sound of the bird chirping really made the place feel like a paradise. It was astonishing how clean and clear the water was in the estuary. It is no joke how much resources the City of Virginia Beach must have allocated to keep it that way. I loved it. I can't wait to visit again in the future.

This place is such a hidden gem right off a busy area of town. Once you enter, you are immediately transported to a quieter, tranquil natural area with tall grasses, water, and natural life that brings peaceful feelings. Ahh. There are sections that are roped off for reasons by the nature center, so be sure to stay on the paths. Lots of little vignettes at each turn and fun wildlife to see! If you like to walk/jog, it makes for a nice change from the sidewalk routine. You can park in the lot which is found via driving through a neighborhood or another entry point via street parking. Easy to find on gooogle maps.

Welcome to a space where the bustle of the city and the calm of the bay greets you with a calm like no other. PHPNA is a retreat that surprises you from the trailhead Bridge on Shore Dr down to the sweeping views, calm lakes great for bird watchers, and tributary shorelines for fishing, and the BROCK center for waterway conservation and educaron. The trail is easily accessible through multiple access points throughout Marlin Dr with Shore Dr and Brock Center easily identified as the two main end points of the trail. Obey the neighborhood parking signs but there are plenty of spots along the road. The trail has a mixture of flat, light rock, and some wet areas. This would be an easy hike for all ages but is only wheel chair accessible on the trailside by the nature center with all terrain wheels. This trail takes an average of 30-45 min to complete and will excite a variety of outdoor enthusiasts. There are several benches on the trail to enjoy the views of the waterway. Hikers with dogs are reminded to keep them leashed and trash cans and dog waste stations are at the top of most trail heads. The Leave No Trace guideline is used to preserve the outdoor area. This is definitely one of the best areas to enjoy nature within the area.

This is a hidden gem. My husband found it and treated me to a beautiful surprise hike. 2.3 miles with views of a mix of beach trail and trees. Overlooking a waterway. Best bird watching because it is mostly hiking by the water. It is a beautiful sunny walk. Kid, dog, and hiker friendly. Easy level of hiking. Nice parking.

Love this place. So peaceful and has a variety of birds! And it's not too long of a walk.

I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we arrived at pleasure house point. I thought it was just another nice, wooded trail near the water... but nope! This place has multiple sandy paths leading to fishing holes, marshes, and a wooded area. It's is completely gorgeous! My kids loved just stopping to play in the sand, splashing in the shallow water, and just looking around. There is so much to see! People walking, fishing, boats cruising by, kayakers, and more. We could've stayed all day just enjoying the beautiful day. I'm excited to check out all the paths here and come back ASAP.

A rather neat place with soft walking trails compromised of mainly sand. However if you enter by the Brock center there's a short paved trail that leads you to the road avoiding the water. If you can envision Seashore state park, I mean First landing cut into a sliver. This would be Pleasure House Point. There's areas that are shaded and some that are not. So definitely be prepared with a hat and sunscreen and some water wouldn't be a bad idea either. This is definitely not accessible by wheelchair, unless maybe you have a beach accessible wheelchair. Many people walk their dogs here, fish, bird watch, and go for a stroll or jog. There are several trails and they definitely are frequented but it's also somewhat tranquil. My husband and I went for a walk. I'm a native of Virginia Beach and this is the first time I've ever experienced these walking paths. But it's definitely a good place to stop and take in nature and all of the local ecosystems. I'm embarrassed that I'm not able to identify the species but give or take identify the genus. We saw some cool birds, definitely don't know exactly want we saw but I was pleasantly surprised to know that my husband knew one of them was a red winged black bird. Honestly it looked orange to be honest but very cool nonetheless. But that's exactly what it was! The only recollection I have of birdwatching was in sixth grade and this was by choice and I earned a National Audubon Society patch for it. Of course the only bird name I remembered was the tufted titmouse. But definitely lots to see! People were kayaking, fishing and Jet skiing out there on the water. We even saw a few crabs scurrying on the bottom of the water.

If there's a local trail that's not adventured enough, it's this one. I always spot people having photos taken here and I don't blame them! (Plus my girlfriend is a photographer that makes use of it) and don't forget the bird watchers! There really isn't a time of year that the scenery is bad. The shoreline, the sand, the swampiness, and lush forest, it's all there! You can enter from numerous areas and it's totally free, unlike the other places near it. The trail can have it's hazards at times though, and watch for wildlife. I've hit these trails with the North End Run Club and there's plenty of room and terrain for running from the park down the street. But if you're just out for a walk, want to turn off your brain for a bit and enjoy a humble slice of nature, stop on by!

Gorgeous views! Met a lot of kind people along the trails, which were also clean and litter free.

Pleasure House Point surely must be Virginia Beach's most pristine asset. Don't we live in the most beautiful place in the whole world? Thank you Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the City of Virginia Beach for your vision in saving this historic natural area for posterity. Walk the trails through the reeds and marshes. Experience the plethora of creatures that call the area home. Feel the serenity of standing to gaze at the beginnings of the historic Lynnhaven River. Let the hustle & rush of 21st century life dissolve as you become one with nature and those who came before. It all began here, what America has become. John Smith records the first settlers' exploration of the Lynnhaven River, before their ultimate settlement on the James. They feasted on the gigantic oysters, which we still enjoy. Pleasure House Point Oysters must surely be the best. The first church of the Lynnhaven Parish was founded along the banks of the inlet 378 years ago. The reeds of Pleasure House Point stirred for those long ago predecessors. The inlets of the Lynnhaven River were a favorite hiding place for the pirate Blackbeard. Did he depart his ship and walk the steps that we walked today? Fast forward to the naval history of the Revolutionary War. Did the French & Patriot generals who met in the inlet, in preparation of final victory, set foot on the same sandy soil? Will a Washington Rochambeau Route marker be eventually placed at its most southern point? Pleasure House Point is much more than a preserve for recreation, conservation, exercise, education and meditation. It's a special place to reflect on the rich history we are so fortunate to be a part of. Years from now new generations will walk the same paths and remember the time in history that Pleasure House Point was saved for the future.

No doubt 5 stars. The peace and serenity of this park is out of this world. I went here bc of all the positive yelp reviews and now I understand why. I took my dog here and took a little walk around and was memorized by the beauty that was around us. There was even a spot with a private-like beach like I'm forsure going to come back w friends. This is truely a masterpiece of nature. (Peep my pics) The brock environmental center (visitor center) was very helpful. Parking was plentiful. My favorite part was there was nobody really. I went in the middle of the day and saw only 3 people. I let my dog run wild off the leash. This is definitely going to be a common spot for me now. Beautiful!

Beautiful hidden gem... not very long but just enough to let you escape into nature for a while! The honeysuckle smelled amazing and the views can't be beat. Love it here.

Perfect little spot to enjoy a quiet walk and beautiful scenery. Had never heard of this place and we're locals. Cked it out and had a wonderful time with our kids and dogs. Some people go early in the day and find little niches to set up fishing rods and beach chairs. Great place to run too. Lots of wildlife. Ample parking with several little entrances to the trails. Secret little oasis off of the Chesapeake bay.

BEWARE! Vehicle broken into. Passenger window broken and belongings stolen... Was such a perfect spot to visit..

You can find me here pretty much every other week or so, if not more often! There are no words to describe how much of a happy place this is. I still remember the first time I step foot in this area and discovered its paths and tiny, tiny patches of sand (don't really think I can consider them as beaches) here and there. If you're a fan of crabbing, you'll have a blast here. If you're a fan of walks, you'll fit in here. If you're a fan of kayaking, you'll find yourself here. If you're a fan of peace and quiet, you'll find your happy place here. Bring a cooler, your board, a blanket, come alone, bring your family, etc - any time of year is worth checking this area out. Every time I come here, I feel like I discover a new little piece of paradise. I have to admit, it hurts me a bit to share too much about this secret haven in Virginia Beach, as I don't want it to be crowded and undervalued. But at the end of the day, sharing is caring! Without a doubt, this is one of my happy places. Absolutely worth exploring!!

Took my pup to Pleasure house point for the first time, she had a blast running and no one was around. It is a beautiful , peaceful place to visit and walk around or to even just relax and read around book. I have lived in this area for 8 years and had never heard of the beautiful hidden gem. I will be definitely going back and taking my pups as well as the kiddos to run around and play. The beach is very nice and hardly anyone there, the trails are very easy to see and follow and the marsh is a nice place to see different birds. I would recommend visiting especially if you need a break from the busy city life.

Lovely natural area for a walk. Beautiful view of the water. Because it is on the beach front there is lots of sand on the trail, plan your footwear accordingly. One of our favorite short trails for walking. An excellent place for nature photography.

Update (Sep 3, 2013) The City of Virginia Beach now calls this "Pleasure House Point Natural Area". It is still the same great place. This park has just been secured (in July 2012) by VaBch from a developer. It has great trails and marshes and creeks. Lots of birds and marsh critters. Beautiful scenes for photos. (I've posted a few). It is also great for Kayaking. There are all kinds of cool plant life too. Flowers at times and berrys and cool marsh plants. Please carry out your trash or dog droppings. Enjoy it! It is an awesome place.

In our very own back yard at the beach we have a new park screaming for attention. The newish park that is located West of the Lesner Bridge and South of the Chesapeake Bay is owned by the City of Virginia Beach. In partnership with The Trust for Public Land they donated 1 million of the required 18 million for acquisition of the property from Wells Fargo Bank in 2012. The trust had a caveat to the donation. They wanted 10 acres to build an educational area and would try to make it the greenest building in Virginia, if not the country.. The city agreed and accepted the donation. The city, as well as conservations had long had it's eye on this 118 acres of land, but could never afford the price tag of this extremely valuable water front real estate. When the market went South in 2008 developers defaulted on their loan, thus providing an opportunity to raise the funds and save it. With the help of community partners like the Dominion Foundation who antied up the first significant amount of $500k to purchase the city and trust was on there way. The funds were eventually raised with the largest amount coming from the City of VB. In the Summer of 2012 this crowning jewel of the city became reality and opened to the public. It is now operated by the City Parks & Recreation who will maintains it. The parks dept has already offered kayaking on the Lynnhaven River. With the new educational center now under construction this now offers a partnership with the city to educate the community on what we saved. So what is it we saved and spent good tax dollars on. Protected was some of the most pristine undeveloped property in Virginia, if not the country. Examples of natural estuaries, maritime forest, tidal marsh acres of wetlands and sandy shores. We saved the iconic Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab and the Lynnhaven Oyster, oh that's all. But more importantly our community has staved off any type of unwanton development that would ruin this parcel forever. I have been wanting to personally tour this park every since it opened, but never got the chance until today. A day when no one would have thought to be outside. It has been raining in VB for three days straight and was another drizzly day with overcast skies. I could stand it no longer and seized my opportunity today. I have driven right by this area for over 9 years and now have driven by the new sign of the park for over a year. I must say after parking my car on Marlin Bay Dr. and walking to the entrance I had no idea what was in store. I walked around 100 feet to a rock bridge and crossed it to a well marked wide path. It did not take me long to figure out what all the fuss was about saving this land. This was some of the most drop dead gorgeous property my eyes have ever seen. Keep in mind, everything is soaked to flooded and the skies are grey. Every where you looked was another vista, another picture to take (I took a lot, Jim B has a ton on much better days) and with every step I took more anticipation of what is next, what is next. I felt like that I could be the only man left on earth... it was that kind of feeling. The only sounds were that of birds, it was indeed an eerie feeling. Well as quiet as it was on the almost 2 hour hike I did run across one gentlemen on the trail. He was walking his dog Fin (see pic) who is a beautiful Irish Setter. Fin loves the place and walks the trails, plays in the water almost everyday. Dogs are very welcome and as a matter of fact at both entrances small bags are provided so the park is not littered. Fin's owner Bret told me a little background about the area I would have never known. He is a local and over 30 yrs ago was in H.S. and enjoyed this area, but was often ran off as others were. Signs that said "Do Not Trespass" and ropes and barricades were every where. So enjoyment of the area was more low key. But that did not stop him, or friends from coming. The rock bridge at the entrance was built by him and friends. He recalled when Bayville Golf Course, Bayville Park and the Neighborhood Church Point was all pasture plenty with cows. He would come at night when it was safe and do a little partying with friends and listen to the sounds of cows moo in the distance under amazing moon lite evenings. Am I still giddy over this incredible find, you bet I am. You know there is a God when you come here, it is that off the charts. I know that I'm gushing, but it is that spectacular. If you come and are not aw struck by the beauty someone needs to take your pulse. I can't wait to come back and bring the kids.

I had no idea this place existed until finding it on Yelp. Really enjoyed walking around and enjoying the views. It's fantastic that this particular spot was so wonderfully developed and clearly conservation is paramount. I didn't get a chance to go inside the building itself, but plan on returning as soon as possible.

A truly hidden gem in VA Beach. A group of friends and I have been doing early morning trail runs here on Saturdays, and the views you get of the rising sun over the Lynnhaven Bay / Wolfsnare Creek are second to none. They've done a great job of keeping it natural while still providing accessibility, and the users of the area seem to take care of it as well. I haven't noticed any substantial trash or pet messes when I'm out there, which is usually an issue with a "commons" area such as this. PHP Natural Area seems to have avoided the "tragedy of the commons" as it stands. Hope to bring my SUP out here as the weather warms. Definitely a little slice of heaven.

A beautiful place to enjoy some free trails and enjoy nature along the bay. There are more trails than I had realized. We even had the unique pleasure of a harbor seal sighting. The kids enjoyed watching the snails slither along on the banks and the playground next to where CBF's Brock Environmental Center is being built. This also seems to be a popular place for people to walk their dogs. The next time you need a little fresh air go check out the trails at Pleasure House Point.

This place was awesome for running! I'm not sure how long the trial that we took is but after a mile we turned back due to the sun setting. But will definitely be back to get more miles in and explore this area more :) there are beach trails along a lake and forest trails that all intertwined.

My most common use of Pleasure House point is using it as a convenient access point to fish in the spring and fall, to access some shallower water if i don't feel like putting in at the boat launch around the corner. This spring I have noticed the amount of trash on the trails has gotten out of hand. Litter is on the sand along the trails and beaches, empty bottles are in the water, and the ever present cigarette butts are out in abundance. Sad to see it going this route.

Some of the best things in life are free! This is one of the best local secrets in the Shore Drive area. I always come here when I need some exercise or some time to clear my head. Beautiful scenery and easy trails for walking. I park on Marlin Bay Dr. and just walk to the trail. There are multiple trails so you can roam about freely or fish. Dogs are allowed, which makes a great time for everyone in the family. Loch Haven park is @ the end of my walk so this is an added bonus when I bring my mentee, Jaylin. There is a dog station here as well so I can restock on "poop bags" for Barkley. There is also a new environmental center being currently built and can't wait to check it out. The views will be amazing...

This place is really a diamond in the rough. I discovered it just googling parks near chix beach. I must say I was so surprised. Such beautiful scenery. I have been to Cape Cod a few times and it reminded me so much of it. Great place for a run or just to get a break from reality