On the banks of the Northwest River in southeastern Chesapeake lies the 763-acre Northwest River Park. The park offers opportunities for boating, fishing, and hiking year-round. These three activities offer different ways to explore Chesapeake: on the water, while fishing, or along hiking trails.
Nature and Trails
The 51-acre Chesapeake Arboretum is a “Nature’s Classroom”: exhibits, education, and research there promote awareness of horticulture and the environment. Its trail system covers about 45 acres and is approximately 3.5 miles long in total. Here, nature trails come together with themes of plants and the environment. Camellia Cove is one of three locations in Virginia on the American Camellia Trail.
Another notable route is the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail. It runs 8.6 miles south along the Dismal Swamp Canal. Its northern trailhead is at 1246 Dismal Swamp Canal Trail in Chesapeake. The trail is open to cycling, walking, running and hiking, horseback riding, and boating. Its length, direction, and address give you specific points of reference if you want to include this trail in your explorations.
Paddling and Water Activities
For paddlers, the free Paddle the Peake Passport leads to local paddling waters and provides information about their history and ecology. Ballahack Boat Ramp offers practical guidance of its own: it provides a place to launch small boats, kayaks, or canoes.
Fishing options also vary locally. Elizabeth River Park has a 144-foot-long pier for fishing and crabbing. Ballahack Boat Ramp, in turn, is a launch site for small boats, kayaks, and canoes. At Great Bridge Lock Park, interpretive signage explains the lock system.
The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located at 3457 Martin Johnson Road in Chesapeake, Virginia, at the Portsmouth Ditch Entrance. This entrance provides access to the Black Bear Trail. Check current conditions before setting out.
History and Cultural Heritage
The Dismal Swamp was an important hub for trade, culture, and history. The Dismal Swamp Canal also has special historical significance: it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as part of the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.
The Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Museum commemorates the site of the first American victory in the Revolutionary War; visitors can tour the museum. Check current visitor information before your visit. The selection of exhibits in the Historical Village’s large gallery includes a presentation about the Great Dismal Swamp, as well as other exhibits on local and regional history. The selection may change.
Cornland School combines a preserved schoolhouse with an important educational history: the one-room building was constructed in 1902. Cornland School was one of Virginia’s earliest initiatives to provide formal education to African American children shortly after the Civil War.
Cuffeytown also tells the story of Black communities in Virginia. The historic community was founded by free Black people, and its origins date back to the 18th century. Cuffeytown Historic Cemetery is Virginia’s largest cemetery for African American Union soldiers of the Civil War among cemeteries not maintained by a government or veterans’ organization.
Seasonal Markets
The Waterway Market at Great Bridge Village takes place seasonally and features fresh produce, arts and crafts, food trucks, and prepared foods. The Chesapeake Farmers’ Market at City Park also takes place seasonally. Products sold there include, among others, vegetables, fruit, herbs, plants, cut flowers, honey, eggs, grass-fed beef and pork, free-range chicken, jams, jellies, and pickled vegetables. Together, the two markets offer different ways to experience the local seasonal offerings.
Discover more destinations: Chesapeake, Buckingham County, Spotsylvania County, Floyd County, Richmond City, Nottoway County, Westmoreland County, Lancaster County.
For the broader travel overview: Virginia.
