False Cape State Park in Virginia

False Cape State Park sits in the southern part of Virginia Beach. It is a barrier that is a mile in width and divides the Atlantic Ocean from the Back Bay. This state park can be accessed by passing through Back Bay National Woldlife Refuge by boating, hiking, or bicycling. Visitors can camp primitively in this rare East Coast undisturbed costal environment.

Flase Cape received the reputation of being a graveyard for ships in the nineteenth century. The name False Cape comes from the fact that the land mass resembles Cape Henry and lures ships into water that is too shallow. An early community in the area, Wash Wood, was founded by people who survived a shipwreck. They used cypress wood, whited washed up from the wreck, to construct the church and other buildings in the village. False Cape State Park does not allow vehicular access for visitors. This is because of the park being landlocked by Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. This means that people who would like to pay a visit to the park must do so by hiking or biking through the wildlife refuge. One thing to note is that the reserve’s interior trail isn’t opened between the first of November and the end of May. This means that visitors during that time will need to go through the reserve’s beach to get to the park. Visitors can also reach the park by boat, or even canoe, through Back Bay. Another vehicle that can be used to reach the park is called a Terra Gator. This is a vehicle that was designed to cause minimal impact to the environment.

There is a tram for visitors who want to get a broad look at the park. This tram starts off in Little Island City Park and travels through the entire refuge for over an hour to the Barbour Hill area. Because this tram only offers rides which are full roundtrips, it is not offered to guests staying overnight.

The park allows visitors to camp throughout the entire year. However, False Cape State Park does require that guests make reservations before coming to camp. The campsites are located in four different areas of False Cape. These are Barber Hill Ocean, Barber Hill Bay, False Cape Landing Ocean, and False Cape Landing Bay. These areas are all located decent distances away from each other. Campers can make reservations by calling 1-800-933-7275.

Throughout the four areas, there are a total of twelve camping sites. Only tents are allowed. Three locations offer drinking water. All of these locations are in the park’s Barbour Hill section. Campers should bring their own containers in which to carry the water. Several pit toilets are located throughout False Cape State Park. Camp stoves are permitted for cooking, but the park does not allow open fires.

Before a person can come to False Hope State Park, he or she must have received letter of confirmation and an information packet. Campers who do not have the time to wait on having the letter of confirmation faxed to them van opt to have them sent via fax. People who come to the park to stay overnight need to come with two hard copies of the confirmation letter. One is to be placed on their vehicle’s dashboard. The other is to be clipped onto the marker for the camping site.

The five hiking trails that run through False Cape State Park total seven and a half miles in length. These can also be mountain biked. These trails offer amazing views of dunes, beaches, maritime forests with pine and oak trees, marshes, wooded swamps, and the gorgeous bay. Anyone who enjoys nature hikes or bikes will love exploring these trails.

False Cape State Park is an incredible place to camp. Anyone who is enthusiastic about nature will love it. With thousands of miles of space to enjoy and an abundance of waterfoul, this park is an interesting place to stay. The fact that visitors cannot reach the park by motor land vehicles means that people can enjoy the solace of nature that is not found in some other state parks that are more heavily crowded with tourists. A visit to False Cape State Park is an extraordinary opportunity to reconnect with the wonders of nature.