First Landing State Park
Dunes, live oaks, Spanish moss, tidal shore, freshwater swamps, and 20 trail miles preserve a surprising coastal mosaic inside Virginia Beach.
Artwork inspired by Chesapeake boatbuilding tradition
First Landing reveals how sharply a coastal landscape can change over a short walk. Beyond the Chesapeake Bay shore, subtle shifts in elevation and salinity produce dunes, live-oak forest, freshwater swales, and cypress wetlands, where tannin-dark water shelters frogs and other species easily missed by beach-focused visitors.
Begin on the Trail Center side to understand that habitat mosaic along the Cape Henry and Bald Cypress routes, using boardwalks to protect wet ground and improve wildlife viewing. Experience the bay shore as a separate chapter, consulting a map before crossing between access areas and checking tides and posted water guidance.
- Habitats
- Dune to cypress swamp
- Trails
- About 20 miles
- Allow
- 3–6 hours
Quick guide
- Start
- Trail Center habitat map
- Pair
- Bald Cypress Trail and bay beach
Make the visit count
- Watch salinity clues
- Plant communities change with water and elevation.
- Use boardwalks
- Wetland edges are fragile and wildlife-rich.
- Check the tide
- Beach width and paddling conditions vary.
- Know the entrances
- Trail and campground areas are reached differently.
Good to know
The park has separate access areas across Shore Drive, and summer traffic is heavy. Swimming conditions are not guarded uniformly; heed posted water guidance.
Notice these
- Bald Cypress Trail
- Cape Henry Trail
- Chesapeake Bay beach