With high winds coming in from the west over the waters of Back Bay, blowing snow whipping over the dunes, and high waves on the Atlantic...False Cape State Park is breathtaking wild winter wonderland.
Come on out to False Cape for an outdoor adventure in a wild winter wonderland.
False Cape is offering a Winter Wilderness Surival course on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 from 1pm-4pm. During the workshop, participants will learn essential survival skills such as how to make rope from fibrous plants, how to find shelter from the cold/wind, which plants are edible, and how to start a fire without matches.
Cost is $10 per person. Pre-registration is required at 757-426-7128.
Transportation is by open air tram. Dress appropriate for weather and activities.
False Cape is offering a Winter Wilderness Surival course on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 from 1pm-4pm. During the workshop, participants will learn essential survival skills such as how to make rope from fibrous plants, how to find shelter from the cold/wind, which plants are edible, and how to start a fire without matches.Cost is $10 per person. Pre-registration is required at 757-426-7128.
Transportation is by open air tram. Dress appropriate for weather and activities.
First Landing is facing a crisis related to the destruction of the park's natural forested area due to prohibited off-trail use and the creation of cut-throughs, short-cuts, and unofficial trails.
Trails are specially designed to minimize impacts and erosion. Trails are routed to avoid particularly delicate natural areas. When hikers go "off-trail", ride bikes on hike-only trails, or create cut throughs, it can cause safety issues, damage the ecosystem, and cause other people to get disoriented.
There are over 5 miles of unoffical trails in the park today!!!
First Landing State Park is seeking sponsors to help pay for new trees to be planted in these impacted areas to restore these unofficial trails to their natural, forested state. We need over 3,000 trees to restore these areas!!
You can sponsor 1 tree for $3, 2 trees for $5, or 5 trees for $10; checks payable to Friends of First Landing State Park, 2500 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.
The park is also seeking Tree Army volunteers to help plant these saplings on Saturday, April 24 from 10am-1pm. Tree Army volunteers will prep the area, plant seedlings, and wrap them with tree guards. Ongoing volunteer opportunities to water the new saplings through the year are also available.
For information on volunteering for the Tree Army call 757-412-2300 and ask for Pam Kern, Volunteer Coordinator.
Trails are specially designed to minimize impacts and erosion. Trails are routed to avoid particularly delicate natural areas. When hikers go "off-trail", ride bikes on hike-only trails, or create cut throughs, it can cause safety issues, damage the ecosystem, and cause other people to get disoriented.
There are over 5 miles of unoffical trails in the park today!!!
First Landing State Park is seeking sponsors to help pay for new trees to be planted in these impacted areas to restore these unofficial trails to their natural, forested state. We need over 3,000 trees to restore these areas!!
You can sponsor 1 tree for $3, 2 trees for $5, or 5 trees for $10; checks payable to Friends of First Landing State Park, 2500 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.
The park is also seeking Tree Army volunteers to help plant these saplings on Saturday, April 24 from 10am-1pm. Tree Army volunteers will prep the area, plant seedlings, and wrap them with tree guards. Ongoing volunteer opportunities to water the new saplings through the year are also available.
For information on volunteering for the Tree Army call 757-412-2300 and ask for Pam Kern, Volunteer Coordinator.
The strong winter storm that blew through the Midwest made its way to the coast leaving a blanket of snow at First Landing State Park.
Park rangers are working hard to clear the Trail Center parking lots and main park road. The picnic area is cleared and open for parking.
Be careful accessing the Cape Henry Trail near the picnic area as it is flooded near the beginning of the Indian Village exhibits.
Dress for the weather, bring water, and don't forget your camera!!
Many of the Bald Cypress swamps are frozen over with snow-covered tufts of Spanish Moss dangling from the branches.
Be careful around previously flooded areas that are now frozen over and covered with snow and remember to stay on the trails. While it is fun to walk in pristine snow, it is easy to get disoriented.
The dunes along the beach area are covered with a fine layer of snow.
With bright blue skies and full sun, the snow won't last long. Today is a great day to get outdoors!!
Park rangers are working hard to clear the Trail Center parking lots and main park road. The picnic area is cleared and open for parking.
Be careful accessing the Cape Henry Trail near the picnic area as it is flooded near the beginning of the Indian Village exhibits.
Dress for the weather, bring water, and don't forget your camera!!
Many of the Bald Cypress swamps are frozen over with snow-covered tufts of Spanish Moss dangling from the branches.
Be careful around previously flooded areas that are now frozen over and covered with snow and remember to stay on the trails. While it is fun to walk in pristine snow, it is easy to get disoriented.
The dunes along the beach area are covered with a fine layer of snow.
With bright blue skies and full sun, the snow won't last long. Today is a great day to get outdoors!!
The Virginia Beach Winter Wildlife Festival scheduled for Saturday, January 30th has been cancelled due to forecasted Winter Storm Warning. All activities--exhibit hall, field trips, hikes at First Landing and programs at False Cape State Parks are also cancelled.
The Great White Egret is the symbol of the National Audobon Society and represents the regal beauty of all bird species.
Great White Egrets are found throughout the world--Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. They tend to be solitary birds, but range together in a common habitat area called a rookery.
These 10 birds were feeding in the shallow water off Back Bay eating invertebrates, small fish, and amphibians. 
False Cape State Park offers some of the most unique landscape and wildlife viewing opportunities in Virginia.
For the past several days, a Great Horned Owl has taken over the abandonded Osprey nest in Back Bay near Wash Woods boat dock.
For the past several days, a Great Horned Owl has taken over the abandonded Osprey nest in Back Bay near Wash Woods boat dock.
Get outdoors and enjoy the wonders of winter on the coast!
False Cape State Park is offering an Winter Woods Walk on Saturday, Feb. 7th from 1pm-4pm. The tour/hike program will depart from Little Island City Park, continue through Back Bay National Widlife Refuge, and on into False Cape State Park's maritime forest area. This naturalist-led hike will give you an opportunity to identify coastal trees and shrubs, sneak a peek at some early emerging spring plants, and look for animal tracks in the sand. Cost is $10 per person and reservations are required by calling 757-426-7128. Transportation to the park is by open-air tram. Dress appropriatey for the weather. Don't forget your camera!!!
False Cape State Park is considered Virginia's Outer Banks. It's barrier spit island stretches south from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Sandbridge, Virginia to the North Carolina border. The border between North Carolina and Virginia was established in 1728 as evidence by this monument which has stood sentinel, deep in the maritime forest, to the concepts of states' rights and state governorship for over 250 years.
Visting the monument will take a monumental effort if coming in from the Virginia side of the park, but is worth the effort. The 24-mile round trip hike/bike from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center to the Monument is best done over two days whilst camping in the park--think early Spring/late Fall before it gets too hot in the park for long hikes.
Trail names and access to the monument are changing in March...be sure to pick up a new map at the Visitor Center. The monument will be accessible off the Duddley Island Loop Trail beginning Spring 2010.
False Cape State Park is hosting Wild Women Weekend on March 5-7, 2010 at their Environmental Education Center. This three day/two night program features early morning hikes, canoe/kayak programs, beach walks, and wild foods programs. Enjoy a late afternoon on the EEC balcony, watch the sunset glint on the waves, and listen to the gentle evening sounds while you make new friends.
Registration is limited to 20 women who are at least 21 years of age. Cost is $200/person and is due at registration. Register by calling the park's reservation center--be sure to specifiy you want to register for False Cape's WILD women weekend since Fairystone State Park is offering a Women's WELLNESS weekend in April. Information on the Fairystone event can be found at www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/wwwellness.shtml
Program brochures for the False Cape event can be requested from False Cape State Park at 757-426-7128 or falsecape@dcr.virginia.gov.
Macro photography--artistic close-ups of insects, plants, flowers--has become quite popular in the photography world with new digital stabilization technology and macro lenses for digital cameras.
Taking macros in winter is a great way to capture the four-seasons of the outdoor world. Defused winter lighting, less leaf clutter, and fewer biting insects make winter photography a lot of fun!
These shots of shelf fungus and a pine seedling were taken at False Cape State Park on the Duddley Island Trail in early December.
With generous donations of $1,500 from Tidewater Striders Running Club and $2,500 from Tidewater Fibre Corporation, First Landing State Park has installed a multi-functional drinking fountain at the 64th Street/Narrows entrance parking area.
The new drinking fountain has been set into a strong concrete base, has two fountains--one of which is handicap accessible, and features a mid-level faucet to fill water bottles, dog dishes and rinse hiking gear.
Look for improvements to the 64th Street/Narrows restrooms this Spring. Work on that project is ongoing and slated to be completed by mid-March.
The new drinking fountain has been set into a strong concrete base, has two fountains--one of which is handicap accessible, and features a mid-level faucet to fill water bottles, dog dishes and rinse hiking gear.
Look for improvements to the 64th Street/Narrows restrooms this Spring. Work on that project is ongoing and slated to be completed by mid-March.
Cold weather has created ice sheets across the Bald Cypress Swamps at First Landing State Park. While the swamps are not quite frozen over, water has frozen along the shorelines and tree trunks creating beautiful patterns in the ice.
Most of the frogs and toads have gone dormant by burrowing deep in the mud to stay warm.
Remember to dress appropriately when out on the trails---many of the trails have wet, icy and slick spots due to the cold temperatures!
This is the second of a four-part series about what we do in parks during the off-season.Virginia State Parks' campgrounds close in early December and re-open in early March. However, during the off-season many of our cabins, trails, and visitor centers are open for visitors. In addition to supporting the services that stay open year-round, our staff takes time to make sure the "busy season" is chock full of fun activities for our visitors.
One of the most important things we offer at Virginia State Parks are interpretive programs. Interpretive programs are the guided hikes, craft programs, Junior Ranger programs, bird watching events, canoe/kayak trips, fishing clinics, etc. that we host to help you interface with the natural, cultural and historic resources in the parks. During the off-season, we plan our programming, inventory our supplies, work on finding grant funding and sponsors, and train our Park Interpreters.
If you are interested in volunteering or if your company/employer is interested in sponsoring some programming please contact the park in your area or email staci.martin@dcr.virginia.gov.As schedules get sorted out, you will see our events posted on the www.virginiastateparks.gov website under "Park Events" and listed in the Virginia State Parks E-News. You can sign up for the E-News through our website. Remember some programs have limited space and require reservations so sign up early!!
Don't forget--we also schedule private programs. If you see an activity that you are interested in, but want to bring out a large group like a classroom or scout troop--call your local park so they can get your group worked into the schedule. Private programs do have a cost, but the fee is very reasonable.
We look forward to seeing you at a Virginia State Park!!
The City of Virginia Beach is hosting a Winter Wildlife Festival in partnership with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries on January 30, 2010 featuring field trips to False Cape and First Landing state parks. This festival is a great opportunity to get loads of outdoor recreation information, learn to identify wildlife habitats, and get to know your local parks.
The festival will focus on environmental education and wildlife and will feature excursions, educational sessions and outdoor oriented vendors--including a Virginia State Parks information booth.
The exhibit all will be open from 9am-3pm at the recreation center with educational excursions occuring throughout the day. Information on education sessions and excursions can be found at www.vbgov.com/winterwildlife.
The excursions to False Cape and First Landing are as follows:
12:30pm-4:30pm Ride in the Terragator along False Cape's remote beach observing shorebirds, whales, and maybe even catch a glimpse of an old Italian shipwreck. The return trip will feature a ride on the open air tram through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge where you'll see ducks, swans, and egrets.
8:30am-11:30am Take a guided hike along First Landing's shoreline to observe pelicans, sandpipers, and other shorebirds. The trip will also include a tour of the shoreline at Fort Story.
5:30pm-7:30pm Explore the night time woods of First Landing State Park looking and listening for noctural wildlife including owls and raccoons.
All of these programs require registration through the City of Virginia Beach Winter Wildlife Festival website. visit www.vbgov.com/winterwildlife for registration information.
Got the winter doldrums? Looking for a fun family outing?
Make it a False Cape State Park Wildlife Winter Wonderland Weekend! (Say that 10 times fast)
On Sunday, January 10, 2010 False Cape will offer a Winter Wilderness Survival program that focuses on how plants can save your life! Find out which plants are fiber plants to make rope, how to find shelter/make shelter from trees, find out which plants provide food and how to start a fire with only plant materials (No matches!) Cost is $10 per peron. Registration is required at 757-426-7128. Transportation is by open air tram---dress appropriately.
On Saturday, January 16, 2010 False Cape will offer an evening Stargazing and Owl Hoot program. Journey through scenic Back Bay National Wildlife Regue to the heart of False Cape State Park. You'll be able to observe the night sky away from city lights and headlights. While we listen for distinctive owl hoots, we 'll look for shooting stars and identify winter constellations. Cost is $10/person. Registration is required at 757-426-7128. Transportation is by open air tram--dress appropriately!!
On Sunday, January 17, 2010, False Cape will offer an afternoon trip into the remote Wash Woods area where a community of hardy souls lived until the 1930s. We'll hike the 1-mile round-trip trail to the area's historic site where the historic church steeple and cemetery reamin. Cost is $8/person; $6/child & seniors. Registration is required at 757-721-2412. Transportation is by open air tram--dress appropriately!!
On Sunday, January 24, 2010 False Cape will offer an orienteering program called Finding Your Way. Discover ways to find directions using nature as a guide, how to use a compass, and finally how to use a GPS unit to return to your starting point. Cost is $10/person. Registration is required at 757-426-7128. Transportation is by open air tram--dress appropriately!!
Again-- Transportation is by open air tram, programs are conducted outside--dress appropriately and don't forget water and a camera!!
This is the first of a four-part series about what we do in parks during the off-season.
Virginia State Parks' campgrounds close in early December and re-open in early March. However, during the off-season many of our cabins, trails, and visitor centers are open for visitors. In addition to supporting the services that stay open year-round, our staff is required to take a variety of training courses during the slower months.
Recently, the staff at First Landing State Park took part in two-day CPR/First Aid training. Visitor safety is an important part of our mission in Virginia State Parks. Many of our full-time staff members are Red Cross certified in CPR and First Aid. Each park office has a first aid kit that is fully stocked and an AED that is fully charged.
You can do your part to ensure your and other park guests' safety by following park rules, carrying a cell phone on the trails, staying aware of your surroundings, knowing where you are in the park, knowing which trail you are on and approximately how far you are on the trail, paying attention to landmarks, and wearing appropriate clothing and shoes for conditions.
Virginia State Parks' campgrounds close in early December and re-open in early March. However, during the off-season many of our cabins, trails, and visitor centers are open for visitors. In addition to supporting the services that stay open year-round, our staff is required to take a variety of training courses during the slower months.
Recently, the staff at First Landing State Park took part in two-day CPR/First Aid training. Visitor safety is an important part of our mission in Virginia State Parks. Many of our full-time staff members are Red Cross certified in CPR and First Aid. Each park office has a first aid kit that is fully stocked and an AED that is fully charged.
You can do your part to ensure your and other park guests' safety by following park rules, carrying a cell phone on the trails, staying aware of your surroundings, knowing where you are in the park, knowing which trail you are on and approximately how far you are on the trail, paying attention to landmarks, and wearing appropriate clothing and shoes for conditions.
Take a Winter Tram Ride to Wash Woods at False Cape State ParkMark you calendar for a special opportunity to take tram tour of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park during the winter. Since the leaves are off the trees and the sun isn't creating a white glare, this is the prefect time to do some great landscape, birding, wildlife, and outdoor photography.
Normally, tram tours are available from April through October due to wildlife management restrictions within Back Bay NWR. However, as part of a special outreach initiative and through a partnership between Back Bay NWR and False Cape State park, we are offering winter tram tours twice a month.
The next winter tram tour is Sunday, December 20th; 1:30pm-4:30pm and RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED by calling 757-721-2412. Cost is $8/Adult and $6/Children.
The tram will travel through the refuge and the park, stopping at the historic Wash Wood community. Visitors will then take a 1-mile (round-trip) hike through the dune to the church and cemetery site where the steeple and gravestones remain.
Weather is forecast is the mid-40's so bring a thermos of hot cider of hot chocolate, bundle up in layers, wear comfortable shoes, pack the binoculars, and DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA!!
Ethan and Max will transform First Landing State Park into an "alternate earth" for their sci-fi thriller called, Atlantis Down. The parks' elegant water ways, Spanish-moss laden swamps, sandy dunes, and Chesapeake Bay shoreline might just steal the show!
First Landing has been the backdrop for many film projects including The New World starring Colin Farrel and First Landing produced by CBN. Morning talk shows, film student projects, commercials, music videos, and catalog shoots have all been staged at Virginia State Parks. 
Filming and commercial photography in the park may require a special-use permit that details do's and don'ts that allow us to protect the parks' natural environment. To request a permit to film at First Landing State Park, please contact Kim Miller at firstlanding@dcr.virginia.gov. To request a permit to film at another Virginia State Park, contact that park directly.
Lacking the financial backing of big budget Hollywood, independent film makers--Ehtan Marten and Max Bartoli--have the vision and drive to make a move 3,000 miles away from Tinsel Town.
As part of a new initiative, Virginia State Parks is using GPS technology to redesign our trail maps to more accurately reflect current conditions. In the past trail maps were hand drawn and trail names did not always accurately reflect the bio-diversity or cultural history of the park. As a result of the GPS intiative at False Cape State Park, after numerous meetings with park staff on naming the trails, and due to the construction of the new Visitor Center, visitors will find it easier to navigate the trails around False Cape.
In the coming months, we will be changing the names of some of the trails, installing new trail signage, and printing a new trail map. Please bear with us as we make these changes. Our goal is make it easier for you to explore the park's natural area and shoreline.During our research we found some interesting information about the park...
Did you know...
In 1863, confederate soldiers who were being held prisoner on the troop-transport steamer, Maple Leaf, escaped onto the shores of what is now False Cape State Park. The 70 escapees trekked over the dunes, slogged through marshes and bogs, and finally rejoined their battalion in Currituck County. The Maple Leaf ran aground near Jacksonville, Florida in 1864 and became an important archaeological site when it was found by divers in 1980. Visit http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/flshipwrecks/map.htm more information on the Maple Leap.
The original name of the area where the park is located is "Sand Ridge." We think that as the area gained in popularity as a tourist destination, the name was contracted and changed to "Sandbridge."There were numerous duck hunting clubs located in what is now False Cape State Park. One of the most popular was the "Vir-Mar Club" the short name for the Virginia-Maryland Duck Hunting Club. Gentleman sportsman would come out to Back Bay to hunt a variety of ducks, including wood ducks, widgeon, teal, bufflehead, and pintails.
If you know more about the history of the park or have some photos, books, and stories to share, please contact Staci Martin at staci.martin@dcr.virginia.gov.
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