Located on the Virginia/North Carolina border, 4.5 miles east of VA 32 in Suffolk. The 4.5-mile Washington Ditch Road leads to Lake Drummond, one of only two natural lakes in Virginia. Trails begin on Washington Ditch off VA 642 (White Marsh Road). Hike through a southern swamp forest of maple, tupelo, bald cypress, and pine. Spanish moss drips from the trees, and the distinctive knees of the cypress jut from inky swamp water. The swamp harbors species of migratory, song, and marsh birds and once hid escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad. It is the largest intact remnant of a habitat that once covered a million acres in Virginia and North Carolina. Day use only. (757) 986-3705; www.fws.gov/refuge/great_dismal_swamp. GPS: N36 38.675’ / W76 32.834’. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 34, C2. Trail map can be downloaded from the website.
Located off the Hampton Roads Center Parkway at 1255 Big Bethel Rd. in Hampton. From exit 261A off I-64, follow the parkway west to the nature preserve entrance, just past the intersection of Big Bethel Road on the right. There are 12 miles of trails in the 456-acre park. Trillium Trail is the longest at 3.3 miles. Former borrow pits that supplied fill to build nearby I-64 are now lakes. The 10,000-square-foot Nature Center overlooks Sandy Bottom Lake. Boardwalks cross wetland habitat, while graded dirt paths pass through hardwood forest. Fishing, recreational boating, biking, and primitive camping are allowed. There are canoe and kayak rentals, eleven primitive campsites, and four tent cabins. (757) 825-4657; www.hampton.gov/sandybottom. GPS: N37 03.713’ / W76 25.998’. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Page 50, D3.
Located minutes from Gloucester Court House on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. From Business US 17 north, turn right onto VA 616/Roaring Springs Road. In 2.4 miles the road dead-ends at the park’s main entrance at 8687 Roaring Springs Rd., Gloucester. There are 9.5 miles of multiuse trails for horses, mountain bikers, and hikers, as well as a 3-mile hiker-only trail. The main hiking trail passes along marshy fringes of the reservoir and through an upland hardwood forest. (804) 693-2107; www.gloucesterva.info. GPS: N37 26.906’ / W76 32.040’. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 50, A2.
Located on the Northern Neck near Lancaster Courthouse. From Kilmarnock, follow VA 3 toward Lancaster. Just before you reach Lancaster, turn right onto VA 604. The preserve is on your left. This is a special hike along the wooded bluffs overlooking Western Branch. Spur trails plunge off the hillside into the stream’s marshy backwaters. Lancaster County once considered developing this 254-acre spot into an industrial park; birdwatchers and nature lovers fought off the proposal with the aid of the Northern Neck Audubon Society, which now owns it. (804) 225-2303; www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/hickory GPS: N37 46.329’ / W76 26.655’. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Page 60, B3.
Located in King George County at the top of Virginia’s Northern Neck, 11617 Caledon Rd., King George. From US 301, follow VA 206 to VA 218, then head east on VA 218 for 1.2 miles to the entrance. Created to provide nesting and roosting spots for bald eagles, Caledon has more than a dozen color-coded trails totaling about 15 miles. Several lead to bird-watching spots along the Potomac River. Some trails may be temporarily closed to protect nesting birds. Sandy bluffs in the Horsehead Cliff area are imbedded with fossils. Day use only. Many guided activities are scheduled spring through fall. (540) 663-3861; www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/caledon. GPS: N38 20.032’ / W77 08.594’. DeLorme: Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer: Page 71, B5.