Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Beach
Hidden GemBack Bay National Wildlife Refuge Beach is a beach in Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, best for birding and wildlife photography, quiet beach walks, hiking to False Cape State Park, solitude.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge protects about 3 miles of Atlantic shoreline south of Sandbridge, reached on foot from the Visitor Contact Station via two boardwalks over the dunes: the quarter-mile Seaside Trail and the slightly longer Dune Trail with its midway viewing platform. This is a beach for walking, birding, and photography rather than a swim day — the refuge's posted rules prohibit swimming, surfing, and sunbathing on its sand, and the northernmost mile is permanently closed to protect nesting and wintering wildlife. No pets of any kind are allowed on the refuge (service animals excepted), a stricter rule than anywhere else on this list. It's also the walk-in gateway to False Cape State Park, which begins immediately to the south.
Amenities
- Seaside Trail boardwalk (0.25 mile) to the beach
- Dune Trail boardwalk with midway viewing platform
- Visitor Contact Station
- Horn Point kayak/canoe launch (seasonal, separate entrance)
Know Before You Go
- Best for: birding and wildlife photography, quiet beach walks, hiking to False Cape State Park, solitude
- Parking: Small lot at the Visitor Contact Station, 4005 Sandpiper Rd. Vehicle entrance fee $5/day April 1–October 31 (free November 1–March 31); pedestrians and cyclists always enter free. Trailers are not accommodated — limited parking.
- Accessibility: Both beach-access boardwalks are raised, hard-surfaced trails; the Dune Trail's midway platform offers a viewing stop without completing the full walk to the sand.
- Dogs: not allowed — Pets are not allowed anywhere on the refuge at any time of year (in effect since April 1, 2011), with the sole exception of service animals. This is a year-round, no-season-exception rule — stricter than the city's seasonal beach hours.
- Location: 4005 Sandpiper Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456 (refuge Visitor Contact Station), between Sandbridge and False Cape State Park, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-11.
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- Outdoor Seating
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Sandbridge e-bike delivery service running Lectric XP Lite 2.0 foldable e-bikes straight to vacation rentals, with helmet, lock, and a safety briefing included.
Upcoming Events Nearby
Warbirds Over the Beach
October 3, 2026 – October 4, 2026 · annual
The Military Aviation Museum's premier all-warbird air show fills its Princess Anne Road grounds with flying WWII-era aircraft, bringing the museum's own airworthy collection into the sky rather than leaving it static on display. The two-day show runs 9am to 5pm alongside the museum's regular exhibits; standard museum admission applies ($17 adults, $15 seniors/military/teachers, $10 ages 5-13, free for members, WWII veterans, and children 4 and under). It's the signature annual event for Pungo's rural southern end of the city, a genuine surprise for visitors who don't expect a working WWII airfield inside Virginia Beach limits.
Cherry Blossom Festival
March 26, 2027 – March 28, 2027 · annual
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation's spring showcase fills Red Wing Park's cherry tree grove with live cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, and hands-on crafts timed to peak bloom in late March. The 2026 edition added a first-ever Nighttime Hanami, lighting the blossoms after dark on opening evening before the daytime festival took over the weekend. Admission and parking are free, with an overflow grass field opening for weekend crowds -- a genuinely photogenic, low-key alternative to the Oceanfront festival circuit, along General Booth Boulevard.