First Landing State Park
First Landing State Park is a park in Bayside, Virginia Beach, best for hiking, camping, combining beach and forest in one day, bald cypress swamp scenery.
Virginia's most-visited state park packs a genuine wilderness into the city's northern corner: 20 miles of trails through maritime forest, bald cypress swamp, and dunes, plus 1.5 miles of sandy Chesapeake Bay beach. The name is literal — the English colonists of 1607 made their first landing here before continuing to Jamestown, and the adjacent Cape Henry area carries that history. Camping runs from the first Friday in March to the first Monday in December with tent, hookup, and yurt options; note that the park's cabins are closed for renovation, with work scheduled to continue until May 2027 — check current status before planning a cabin stay. Bikes are allowed on the Cape Henry and Live Oak trails.
- Dog Friendly
- Family Friendly
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Walking Trails
Amenities
- 20 miles of hiking trails
- 1.5 miles of Chesapeake Bay beach
- Campground (tent, hookup, and yurt sites, March–early December)
- Cape Henry Trail (bikes allowed)
- Trail center and bathhouses
- All-terrain and beach wheelchairs
Know Before You Go
- Best for: hiking, camping, combining beach and forest in one day, bald cypress swamp scenery
- Parking: Per-vehicle state park parking fee at the Shore Drive entrances (see Virginia State Parks fee schedule). Day-use areas open 7 a.m. to dusk; the trail-center lot fills on nice weekends.
- Accessibility: The Cape Henry Trail is universally accessible from Kendall to 64th Street; an all-terrain wheelchair (child and adult sizes) and a specialized beach wheelchair are available through the park.
- Dogs: allowed — Leashed pets welcome on trails and even the beach year-round — leash no longer than 6 feet, with proof of rabies vaccination required in Virginia Beach.
- Location: 2500 Shore Dr, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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While You're in the Area
1608 Crafthouse
Chef-driven farm-to-table gastropub in Bayside with local craft taps, small-batch bourbon, and a dog-friendly patio known for housemade pork rinds.
- Dog Friendly
- Outdoor Seating
- Hidden Gem
Aberdeen Barn Steak House
Bayside steakhouse since 1966 serving in-house aged USDA Angus beef, seafood, and Sunday brunch.
- Date Night
- Brunch
American Brew
Bayside's coffee-and-whiskey cafe on East Stratford Road, serving 100-plus drink options, acai bowls, and a signature Brewrito wrap since 2016.
Ballyhoos
A Shore Drive-area happy-hour bar with an outdoor 'Park' for cornhole and ping pong, plus live music and multiple TVs.
- Family Friendly
- Outdoor Seating
- Live Music
- Happy Hour
Bay Local Eatery — Shore Drive
Daytime seafood-and-brunch spot on Shore Drive making everything in-house from locally sourced ingredients, with dog-welcoming outdoor tables.
- Dog Friendly
- Outdoor Seating
- Family Friendly
- Brunch
Bayside Bar & Grill
Shore Drive hole-in-the-wall running happy-hour drink pricing every day, with a rotating weekly food calendar and weekend DJ nights.
- Happy Hour
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Upcoming Events Nearby
Lynnhaven River NOW Oyster Roast
May 1, 2027 · annual (first Saturday in May)
Lynnhaven River NOW's signature fundraiser turns the waterfront lawn at the Brock Environmental Center into an all-you-can-eat oyster roast, marking the nonprofit's multi-decade push to bring the Lynnhaven's namesake oyster back from near-collapse. Roasted and raw oysters pulled from the restoration reefs anchor the spread, backed by barbecue, local beer and spirits, live music, and a shucking contest, with proceeds funding the group's oyster-reef and water-quality restoration work. It's a rare chance to eat Lynnhaven oysters within sight of the reefs that grew them, at a bayfront green building a few minutes off Shore Drive.
Town Center Summer Fest Music Series
May 22, 2026 – September 7, 2026 · seasonal (nightly concerts, late May-early September)
The Central Business District Association's free concert series takes over Town Center's Fountain Plaza most nights from late May through early September, with cover bands, tribute acts, and local musicians playing against the backdrop of the plaza's high-rises. Restaurants ringing the plaza put out sidewalk seating within earshot of the stage, turning a weeknight downtown into an impromptu outdoor show. It's the closest thing Virginia Beach's inland downtown has to the Oceanfront's summer concert culture -- free, walkable, and parked in the Town Center garages rather than beach lots.
Last Night on the Town
December 31, 2026 – January 1, 2027 · annual
Town Center's alcohol-free New Year's Eve tradition takes over Fountain Plaza with a family DJ and light-up dance floor in the lower plaza, live headlining acts on the main stage, and a Virginia Beach ball drop at midnight. The Central Business District Association produces the free general-admission event with IMGoing, alongside a paid 21-and-over VIP experience hosted by Cantina Laredo. It's the inland counterpart to the Oceanfront's summer festival season — Town Center's high-rises and restaurant patios standing in for the boardwalk crowd.