Mount Trashmore Park
Mount Trashmore Park is a park in Kempsville, Virginia Beach, best for families, kite flying, walking and jogging loops, skateboarding.
Virginia Beach's most famous non-beach landmark started as a landfill: opened in 1974 as one of the first parks in the world built on converted waste, Mount Trashmore's main hill rises 60 feet and runs 800 feet long, with a second mound (Encore Hill) beside it. The 165-acre park wraps two lakes — brackish Lake Windsor (kayaks permitted) and freshwater Lake Trashmore (fishing with a license, from land only) — around the huge Kids Cove playground, a renowned skate park, walking paths, and a water-wise xeriscape garden. The hilltop is the city's default kite-flying and sunset-view spot. It's free, it's beloved by locals, and most out-of-town visitors have never heard of it.
- Free
- Family Friendly
- Dog Friendly
Amenities
- 60-foot converted-landfill hill with paths to the top
- Two lakes (kayaking on Lake Windsor, land fishing on Lake Trashmore)
- Kids Cove playground (nearly 26,000 sq ft)
- Skate park
- Picnic shelters
- Water-wise xeriscape garden
- Public restrooms
Know Before You Go
- Best for: families, kite flying, walking and jogging loops, skateboarding
- Parking: Free lots inside the park off Edwin Drive; note the former South Boulevard lot at Windsor Woods has been permanently closed, so use the main entrances. Busy on sunny weekends.
- Accessibility: Paved paths circle the lakes and reach major features; Kids Cove includes a one-of-a-kind wheelchair swing. The hilltop is reached by sloped paths.
- Dogs: allowed — Dogs must be on a leash at all times in Virginia Beach city parks.
- Location: 310 Edwin Dr, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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While You're in the Area
Back Bay's Farmhouse Brewing Co.
Farmhouse taproom on Kempsville Road pouring both beer and cider, with big outdoor grounds, food trucks, an on-site market, and a coffee shop.
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Docker's Karaoke Pub
Family-owned Holland Road pub since 1993 with a dedicated stage and karaoke every night of the week.
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Kelly's Tavern — Kempsville
Kempsville location of the Hampton Roads tavern chain known for its Award Winning Craft Burgers and family-friendly pub menu.
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Krossroads Rock and Country Bar
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Upcoming Events Nearby
Autumn in the Air
November 7, 2026 · annual
A newer addition to the city's Parks & Recreation calendar, this single-day fall festival takes over Mount Trashmore Park with folk, americana, and rock bands on an outdoor stage, food and drink for purchase, and activities scattered across the lakefront lawn. Now in its third year, it's grown into the city's answer to a proper autumn street festival without the Oceanfront crowds -- bring a lawn chair or blanket, since tents and large coolers aren't allowed in the event area. Free admission and parking make it an easy afternoon add for anyone already in Kempsville.
Mount Trashmore July 4th Celebration
July 4, 2027 · annual
Virginia Beach's inland Independence Day tradition fills Mount Trashmore Park -- the converted landfill hill that gives the park its name -- with live music, food trucks, and family activities before a fireworks show over the lake at 9:30pm. It's the free, low-key alternative to the Oceanfront's Stars & Stripes Celebration the same night, drawing families from the Kempsville and Town Center side of the city who'd rather skip beach traffic. Free admission and free parking, with the park's grassy hill doubling as a natural amphitheater for the fireworks.
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.