Stumpy Lake Natural Area
Stumpy Lake Natural Area is a park in Kempsville, Virginia Beach, best for bald cypress scenery, birding, easy forest hikes, kayak fishing.
More than 970 acres of undeveloped forest wrap around Stumpy Lake in the city's southwest corner, where bald cypress trees rise straight out of the water along the entrance causeway — the most photographed swamp scenery in Virginia Beach and the city's largest nightly cormorant roost. A figure-eight of soft trails (a 0.65-mile loop joined to a 1.0-mile loop) covers 1.65 miles of easy, well-marked walking through mixed deciduous and pine forest. A canoe/kayak launch near the causeway opens the lake itself to paddlers. Parking is genuinely limited — about a dozen car spaces — so early arrival matters on weekends.
- Free
- Hidden Gem
- Family Friendly
- Dog Friendly
Amenities
- 1.65 miles of soft figure-8 loop trails
- Bald cypress causeway views
- Canoe/kayak launch
- Fishing and birding
- Adjacent golf course
Know Before You Go
- Best for: bald cypress scenery, birding, easy forest hikes, kayak fishing
- Parking: Small gravel lot with spaces for about 12 cars and two trailers, off the Indian River Road causeway at Chesterbrook Drive. Fills on nice weekends.
- Accessibility: Trails are soft, unpaved forest paths; the causeway viewpoint is reachable by car. Limited accessibility infrastructure.
- Dogs: allowed — Dogs must be on a leash at all times, per city park rules.
- Location: Causeway off Indian River Rd at Chesterbrook Dr, southwest Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
More Parks Nearby
Lake Lawson / Lake Smith Natural Area
A 42-acre wooded preserve in Bayside with an outsized 12,000 feet of shoreline on two connected freshwater lakes — which is why anglers and birders treat it as…
- Free
- Family Friendly
- Dog Friendly
- Wheelchair Accessible
Pleasure House Point Natural Area
One hundred eighteen acres of tidal marsh, sandy shore, and maritime forest on the Lynnhaven River just south of the Chesapeake Bay — a rescued piece of…
- Free
- Dog Friendly
- Hidden Gem
- Family Friendly
West Neck Creek Natural Area
A 217-acre wooded natural area kept deliberately undeveloped, West Neck Creek borders West Neck Road and Princess Anne Road in the rural southern reach of the…
- Free
- Hidden Gem
- Dog Friendly
City View Park
A sports-first city park on Kempsville Road built around four lighted softball fields and a multi-purpose field, City View Park also includes basketball and…
- Free
- Family Friendly
- Dog Friendly
- Wheelchair Accessible
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.
- Outdoor Seating
- Family Friendly
Docker's Karaoke Pub
Family-owned Holland Road pub since 1993 with a dedicated stage and karaoke every night of the week.
- Happy Hour
- Live Music
- Hidden Gem
Fiesta Kainan
Authentic Filipino kitchen on Indian River Road in Kempsville — adobo, pancit, kare-kare, and a halo-halo dessert case.
- Family Friendly
- Hidden Gem
J&K Style Grill
Family-owned Kempsville grill famous for the original Waffle Burger, ranch-jerk wings, and gourmet egg rolls.
- Family Friendly
- Hidden Gem
Kelly's Tavern — Kempsville
Kempsville location of the Hampton Roads tavern chain known for its Award Winning Craft Burgers and family-friendly pub menu.
- Family Friendly
Krossroads Rock and Country Bar
Family-run Pleasant Valley Road bar built around live rock and country bands, with Music Bingo, karaoke, and trivia filling the rest of the week.
- Live Music
- Open Late
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.