Virginia Beach · Virginia Beach · Trail running · Network
First Landing State Park Trail Network
Roughly 20 miles of interconnected maritime forest, dune, and swamp trails on the Chesapeake Bay.
- Distance
- 20mi
- Climb (listed)
- Not on file
- Time (hiking est.)
- Your call
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Terrain
- BoardwalkSandShaded
The route
Where it is
This is a trail network rather than a single route, so no route line or elevation profile is published. Use the agency map for the individual trails.
What it feels like
What it feels like
A 20-mile corridor you sample rather than finish: pick a trailhead, go out as far as the day allows, and turn around. Firm, even surface, mostly under tree cover.
Before you drive
What to know first
Closures and conditions change. Check the agency's alerts page before leaving.
- Parking
- Park only in designated areas. Weekend visitation is very heavy and delays are expected; once the park's parking capacity is reached, arriving visitors are turned away.
- Fees
- Virginia State Parks day-use parking fee applies.
- Permits
- Not on file
- Hours
- Day-use areas open 7 a.m. to dusk; overnight areas accessible 24 hours a day when open.
- Restrooms
- Restrooms are available at developed areas, not along the trails. The Trail Center and visitor center have accessible restrooms; the picnic area and the 64th Street boat launch have restrooms with universally accessible toilets; four campground bathhouses (Kendall, Archer, Collier, Read) have universally accessible showers and toilets.
- Water
- Drinking water is available at the park's picnic area and bathhouses, not along the trails themselves. Carry what you need for the distance you are covering.
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Cell service
- Not on file
- Emergency
- Not on file
How hard it will feel
Difficulty, explained
Moderate
DCR rates individual First Landing trails easy to moderate; White Hill Lake is rated moderate.
Commitment is up to you: turn around whenever you like on a long, level corridor.
- Distance
- +0
- A 20 mi corridor you can join for as little or as much as you like.
- Climb
- —
- Elevation gain not on file.
- Footing
- +1
- Natural tread, with soft sand in places.
- Technicality
- +0
- Nothing technical recorded; walking the whole way.
- Exposure
- +0
- Mostly sheltered; shade is listed.
Our reading (Easy) differs from the agency's (Moderate). The agency knows its trail; the breakdown shows which factor moved ours.
Commitment
How long it takes
This is a corridor you join for as long as you like, so there is no honest total. Plan with a pace instead:
- Hiking:
- ~23 min per mile
- Running:
- ~11 min per mile
- Family pace:
- ~40 min per mile
Terrain
Underfoot
- Surface
- Sand, Dirt, Boardwalk
- Technicality
- Nothing technical recorded
- Crossings
- None recorded
- Exposure
- Not on file
Recorded hazards
- Ticks
- Soft sand
- Route-finding across many junctions
What you'll see
On the record
- Long Creek Trail
- Chesapeake Bay shoreline
- 20+ miles of connections
Setting on file: Forest, Coastal, Park.
When to go
Seasonal character
Virginia BeachYear-round access. Oceanfront wind and sun exposure are constant; plan for heat and UV from June through September and for cold onshore wind in winter.
General seasonal character, not a live condition report. Check the agency's alerts page for closures.
Who it fits
Is this for you?
- Runners
- Yes, running is supported
- Families
- Good with kids
- Strollers
- Not stroller friendly
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Accessibility
- No notes on file
- Experience
- Comfortable for regular walkers with some fitness
The long version
About this route
First Landing's trail network lets you build almost any distance you want between the Bay shoreline, the Narrows, and the interior swamp. Long Creek Trail is the local favorite for trail runners — sandy, rooty, and genuinely scenic — while Osmanthus and Fox Run add quieter interior mileage.
Because the network is a web rather than a single route, treat the posted trail map at the Trail Center as the authoritative source and note junction numbers as you go.
If not this one
Related, and why
Virginia Beach
Cape Henry Trail
- Distance
- 6mi
- Elevation gain
- 12ft
- Time (agency)
- ~2h10
- Paved
- Sand
- Shaded
Shorter version · 6 mi if time is short.
Virginia Beach
Bald Cypress Trail
- Distance
- 1.8mi
- Elevation gain
- 10ft
- Time (agency)
- ~45 min
- Boardwalk
- Sand
- Shaded
Nearby · 1 mi from this trailhead.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach Boardwalk
- Distance
- 3mi
- Elevation gain
- 0ft
- Time (agency)
- ~1h13
- Paved
- Coast
Nearby · 7 mi from this trailhead.
Virginia Beach
Mount Trashmore Park Loops
- Distance
- 1.5mi
- Elevation gain
- 60ft
- Time (agency)
- ~35 min
- Paved
Nearby · 8 mi from this trailhead.
Before you drive
What to know first
Closures and conditions change. Check the agency's alerts page before leaving.
- Parking
- Park only in designated areas. Weekend visitation is very heavy and delays are expected; once the park's parking capacity is reached, arriving visitors are turned away.
- Fees
- Virginia State Parks day-use parking fee applies.
- Permits
- Not on file
- Hours
- Day-use areas open 7 a.m. to dusk; overnight areas accessible 24 hours a day when open.
- Restrooms
- Restrooms are available at developed areas, not along the trails. The Trail Center and visitor center have accessible restrooms; the picnic area and the 64th Street boat launch have restrooms with universally accessible toilets; four campground bathhouses (Kendall, Archer, Collier, Read) have universally accessible showers and toilets.
- Water
- Drinking water is available at the park's picnic area and bathhouses, not along the trails themselves. Carry what you need for the distance you are covering.
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Cell service
- Not on file
- Emergency
- Not on file
Provenance
- Facts:
- verified against the managing agency · last checked August 29, 2026.
- Readings:
- anything marked Trailfinder reading is derived by Trailfinder from those sources, not published by the agency.
Before you go: Trail conditions, access rules, weather, water availability, and closures can change. Check the linked official source before leaving and choose a route appropriate for your experience and current conditions.