Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve Trails

Official notes

Parking

A small lot at the preserve with space for only eight (8) vehicles. DCR asks visitors who arrive to a full lot to return another time, and prohibits parking on adjacent private property, along the access road, within a public road right-of-way, or in any other non-designated location. DCR's driving directions: from the north end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, follow US 13 north, take Business Route 13 into Eastville, turn left onto Savage Neck Drive (VA 634), follow it about 2 miles and bear left to stay on Savage Neck Drive, then continue another 1.5 miles; the preserve parking area is on the right.

Water

No access to drinking water on the preserve, per DCR. DCR's Public Access Guide tells visitors to carry maps, a compass or GPS unit and plenty of drinking water.

Dogs

Dogs allowed on leash

Cell

Not on file

Emergency

Not on file

• Shoreline is only accessible during the hours immediately surrounding low tide; DCR links the NOAA tide predictions for Cape Charles Harbor (station 8632366) as the closest tide chart
• DCR reports that rapid shoreline erosion caused by breakwater construction on adjacent lands has damaged tiger beetle habitat and impacted maritime dune woodlands, making shoreline public access difficult at higher tidal stages
• The Bayshore Trail has a published maximum grade of 35.3%, against a 2.4% average
• All trails except the short Dune Overlook Spur boardwalk are sand and natural surface, with published minimum tread widths as narrow as 28 in
• No restrooms, no trash receptacles, no access to drinking water and no on-site staff
• DCR's preserve-system guidance warns that poor or absent cell coverage is common, that trails may be steep, narrow and remote, and that most are inaccessible to emergency vehicles
• Preserve is closed for managed deer hunts on six dates in fall 2026, and DCR asks visitors to call before visiting during deer season
• Parking is capped at eight vehicles, and roadside, right-of-way and private-property parking are prohibited, so a full lot means turning around
• Part or all of the preserve may be periodically closed for resource protection or resource management activities
• Disturbance of sand, including digging and removal, is prohibited on this preserve