Reviews of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Tourist Attraction)

Jonathan Wingate

Our family loved walking around the various paths and viewing the wildlife around the bay and then on the beach. It's all well-maintained and interesting. We saw several snakes, some frogs, birds and signs of other animals. We happened to run into a very knowledgeable volunteer that gave us a tour and pointed out several things. We were so blessed to have that experience. Highly recommended for nature lovers.

Julie Vanzant

Beautiful, the Beach had a few people fishing so the walk on the beach was peaceful. I didn't get to take the other trails but have in the past. The marsh land is interesting.

Sabrina Charney Hull

Just beautiful- great bike riding!

ben og

Amazing park with friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff.

b C

Had a blast on vacation here. Alot of site seeing here

Jeffery B.

I can't believe I did not come sooner it is a cold day and it's my first time here and it's amazing I will definitely come back when it's warm out so many nice trails to hike on if you get the chance definitely come here it's a beautiful place

Amanda Purdum

A bit of everything you could ask for in a nature trail. Breathtakingly beautiful. My favorite spot in Virginia Beach

Innovative Thinking

Take care of animals. Cool, free service

Lisa V

Beautiful sunsets!

Daniel Stowe

Great part of the journey for false cape state park

Biggyswa

Don't go... so there is more for me!

Aidan Folger

Great place to get a walk in

Jared Winn

Great local resource!

Gear Up

Beautiful place for a sunset

Donna Drozda

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is an important part of the Atlantic flyway. It marks the beginning of a vitally essential nursery for sea turtles. the longest stretch, 29 continuous miles, of remaining natural undeveloped ocean front devoid of light pollution along the entire east coast. Here large flocks of swan and other migrating waterfowl and songbirds rest through the winter protected from harm. Home to fox, coyote, deer, bobcat and snakes in addition to the thousands of birds feeding in the refuge ponds.

Keith Golebie

Great place to walk, bike-ride, and see cool wildlife, and other things. Daily tours too.

Sarah Massella

This place is beautiful! It's a wonderful place to hike or bike. We saw some beautiful birds and turtles.

Perr Ham

A great place to fish. Worth the 5 dollars to enter.

Nicholas White

Beautiful trail to walk for a couple hours with fishing spots

Andrew S

Great place to hike. Great beach as well. The only drawback is there are no bathrooms on the beach or trails. If you have little kids it might be a short lived trip due to no bathrooms. Otherwise it is a great outdoor destination.

Terrence JKasen

Awesome visit. Will return again.

Gaby Fowler

It was boring wut do u even do there

Lisa McAllister

Best sunsets around. God's artwork displayed in amazing colors!

Jeff Duszak

I biked in at seven in the morning, very few people around. There's a nice board walk out to a platform position just above the Reed's. Very quiet. Peaceful.

Emily Creager

Back Bay is awesome! It's an inexpensive way to see what the ocean landscape looks like with minimal human interference! You can also rent bicycles nearby to see more of the park in one day. Please be careful though, especially with children, as there are plenty of poisonous snakes nearby. This is a wildlife refuge and you are in their home, so these animals are wild. But, as long as you are conscious of your surroundings and stick to the trails, you shouldn't have any problems! It is a beautiful area with tons of wildlife to see! Plus, it's kayak friendly!

Jessica Webb

Loved it so beautiful

Becky Horstman

Beautiful natural area! Great place to walk, photograph, bike or picnic. I have enjoyed many outings here.

Mal Mal S

Love this place! Bring bikes!

Kelly Abbey

Peaceful not alot of people. Water was kinda high in Marsh areas.. Some paths were flooded..Had to be extra watchful with all the snakes swimming and crossing the paths.. Beach was relaxing to walk along.. only a handful of people did we pass. Nice solitude hike.

bso grady

very nice place to bike. east Dike path has very little shade.

Mike Murphy

Awesome place to visit a natural beach with little human influence

Marilu Horning

Beautiful quiet place. Good for long walks. Wear comfortable shoes. be on the lookout for snakes. You can walk to the beach and contemplate nature. It is quiet beautiful!

Rosemary Lefflbine

Good communing with nature.

Jesica Thiel

Like going back in time a thousand years. Nothing but huge Dunes, great walking trails thru tamed-untamed wilderness. A real treat, away from humanity for just a bit. The adjacent Little Islan City Park has a great beach along with facilities as well as a super fishing pier.

Chad Harvey

Lovely well maintained park. The trails are service roads with no shade so it’ll get quite hot on a sunny summer day.

Jim Gerber

Fantastic Federal Park and facilities!

Kyla Mahoney

Beautiful beach! We visited on Memorial Day weekend and there were maybe 5 other people at the beach. Quiet with some nice trails near the visitors center. Definitely worth the drive out!

Joseph Jankowski

Nice place to visit. Beach and bay access. And yes that is a picture of a water moccasin in the pond right next to the parking lot. It is a wildlife refuge after all.

Guillaume Nadeau

Lot of wildlife diversity!!

Justin Chamberlain

So pretty, you can hike the trails or the beach all the way to North Carolina. Amazing views!

Taylor Goris

Perfectly peaceful. Beautiful spot to walk along the ocean and hike.

Michael Kissinger

Great place for bike riding. Very nice facility. Rangers very helpful.

Joseph Ross

Some of the most beautiful sites in America.

Alicia O'Donnell

The trails are nicely maintained. The ranger on duty was very helpful and nice. Our kids enjoyed completing the Junior Ranger program and earning a patch! There's more than meets the eye in the visitors center!

Bob Ricketts

Great place!

Dane Gardner

Just 30 minutes from Virginia Beach, Back Bay was an amazing spot for a quick hike and opportunity to get away from the crowds. Between Sandbridge Beach and the refuge, you can easily spend a full day exploring.

Rich

Awesome place and well kept facility. Great place to beach watch and bortd watch.

Brent K

Awesome place with a lot of wildlife :-) Great views!!!

Angela Riley

Was very quiet and the staff friendly. Beautiful place to enjoy nature

crossnthistle

Had a gorgeous, warm day last February for walking the beach. We ended up doing a 7 mile walk and enjoyed it thoroughly:D Saw a good-sized pod of dolphins, out from the shore. Carried a light lunch and watched the surf while we ate, then packed up and walked back. Would go again!

Erinya Coaxum

It is amazing and it has a lot of cool and exotic animals I really like it

Robert Dye

Have been going for beach & kayak tours for years.

Jerry Booth

Quiet side of Virginia Beach.

Robert Cordrey

Spend the day enjoying nature.

Ed Graham

I have never seen a "park"with so many signs and fences telling you where you cannot go and what you are not permitted to do! It is a wildlife preserve, for sure with no humans allowed!!!

Chris Conner

Great place but they need to hire more employees to maintain the refuge. There was quite a bit of trash scattered around random locations. Definitely not good for the wildlife.

Tamara Holbrook

Very nice paths for , road for bikers, and places for fisherman and photographers, and for canoeing or kayaking on the bay....

Elizabeth Russell

I went on a tour of the Back Bay which not only included wildlife but also the ruins, mostly a graveyard, of an old settlement. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable on the subject and amusing, as well. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, although it was a bit chilly in the open tram. They did offer blankets for those who wanted them, which was nice, and a warm up and restroom stop,too. The tour was only running on Saturdays in November, so if you’re there and want to go, make sure to call for a reservation.

Mark Thomas

An escape to nature without a day drive. Amazing place to spend time outdoors. You choice of the ocean, or the bay, or both.

Alex Pinnix

Beautiful trails at any time of day

Kathy Brown

We like remote places and the visitor center is full of Information. Touch tables for kids and adults. We saw a pair of juvenile eagles, an osprey carrying a fish, and walked the beach as trails were not open yet. Seems good for bikes and birding.

Dave Staake

Great place don't tell anyone

Chad Caldwell

A place to go when you need to think

Mahmudur Siddiqui

It's was quite and peaceful. We saw many wildlife and birds.

Andrew Goode

One park ranger was very nice at helping us get back to our vehicle when it was sudden downpour.

Bruce Hankins

Nice hidden little park with a great beach boardwalk trail for the family. Seems like its a low traffic area, trails are nice, views are beutiful. Update - We went back a couple days later in the morning and it was packed. There are really only 2 very short walking trails, so don’t plan on a fun day of hiking. This is really for fishing, boating, and biking. If you have a bike, you can ride the service roads all the way to North Carolina. Still a beautiful spot, but the only reason I’d go back is to bike or fish.

Shane Sullivan

Great place for a hike. Beautiful park with beach access and lots of scenic photo opportunities. It's never too busy and it's very easy to get away and connect with nature.

Greg Vollmer

Saw dolphins playing in the surf, and pelicans skimming the waves. All the beauty of the beach with no sunbathers! Beach and dunes beautiful. Fabulous place to go for a walk in near privacy, enjoy the sand and ocean, and get a good walk in.

melissa griffin

My family and I went here to get professional photos done. What a wonderful experience so beautiful.

Ed Blais

Very calm uninhabited place to bike or hike Undortunatly I went there with my 2 grandchildren expecting to fly kites swI'm in the ocean and play on the beach. My bad !! Didn't realized you can't so that in a sanctuary. So we back tracked a little ways up the beach to the public beach. I will be sure to return alone and explore some of the bike trails. Still a nice place to go.

Nancy J Green

Always a wonderful place to enjoy nature. Bay on one side, ocean on the other. Great staff at the Visitors Center. you never know what you'll see. Today it was cottonmouths sunning on the side of the pond, large gathering of sea birds feasting, and plenty of turtles out.

Ashleigh Smith

Beautiful place for bike rides, jogs, or just a sunday stroll with your family. (Beware of snakes though, as it is the woods.)

Ron Rummer

It's off season and a lot of it closed but we still great walk on the beach. O.H. __

Tim Miller

Beautiful nice trails and beach for walking or running.

Suzy Greene

Beautiful area! Especially if you like dragonflies. The beach is great. Lots of little fish swimming in and out. Several horseshoe crabs and what looked like jellyfish, washed up on the beach, but the area was very clean and we'll taken care off. It was especially nice that there is a wheelchair path to the beach (thru the dunes)

Jonathan Long

Amazing federal wildlife sanctuary. There’s undeveloped beaches and inlets and tons of wildlife from osprey, eagles, snakes, turtles, herons and the list goes on. The trails here are great for bikes and hikes. It’s a great getaway from the more developed beaches a lot of people are familiar with.

Jerry & Lorie Widmann

It's okay. Didn't have my bicycle. And I didn't want to swim. To hot to walk in full sun. Just the wrong day maybe.

Peter Lim

Great fishing!

Samaresh Panda

Love this place. Birds, turtles, snakes and so much more. If you like quiet beach this place is for you.

Nancy Bell

Peaceful, easy access for a stroll through nature and a cool sea breeze...

Kathy Lynn White

It was really nice. The sunset was beautiful.

Martha Zoraya Avila

So beautiful and relaxing place the best in Virgia Beach

Benoit Gosselin

Beautiful park! I enjoyed the bike ride.

Peter Mathews

Solid but. it amazing wildlife viewing and hiking. lots of plants/flowers and birds

Robert Lemoine

Just like paradise

Jitka Kacerova

Very nice and calm place full of wildlife! Biting flies are very annoying though :-( Don't forget plenty of repellent! Hikes are long so maybe the best way to explore is on a bike. We've seen lots of rabbits and birds.

joseph mcguiness

Beautiful state park. Good fishing and lots of wildlife to see

Jerrie Boyer Jr

Love this place very peace and quiet

teresa ivory

I come back here often. I wish the tram schedule was more clear. Hard to find out the schedule until I get here. Can u please post the tram schedule? It’s a lot of territory to cover on foot.

Otis B

Gorgeous and clean. Great fishing and a very relaxed atmosphere I must stop if you're in sandbridge.

Kat Bourlotos

Beautiful place. Excellent trails. It was hot, but the building had excellent AC. They had the COOLEST touch table with a variety of different dried sea creatures, bones, seed pods, eggsacs, etc. The kids were allowed to touch them, and they loved it. The older gentleman working was very nice and engaging.

Jessie Lowe

This is one of my favorite state parks to visit, as it is about 8 miles from my house!

Ed White

Great way to spend a quiet day

BROForce James

Beautiful place to hike or ride bikes. Go 4 mile and you are at Back Bay state park.

Drama Momma

Reminds me of a place back home with added bonus of the ocean.

Karen Van Cott

I love Back Bay. There’s always something new to see.

Charles Tew jr

The guide we had was a fill in our guide had car trouble. But you wouldnt know he was filing in he was xcellent . It was an enjoyable afternoon even if it was hot. My family thanks you

Darrell Brabec

Interesting weather not cooperative.

Kyle Little

I love coming here to hike when I am back home in Virginia Beach. It is never crowded, and I tend to see a variety of wildlife when I’m here, which is pretty amazing being so close to a major metro. The undisturbed ocean and estuarine landscape is something that visitors to the area will find amazing.

Branden Criner

Amazing place, not crowded at all. Beautiful.

Ben Borman

Really nice walking!

Christy Womack-Carson

Fun and educational for the entire family

Henry Whelchel

Always a great place for a short walk or a long hike. Some of the wooden walkways are being redone in the summer of 2018. Insect repellent is recommended.

Benjamin Dixon

Great scenery. I've been going my whole life and never get bored with it.

Patricia Motley

Very upset when I saw on a sign that No Pets were allowed in the park Not Even in a Vechile!!! I have a Service Dog and I was very upset that I could not take my Service Dog in My Car I have a 4.9 lb Chi and seeing that I could not even drive thru something I have always done being a local and I couldnt do because I had my Service Dog with me was extremely upsetting!! No one has the right to not bring an animal with them in their car and go into the park especially when that animal isnt leaving the interior of that vechile!

Anthony Caton

We put our kayak in here and the refuge area and access is really nice. Great parking and easy carry to the water. Back Bay itself is so beautiful and an easy paddle. I would definitely go back again.

E v

Beautiful planned location for a 7pm wedding. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Coleman of Stafford, VA.

David Traub

Great place, lots of wild and plant life to see. I like the area better than Sandbridge, which is covered in condos and houses. To enter from Sandbridge, be sure to have cash, check or access pass, the booth doesn't have a card reader. ATM at Sandbridge Market if you need it.

stephanie allen-abreu

What a beautiful space. I saw wild otters. WILD OTTERS!!! Do you know how cute wild otters are? I'd only seen them swimming in the tank in front of the Virginia Beach Aquarium. So yeah, I saw wild otters, and I'm pretty stoked about it. Nooooo, I didn't get a photo of them because I scared them off the bank and they disappeared too quickly. But here's some other photos. Go... It's awesome.

Jason Mansfield

Pristine place. Make sure to bring water in the summer. Absolute Paradise! Trails go all the way down to NC. Free for active duty military.

J.D. D

Awesome place to spend the day

nerdy bee

Beautiful trails, sand dunes, ocean views, road leads to wildlife refugee, peaceful and therapeutic

mac cuffe

What I like about VB is that you never run out of places to visit.

Jeffrey Strine

Very peaceful, hiking the beach is amazing it goes for miles.

Kerry Jo Robertson

So beautiful. Its awesome being able to get so close to nature. The wildlife is plentiful. There's some boardwalk construction going on at the moment but still plenty of other trails.

Chris Palomar

Great place for a leisurely hike or bike trail. Don't expect to see panoramic views unless you get further in. I've seen people fishing, but hadn't asked what they can take. Service was polite and helpful. No ATM on premise. I'm not sure that also applies to the gift shop further in.

Sarah Smith

We brought our kids while we were vacationing in Sandbridge. I would definitely recommend going in the early morning or later in the evening. We when during the afternoon and it was HOT!! We were able to walk some trails and we stopped by their visitor center. They had some cool stuff for the kids to look at! If it had been cooler I would have tried the bike trail to NC.

Jesse Van Harlinger

A gorgeous place! Great for a casual stroll alone or with loved ones. This place is worth checking out. I came on a whim and I'm glad I did! I came later in the day and the beach was nearly empty. I felt like a private beach. The trails were easy to navigate and the scenery was very quaint. The beach was clean and the breeze was crisp. It was a calming atmosphere. You got to do it at least once.

Victor Munoz

Awesome place for a ride love the open area. Suggest waking up early so you dont catch the heat in summer! (Or even a late afternoon ride)

Jerrica Goodsell

I love the back bay and false Cape! So peaceful and less people. Gorgeous views.

Avery S

Keep this place a secret... Minimal crowd's, great facility's and clean... except for the occasional dead horseshoe crab.

Christopher Hahn

The views of the bay and the wilderness are great.

Abbey Pachter

The Blue Goose Tram trip is a wonderful way to visit our treasured environment: forest, waterways, wildlife. We saw over 50 swans plus numerous ducks & geese. Dress warmly! At the far end there's a charming interpretive center with clean restrooms, hot beverages, snacks & appropriate souvenirs.

Mustafa Fazil Serincan

A hidden gem. Visitor's center is a fun place to stop by to see mounted animals and touch table. Great for the kids. Trails to the pristine beaches.

Miriam Smith

Super hidden and beautiful! Absolutely worth the drive!

Kim Lemmon

Awesome Beach Clean Up Day!!

Robert Kruse

Fine food and bourbon. Pure class.

Bill Borkowicz

Beautiful - very easy to walk or paddle

Karl Kilburn

Very nice nature place.

Michael Tefft

This is one of my favorite places to go to enjoy nature at its finest. So peaceful and beautiful. Strolling on the beach and enjoying the wind, waves, and the birds is my favorite part of the experience.

Barbara Burnett

Great trails and loads to see! White egret, great blue heron, turtles, frogs, the ocean, hawks, redwing blackbirds, marshes, ponds and the beach. Beautiful place to hike!

Terri M

Helpful staff, great shoreline to visit, quiet, peaceful, not crowded, great place to view the natural shoreline

Bekah Kelly

What an amazing park! The people who work here do an amazing job as well! They are friendly, helpful and courteous!

Wandern

I had to pay to get in. I guess may taxes aren't enough.

Craig Holowiak

This is one of the most peaceful places to go to be one with nature. You shouldn't bring your dog but a good pair of hiking shoes and a picnic is perfect for here. If you bring some binoculars you'll catch some beautiful birds along with great ocean views.

Barbara Gorny

Which had a beautiful bike ride along the ocean it was so calm and quiet you felt like you were the only people on earth Simply Amazing

Jacie McCabe

Back Bay is simply beautiful! And offers easy kayaking for both beginners and advanced.

György Kovács

I love it! For trekking, for running, for bicycle it's ideal!

Matthew Ren

So much fun, clean facilities, friendly staff. So much exploring to be had, I only wish fires were allowed. The bike oaths are great.

Holly Monger

Much less touched beaches than further north. A good selection of shells and very quiet.

Bob Chillen

One of my favorite place in Virginia, great place to enjoy fresh air the place is quiet so can enjoy your me time like reading, or you can even paint because of the beautiful scenery.

David Basile

Just a gorgeous place to be. A nice little nature center with local wildlife preserved and on display. Slip a kayak or canoe in the water and paddle a way for a few peaceful hours.

The Beavers

Great hiking and biking! Love the staff!

jody hossack

Hot and buggy. Bike trail was bumpy with large gravel.

Greg Stewart

Wonderful refuge with lots of wildlife and beautiful scenery! Both freshwater marsh and saltwater beach in one location. Easy beach access with boardwalks and sand mats leading to beach. We collected shells, chased crabs, saw dolphins, snakes, frogs, turtles, deer, cranes and the most be Dragonflies in greater numbers than I have ever seen!

matthew williams

I love this park. Great for hiking around in the trails and going to beach to do some surf fishing.

Beth

Great place to see wildlife. The highlight, for me at least, are the water moccasins! Sometimes you will see them curled up alongside the trails or, if you are lucky, they will cross the path right in front of you. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the park and although we do like to bring our dogs everywhere with us, it’s probably for the best. Their safety is our number one priority. Aside from snakes, we’ve seen tons of turtles, frogs, bunnies, deer and an array of birds. It can get quite hot in the summer and there isn’t much shade, so bring water and wear sunscreen!

Louise Sullivan

Lovely park, we go here pretty often. Though understandable, we’re sad that it shuts down in the winter months.