Fort Story Beach

Great location to take a picture of the Cape Henry lighthouse. If you are on a tour of the area and want an excellent photo of the Cape Henry lighthouse, you will be able to see it. in is entirety from the parking lot of the beach access near the Coast Guard station. Be mindful of the areas that the public is allowed in and do not deviate from those areas but this is an excellent place to come and visit two beautiful and historic lighthouses on the East Coast if you are coming to enjoy the beach, collect your own garbage, and do not disturb the sand dunes as they are protected areas. This is a great location to come if you are a Military card, ID card holder, as it is a functioning base and there are only refreshments and items available for a purchase to enjoy and restock your cooler or get gas to ID card holders. No lifeguards available but excellent place for walking, shelling and exercise, as well as getting those photos of the lighthouse

I love going to this beach because it is secluded, and besides the huge boulders, it is unadulterated. You actually have to know where to go because there are no signs directing you where to park or where the entrance is (unless I just didn't see any). Make sure you bring your own trash bags, and watch out for the plethora of crabs.

This beach is on base. It is open for exercise only although people so far are allowed to sit on the beach. I enjoyed that there was hardly any people and it was very spaced out from anyone else. We saw several pods of dolphins and loved that beach had loads of sea shells and medium sized crabs running around everywhere! I was surprised the beach appeared fairly clean with very little visible trash. There is a small parking lot for parking, a boardwalk to walk to the beach & there is a gas station right across the street. The gas station store is closed but you can still get gas. There are no bathrooms here, absolutely no amenities. There is one trash can near the parking lot. If you are a strong swimmer, this ocean is perfect for a swim! Keep in mind there are no lifeguards here. The base campgrounds are very close and are a walkable distance to the beach as well. My toddler loved it and so did I, perfect for a long walk!

Want to enjoy a private beach all to yourself that few know about? Then you better be military, or have access to someone that can get you on. This is a super beach that typically has few visitors. The private access is just inside the gate, make your first right and it's .3 on your right. There is no parking, but if you get access you must know someone and can park at there home.Across from the beach access is a hill and a playground. It looks unassuming enough, but actually a was home to a 16 inch Howitzer used in WII. That is a huge gun. It has been removed, but the concrete circle remains. There is a plaque describing it with a pic. So back to the beach, once you find it then you walk out on a grass, then sand path. There is no decking. A short distance later your at the beach and enjoying the water most likely by yourself, or with a few friends. There are wakes that the kids will enjoy. However, as the big sign says as you enter there is NO LIFEGUARD. So parents you must supervise your children, even if they are swimmers. If there are trash cans it's few, so do pick up after yourself.But for those that want a public beach, fear not. There actually is one, but you still have to go through security. Just beyond the two light houses at the memorial is parking and decking that will take you down to the beach. It will still be pretty quiet even in the Summer.Something else that parents should be mindful is that there are rock barriers placed all along the Fort Story Beach, they are really neat to see the waves crash them. The are also cool to climb, but be mindful for children to have supervision. So if your lucky enough to get on Fort Story Beach like I was today than thank your lucky stars. Bring a cooler, bring a chair and thank the U.S. Government for an awesome location for a base.

Went here with Annette and Anderson to enjoy the afternoon. I believe you have to be military to get on the base. Sorry! But if you hold a green card, it's worth it. Right on the point. Great sandy beach with little traffic.Nice little coves in between the rocks (to prevent erosion). Nice and quiet. One of the best beaches in this coast and it's NEVER crowded!Home of the cape Henry light houses... Adds to the decor.Gotta come here if you've got the card! Do it!

Pretty clean. Kinda peaceful. The waves are pretty rough. Almost empty every time I go there.A good spot for jogging;)

This beach is so nice!!! It's a little hidden gem. It's not too crowded at all and it's very relaxing.

This is a fantastic beach on JEB Fort Story military base. There is a public access point near Cape Henry lighthouse, across from the gas station/minimart. There are also a few more smaller, less obvious, entrances throughout the base. I use the one on Cape Henry near the main gate. The beach is never really crowded and it is where the bay meets the ocean. We see dolphins out there a lot. It is clean and also security monitors it as well. I truly enjoy this beautiful gem!

The beach at fort story was beautiful! It's difficult to get to, hence the four stars. But if you can trek down to the beach it is worth the walk. Also, fishing is great!