Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation

A relaxing place to walk and enjoy nature. There is complimentary bugspray on the porch at the main building by the parking lot. The sights and sounds (and even smells) are some of the best Mother Nature has to offer. I love coming here to soak it all in and level up my mental health game. Breathtaking! Btw, there are portable restrooms near the parking lot.

I'm so happy to find this gem hidden in a community. The hours are currently limited with the gate's closing at 4pm, but I don't know if the hours will change for Spring/Summer. From the notification it appears to have ticks and it was noted at a moderate level. While not a fan I would expect it in a natural environment and will wear tick protection next visit. No dogs allowed.

This is a great place to get in some exercise and see wildlife! Parking and entrance is free. I have been twice and it has never been crowded with people. Dogs are not allowed. Biking is not allowed. Social distancing is easily maintained here. The main office is closed right now due to covid. There are no bathrooms on premises at this time. There are several trails to choose from to walk or jog through. They have a kids trail as well. If you don't want to go off onto a trail you can always stay on the main trail and go all the way around it. Ticks are prevalent here beware! Wear appropriate clothing and DEET if you have some, several people I know left with ticks latched on even after all precautions were taken. They offer different activities during the week such as yoga at specified times, check their website for updated information. My toddler loved the seed bombs provided at the entrance near the office, see picture for details. They have several benches to stop and rest and one area has picnic tables. We will definitely be back, we just wish they had bathrooms or hand sanitizer available during this pandemic which is why I'm giving 4 stars.

I know most Yelpers are all about the food. Don't get me wrong--I love me some food! But what really whets my whistle are places I can go to get my nature buzz on. I love reading reviews and discovering new parks in the area. My fellow Yelpers have helped me out with this challenge, which is why I was surprised to only find one review for Hoffler's. What a great spot and perhaps one that is not so well known.According to their website, Hoffler Creek Wildlife Refuge is named after a Revolutionary War captain named William Hoffler. The area is rich in history, the surrounding land being settled in the 1600s. It saw action during the Civil War as well. Several years ago, the area was in danger of being sold for development. Send in the cavalry! The heroes were local neighbors who wanted to save the land and preserve it for wildlife and the enjoyment of so many. Thus the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation was formed. After arriving today, I made my way to the information building. Upon entering, I immediately smelled the remnants of a wood fire. Nice! I signed the log book and listened as the polite young many working there explain about membership. He also told me I could bring my own kayak and he would drive it down to the launch area. If I was a member, this would be free. Now I can't wait for temps to warm up so I can get on the water.A quick stop at the port-a-potties (right at the parking lot--only bathrooms there that I am aware of) and I was making my way to the trails. I passed a large, covered pavilion and lots of wonderful benches. There is a path around Lake Ballard, which is 1 mile in length. There are several small trails that sprout off of the lake trail, all ¼ to 1/2 mile long. The first thing you notice about Hoffler is the tranquility. It was so peaceful walking the trails. The only sounds I heard were birds in the distance. I'm sure some of the quiet was due to the time of year; no doubt the place is busier in the warmer months when everyone is taking advantage of kayaks. The refuge also hosts other activities such as a kids yoga walk, bird walks, volunteer work days, and raptor rehab. These activities are all free for members and usually a $5 fee for non-members.The two negatives about this place are no pets allowed and no high impact activities such as jogging and biking. However, I understand the reasoning behind these restrictions. There are plenty of other spots in the area to participate in said activities and maybe by doing so, it keeps the crowd level lower at Hoffler. If you enjoy a peaceful, relaxing walk in the woods and around water, then I highly recommend you get yourself to Hoffler Creek Wildlife Refuge. You won't be disappointed.

This is an awesome place to take your family for some hiking fun or to take your loved one on a date. It is so peaceful here and there are so many animals you can see. They have trails where you can walk up hills and through trees or you can walk the trail by the lake. They have bridges that you can crossover and look at the animals in the water. There's even a picnic area if you were wanting to sit down and eat

I came here today for a volunteer event and was surprised at how awesome this place was. NOT ONLY were there a bunch of Pokestops around the ENTIRE lake there, but the trails were beautiful and there was so much random wildlife (bring bug spray).I met James and Helen, 2 of 3 people who run this place and they were so awesome and informative about the area and you could tell they really cared about the place. Helen, the executive director of Hoffler, has an awesome snake in her office that she'll tell you all about too. I was pretty happy about that, totally made my day.They offer kayaking (with lifevests - yes, I asked). There is a fee of $25 per hour, or $15 if you have a membership. If you want a membership for the year (which includes educational programs as well), there are different packages that are offered. *MILITARY* families for the year is $50, not bad.It's a neat little place with tons of plants and creatures to look at. In the officer they have an array of items you can check out or purchase for birdwatching, plant identifying, or just supporting Hoffler.Definitely am going to try coming back to kayak before the season is over!RANDOM FACT: They have boxes where you can recycle your ink cartridges.

This is a cute lil park...I guess we'll call it a park that is nestled in a residential area of Churchland. Yes, P-town. There shall be no running on the property but I am a speed walker. You can also kayak out here as well. It's very serene but it can be scary once it starts to get dusk (think Friday the 13th type woods scary) it does close at dusk, but dusk won't find me there, I'll be at home safe. I like coming after daylight savings after work to walk around and get some steps in. Make sure you bring some OFF with you with the blue top because this is mosquito country!

Very pretty area and lake. We didn't stay terribly long as the bug situation was intense but it's a beautiful area.

This spot serves so many positive purposes for the local area. As a refuge and wildlife habitat, Hoffler Creek houses deer, foxes, songbirds, game birds (no hunting!), birds of prey, including eagles, tons of turtles, and no doubt countless other species. As previous posts mention, certain activities aren't permitted here because it's not a public park, it's a registered Wildlife Preserve, as the last large wooded piece of land in Churchland, which as recently as twenty-five years ago was still relatively open for wildlife and nature. One word of caution: because nature's been isolated to this seemingly small plot of woods on Churchland, tick populations could be concentrated much higher here, and have a higher occurrence of Lyme disease, too.Overall, very few people go in winter, but warm spring days and summer time can become bustling. Seeing bigger animals is rare, but you will always hear birdsong of some kind, even if it's just crows. After all, Hoffler's Creek is also a designated Bird Sanctuary. My one peeve about this place is people who bring trash and throw it around like they're at King's Dominion. Listen: no one is sweeping this place up all the time. People who work here are trying to accomplish important tasks, such as repopulating the creek with live oysters through the creation and maintenance of an oyster reef and annihilating invasive plant species that have taken over much of the preserve. So many people do so much good here; please don't come and ruin that with your laziness, inconsideration, ignorance, and arrogance. Thanks.

This place is a hidden treasure on the outskirts of portsmouth. "P-town?" you exclaim.Yes, P-tizzle fo' shizzle.Around the lake is a 4 mile trail. There are a number of other trails spanning the reserve as well as a kayak dock. Today, we were on a blackberry picking expedition. Pretty cool stuff. We got to eat the blackberries we picked and they made vanilla ice cream for us to enjoy with the blacberries at the end of the "hike". This is a great thing to do for kids and adults alike. I'm definitely taking my son......I want him to become one with the wilderness, but I'm sure all he will hear is "ice cream".