Huntington Beach

On a nice sunny day, this beach has a beautiful view of Chesapeake Bay. It's small for those who don't care for huge crowds. Pets are not allowed. The beach sand doesn't look that clean. It's noisy because it's next to the James River Bridge where traffic runs.

Nice little beach at the end of the peninsula. We went there with our kids and we enjoyed the cool water and playing in the sand. The water didn't have any trash or anything floating - some seaweed and sticks, which is to be expected. The bathrooms are absolutely disgusting though!

A little almost hidden gem on the Peninsula! This is a small man made beach, but with amazing views, never too crowded and within walking distance of the Crab Shack on the James! Great place for a romantic walk then dinner, or just hanging out on the beach with friends then drinks and a little convo at the bar! Check it out this Summer, while you're enjoying Hampton...You can thank me later....Wink!

This place is fine if you know what you're in for - it's not the ocean people, it's on the James River. So no, you don't go hit this place up if you want to go swimming. But it is a nice spot to bring a beach chair, put your feet in the sand, read a book and watch the sunset. There are some great ones on the JR, so it's a quick easy way to relax. We hop over here after hitting Fort Fun with the kiddo often because the playground is usually packed and insane (read - narcotics for toddlers), so playing for a few minutes quietly in the sand makes the transition home smoother. Do keep an eye out for litter though - some days it's worse than others.

It is just another beach. Looks pretty from a distance but I do not recommend getting up close and personal. It is not as big as the other ones in the area, and often smells funky. I wouldn't trust the water if you paid me! Most years there are hazardous warnings about the toxic water and then all of a sudden those are lifted during peak summertime...sketch! It does however offer a nice view of the James Rive Bridge, great for photographers. Honestly, I have always just passed up the beach to walk the trails leading to the War Museum and other historical sites in the same area. I suggest you do the same.

For a quick in and out this beach sufficed. The bathroom is disgusting with hundreds of wet and dried toilet paper blobs stuck to the ceiling i kept praying none fell on my head. The lifeguards were friendly and there were tons of geese who somehow knew to stick to their side.

This is a terrible beach for swimming. Its a shame too because my home town of Newport News being a city that is bordered by the James River its entire length has really no where to go swimming at. Blame it on the fact that its at the tail end of one of the states longest rivers and because of that it receives all the trash and chemicals that are dumped in it. In just one day here we saw dead fish, drug baggies, fresh broken glass and lots of other things you wouldn't want to be swimming next to all in the water. The city is trying with volleyball nets, a good convenience stand and lifeguards but its not enough. I recommend just sitting on the beach and enjoying the sights or heading over to the the new Fort Fun or War Museum .

There's nothing special about this beach but there are a few good things to mention. It's part of the James River therefore it's not really meant for swimming. There are tons of seagulls here and the second they even think there is food they swarm around you..gross. One thing to say is that it never really gets too crowded here. They have two volleyball nets that you can use for free. They also have public restrooms for beach goers. The sand here is pretty rocky so I suggest wearing shoes until you put your towel down to lay out. There's plenty of parking and even on the more crowded days in the summer, you can always find a close spot that's seconds from the sand. I enjoy coming here to read a book and relax so it's not about the swimming for me. However if you are coming to swim, swim at your own risk. There are signs posted up about possibility of hazardous materials in the water, therefore they recommend wearing shoes. Overall it's not a bad place to relax since it's super close to my apartment. If you want more of a swimming type beach, head over to buckroe or even cross the water and head to va beach.

Took the kids here after a great time at the park. We went on an overcast day, a day before a storm was coming in. We practically had the beach to ourselves that day there were only two other families there. The water I'm not sure just how dirty or clean it is bc when I compare it to all the other beaches in the area it has the same murky water, though here it is the darkest. I didn't find any trash, but there were cigarette butts in the sand. Again, no different than any other beach in the area. When I read all the other reviews I can't believe my family had a good time at this beach, but we did! Perhaps, we came after the city clean up crew. Or maybe they've managed to keep a lot of the nighttime element out? Idk, we had a four star good time. I took off one star bc of the dark waters. There are lifeguards there but bathrooms and showers are really for the boaters. You can walk up and use the facilities, but you can't drive to it (it can be a long walk while carrying beach supplies). The area has a well used boat ramp. The water did have a motor oil kinda smell to it. But, we had fun!