West Neck Creek Natural Area

Super Easy hiking. Only draw back is parts can be muddy. Part of it is Wheelchair friendly. .3 mile of a wonderfully paved loop. I also think this part is a great part for parents with infants in stroller.Dog, horse, kid and hiking friendly with Forest, river, wildflower views (a bit muddy at times). Historical house on site called Whitehurst-Buffington house Circa 1793. with a 5 dollar donation you can take a tour of the house. Hours are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1-4. Buffington trail and the Whitehurst trail loop is about 1.7 mile. Their trail is very well marked. Even if you get off the trail it is easy to pick it back up. Tags on trees and white marks on trees. We enjoy this hiking because it is right next to a coffee shop. This makes me happy

I didn't know this even existed. Thanks to Lisa O. she and her husband told us about these trails near the Whitehurst-Buffington House. We ended up checking it out. It's a nice quiet walk into the woods with some paved trails and some bridges. We didn't explore very far, as one of my sisters allergies started to act up and the other sister didn't want to go deeper into the woods due to a fear of ticks. We did notice a lot of people tend to walk their dogs out here. It's always nice to to experience new parks and places to walk. It's near the courthouse and Astrea coffee. There is plenty of parking.

Hidden gems like West Neck Creek Natural Area are unknown to much of its Beach residents due to its remote proximity. Hopefully bringing awareness thought this business listing and write up and photos can help change that. The city investment in recreation is phenomenal with a multi million dollar budget. Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia and covers a wide swath including remote geography like Pungo. City planners have made pools, parks, boating and natural spaces available to all of its citizens. Tax dollars support much but not all with recreation centers and boating taking in revenue among others items I may have overlooked. A recent give back by the city is dog parks that no longer have a fee to use. West Neck Creek Natural Area encompasses over a 200 acre wooded section South of the VB City Municipal Complex. It borders Princess Anne and West Neck Roads. This is old Virginia Beach out here. Access to parking is in a city employee lot off Landing Rd. Follow Courthouse Dr. straight into the lot and pass the sign for Whitehurst-Buffington Home. There is no fee, but limited parking by day in the rear. Park hours are 730 AM to 730 PM. There are over two and a half miles of soft trail. Less than a half mile is paved and has trash cans and benches available. A creek runs through the property making the grounds aesthetically pleasing. So what can you do? Hike, bike, bird watch run, walk, fish and nature photography. Also it's the only park I'm aware of that offers horseback riding with the only restriction to remain on soft trails. A new bridge install in 2017 is behind the Whitehurst-Buffington home. There are no restroom facilities I'm aware of. All of these amenities are available during hours open. It's a beautiful property, especially in the Fall which is Monday. I have enjoyed the space for years and thrilled that it's now added on Yelp for others to discover. VB Parks flat out rock!

On my usual weekend trail walks, I go to the Matteson Trail or Sandy Bottom Park located in Hampton. For this particular trip, I decided to head to Virginia Beach as part of the Yelp Local Challenge that's being held for Coastal Virginia. People who live in Hampton Roads are more familiar with Mount Trashmore or First Landing State Park for trail walks or runs. This trail, however, is very hidden, located near City Hall and one where foot traffic is very quiet. Once you enter the parking lot, most of the vehicles there are those that are affiliated with the City, but all vehicles are allowed for parking. So you have no fear about your vehicle getting a ticket or towed away. As far as the trail goes, it's a nice trail. Plenty of woods, some fallen trees and rotten limbs due to them being old. And you get a great view of open creeks. You will also run into the Whitehurst-Buffington House on site, which is open for tours. And the trails can be used for horseback riding and fishing. The trails, both Buffington and Whitehurst trails, are narrow and full of stumps.....lots of them (Note: there is a third trail called the Muddy trail, but my friend and I didn't even bother going that way). So expect to look down on the trails very often. Oh, almost forgot, when you enter, the trail will be paved leading to the bridge. After that, it's basically soil. Fortunately due to lack of rain, it was less muddy except in particular areas. At the end of day, you may ask is this a place you would walk on a weekly basis? Not really due to the narrow paths and tree stumps. But it is a nice trail which is very quiet and very low key. A Yelp challenge indeed!