The Virginia section of the trail is about 31 miles long with landscapes varying from natural to urban through the City of Virginia Beach. The Southeast Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail offers opportunities to explore spurs off the main water trail into less traveled parts of Virginia Beach. The lush vegetation and quiet waters of the tributaries surprise visitors as they traverse one of the most populated regions of Virginia. Wildlife viewing, particularly birding along the rivers, offers paddlers the opportunity to enjoy the slow moving tidal waters. The southernmost portion of the trail where the North Landing River connects to North Carolina is the region’s most undeveloped landscape. Portions of paddling the Trail in Virginia will be in the wider, tidal waters shared by the Intracoastal Waterway. The northernmost terminus of the Trail at Pleasure House Point meets the Chesapeake Bay and is linked to stories rich in history as it connects with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
Lynnhaven River at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, VA. Photo Credit: Sara J. Kidd/HRPDC