First Landing State Park/Cape Henry Trail/VA Beach Boardwalk

On a recent Sunday morning, we ventured to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach to meet two good friends for a ride from the beginning of the Cape Henry Trail, to the Virginia Beach boardwalk, and turning around at First Street at Rudee Inlet.

As we biked, I was reminded of a hot August day in 2018 where Susan and I had decided to try this trail out, by ourselves, for the first time. On that day we did the trail in reverse, but there were some complications... First, we had not biked nearly as much as we have this summer, and we were not in any kind of shape. We had never biked 15 miles (which was the goal that day). I had a torn rotator cuff with surgery planned for late September. My surgeon said I could bike as long as I didn't fall and land on the shoulder. And I was still recovering from two weeks of bronchitis, and my lungs were not healthy. And it was hot that day. August 7, 2018 -- records show it was only 91 degrees F, but it felt hotter. To make matters worse, we ran out of water and still had to make it all the way back. We finished the return trip of the Cape Henry Trail portion at the 64th street exit and passed through nondescript gates to head back to the boardwalk. About 8 houses down, on the right hand side, there was a house. A house where the family didn't seem to be around, but on the front steps of this house was a cooler. And paper cups. And a sign that said "please help yourself." It was a Godsend, and probably the only way I made it back to the car.

On this Sunday morning, what I hoped for most was for that cooler to be there again. Not because we didn't pack enough water (we learned that lesson), but because I needed it to be there. I needed for there to be the sustained persistence of kind and good-hearted people. I needed for it to not be just a one-time act of kindness, but an act of random love to strangers borne by commitment. And there were no strings attached, not qualifications for who was invited. It was there for everyone.

And sure enough. There it was. A different color and a different sign, but the same. And better yet, the owner of the cooler, a man named Bill, was sitting there waving to cyclists as we went past. If I had a brain (sing the Scarecrow's song to yourself and think of me) I would have stopped the bike and gotten his picture. But I had miles to go and certainly Bill would still be there when I came back through. He wasn't. I took my pictures and hoped he would show so I could say thank you. He didn't. So here's my second-best: Thank you, Bill. For everything.

I hope that the next time I go back, Bill will be sitting by his cooler. I won't pass him by again.

The 411 on the Ride:

Date: September 27, 2020

Distance: ~6 miles on the Cape Henry Trail, 19.8 out and back with extensions

Elevation gain: 33 feet (it is a very, very flat ride)

Time: ~2 hours total, including extensions. There were places we could have biked faster, but other times (like along the muddy trail and on the boardwalk) where we were severely speed-checked.

Circuit: Only out and back

Child-friendly: Only in sections. The paved surface leading to the Cape Henry Trail is fairly narrow and busy, and the trail itself is only slightly wider and more mountain bike friendly than for a road bike (felt like it made our hybrids work for their classification). On the other hand, the Va Beach boardwalk tends to always have young and inexperienced riders on it.

Parking:

West of First Landing State Park at Hot Tuna: 2817 Shore Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Western Cape Henry trail head: Conservation Ct, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, USA

Eastern trail access point (go through the gate and past the gatehouse):

First Landing State Park 64th St Entrance, 225 64th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, USA

Eastern trail head: 64th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, USA

Extensions: leading to the trail and at the end of the trail. Total 9.8 miles one way, and 19.6 round trip from Hot Tuna Bar and Grill to Grommet Park at Rudee Inlet.

Use: multi-use, pedestrian and cycling, no motored vehicles allowed.

Websites:

First Landing State Park: http://www.first-landing-state-park.org/index.html

First Landing Trails http://www.first-landing-state-park.org/first_landing_trails.html

Detailed map at: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/trail-guide-firstlanding.pdf

First Landing history: https://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/blog/post/first-landing/

By the mile:

Mile 0

We started by parking at Hot Tuna Bar and Grill, which--as it turns out--is kind of a mecca for cyclists in the area. (Wait, you ask. Hot Tuna? Wasn't that the name of a 70's band that was an offshoot of Jefferson Airplane? Why, yes. Yes it was, you erudite connoisseur of classic rock music!) If you park behind Hot Tuna, you will easily see a paved trail heading towards First Landing State Park.

The first 2/3 mile that we biked was outside the park on a narrow paved trail, just wide enough for two cyclists to pass. The surface continued into the park, but the roots that were pushing up the pavement became a multitude of speed bumps. This is not a path made for speed trials.

Mile 0.65

I believe this is where we officially crossed Kendall Street and into First Landing State Park and venture onto the Cape Henry Trail (CHT). You will stay on pavement and cross several small roads (with token stop signs) before the trail becomes mostly packed dirt. On the day the we chose to bike the CHT, it followed three days of rain. So while it wasn't raining at the time, the trail had numerous muddy spots where our back tires tried to slide out from below us (here I started singing Paul Simon's "Slip Slding Away"). Oh yeah, and there were roots. Many roots.

Though we did not take any of them, the trail has numerous hiking spurs leading off from it. Additionally there are places to stop and catch your breath with benches. Or, if not winded enough, there are also exercise waypoints in pulloffs beside the trail.

So we had been biking essentially east and south, and I didn't know it at the time, but after putting maybe a little over 5 miles on the bikes you have a choice to make: exit the park at 64th street or make a turn to the west and complete the trail. The CHT is advertised as a 6.1 mile trail, but you only get the additional mileage by traveling along Lake Susan Constant and various salt marshes, to finish up at the Narrows.

Mile 5.5

We exited the park at 64th Street to make our way to the boardwalk. And here is the tricky part. After a block of 64th, you must cross Atlantic Avenue, bike a block south, turn left onto 63rd street, bike another block in 63rd, then turn onto Ocean Front Ave. This road winds a little bit around a residential district and some businesses, but before long you will be at 40th street and the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. (For help, look at my Strava map. But if I didn't get lost, I am certain anyone can do this!)

Mile 6.7

You have now found the boardwalk! Enjoy a 3 mile ride beside the ocean with dedicated bike lanes. Just be careful of the buggies. They will definitely slow you down!

Mile 9.8

You reach the end of the boardwalk at Rudee Inlet where the city of Virginia Beach had made a playland called Grommet Island. You will also find public restrooms before turning around and making the trip back to and through the park, back to Hot Tuna.