York River State Park

I was in Williamsburg for the weekend, and thought this park was so gorgeous I spent both Saturday and Sunday there on beautiful winter days either hiking or running.
First of all, the Unilocal address is completely wrong. It takes you through a residential neighborhood where everyone is so friendly they literally stop and talk to everyone even if you are in your car. After being in DC too long, that confuses me.
The actual address is 9801 York River Park Road, Williamsburg, Va. 23 188.
Latitude, 37.405 520. Longitude, –76.714 323.
***REVISED-​YELP FIXED THE ADDRESS SO GPS AWAY****
This park has over 30 miles of trails, a fossil beach, swimming areas fully stocked fishing pond, and lots of picnic areas. The trails here are not long in mileage, but you can combine several intersecting trails to make your hike longer. The trails are excellent for trail running and I ran into several college sports teams training out here. Interesting enough, the trails are ranked by difficulty much like ski runs (greens, blues and black diamonds).
The most breathtaking park are the views by the water, but as you get further into the forest there are lots of other scenic attractions like birds, and oysters on the side of the path. The forest is just beautiful and so quiet.
Next time I am down in Williamsburg, I am racing down here again, perhaps even to camp!

Keep in mind I’m from Colorado, so my expectations of a hike are still in the process of adjusting (if they ever will). A pleasant place to go for a walk. The river is the best part — some small hills, nice scenery, and fossils on one of the beaches! I was not impressed with the «hiking» trails — not marked, some don’t exist as indicated on the map, an old road instead of a trail, etc. The mountain biking trail I stumbled upon was the most interesting terrain (minus the river), but I’m guessing if there were a sign it would have prohibited me from hiking on it. Very green in early May, and quiet!

Wonderful state park just a few miles off the interstate and 15 minutes from CW.
It’s golden for mountain bike enthusiasts and hikers looking for scenic views and challenging hills. As a runner, this won’t become a consistent choice because it a) costs $ 3-​$ 4 to park (depending on whether you come during the week or on the weekend) and b) getting in decent mileage requires a lot of out and back. The longest trail is limited to mountain bikes.
That being said, this was a really nice change of pace. The trails are very well maintained and clearly marked. I didn’t have to worry much about footing. There were several spots that offered breathtaking views of the York River. The «Backbone Trail» serves as just that for a typical run– it’s the main trail to access other spurs along the way that jut out towards the river.
I went just after it opened on a Sunday morning and there were a half dozen cyclists out (but only a couple of hikers).
I’ll also note that the ranger at the front gate was very polite and anxious to answer any questions I had about the park. Credit cards are accepted here too, a big plus.

Very popular with bikers, but what many don’t seem to realize is that this is a lovely spot for canoeing and kayaking as well. They rent out canoes & kayaks (both single & tandem), or you can bring your own. Beautiful & serene, it was the perfect antidote for a busy week.
If you’re going during tourist season (which is pretty much March-​November), be sure to figure out the back road approaches so that you can avoid the traffic of I-​64.

Stopped by to check it out, view the York River, take a nap. Looks like it would fun to canoe or kayak the Taskinas Creek. They have rentals there. And a few hiking trails.

The hardest MTB trail in the Hampton Roads area.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this little state park! And I do so love to support the little guy… or the local guy…
Husband and I recently took a trip to Williamsburg. Had a blaaaast visiting my alma mater (hark upon the gale, Tribe!), but he’s the type of of guy who counts vacation a complete bust if there isn’t at least one hike included at some point somewhere. Knowing this, I pulled out my trusty «Hiking VA» guide to circumvent him badgering me about this for weeks beforehand (he did anyway), and landed on York River SP. It was on our way home! We could hit it the afternoon we drove back! Husband would leave me alone knowing a hike was on the horizon! (I’m being a bit unfair — I, too, love hiking and was looking forward to this one…)
I was in Williamsburg for 4 years during college. Never heard of this place. After visiting, I wish I had, tho. We did a wonderful, circuitous little 7-​miler that wandered in and out of temperate forest and along the York River coastline. Cresting a hill and seeing the expansive York laid out before you is really something. It is a beautiful, huge, wide river with little noticeable development — sure, there is some, but this is a girl who’s used to the DC-​metro-​area Potomac. Yeesh, there’s hardly any natural coastline left. The York is a welcome change.
York River SP encompasses such an interesting variety of landscapes: wetland, river, forest. We saw some great wildlife, too. Three bald eagles riding the thermals overhead and «chattering» with each other — is that what you call it? I dunno. Rounding a bend near the river, we scared another bald eagle out of his perch in a nearby tree. He was so close we could feel the air stir and see his bright yellow beak as he passed over. So beautiful. Walking over the boardwalks in the wetlands near the river, dozens of teensy weensy fiddler crab scurried about. They were so cute they made me giddy.
Husband was super pleased with our hike, I was excited by the vistas and the wildlife. And all for the low, low price of three bucks for entry. Highway robbery considering the value! The next time we go to the ‘Burg, we’ll make sure to stop at York River SP.