False Cape (geographic feature) Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (purple shaded area - barrier peninsula portion) False Cape State Park (orange shaded area) Source: HRTPO staff via Google My Maps

The area known as False Cape is a bend in the shoreline of the barrier peninsula lying between the Atlantic Ocean and interior bays running from Sandbridge in Virginia Beach to Oregon Inlet in North Carolina.

In southeast Virginia Beach, the ten-mile-long public portion of the barrier peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay, known as Little Island Park, is managed by the City of Virginia Beach. Further south, the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BB NWR) is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. From the southern border of the BB NWR to the border with the state of North Carolina is False Cape State Park (FCSP) managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. These protected areas provide bay, wetland, ocean, and wooded environments for hikers and cyclists through a system of connected bike/pedestrian trails can be found in two public areas located on False Cape:

1. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
2. False Cape State Park

Accessing the Trails

Although Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of various land parcels west, north, east, and even within Back Bay, the subject trails can be found in the barrier peninsula portion of the refuge which lies between Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (barrier peninsula portion) Source: HRTPO staff via Google My Maps

At the southern end of Sandbridge lies the Virginia Beach’s Little Island Park (top of map). You can park there—and bike the paved, low-auto-volume road into Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BB NWR)—or drive 0.5 mile to the BB NWR gate and another 1.25 miles beyond the gate to the visitors center and adjacent parking lots. Access to BB NWR is free for hikers and bikers, $5 for vehicles (cash/check only, free Nov 1 – Mar 31).

East Dike Trail, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Source: staff photo

From the visitor’s center, you can use the trails (green lines on map) and the beach. All trails are open to pedestrians, and the East Dike and West Dike trails—which run down to False Cape State Park (FCSP)—are also open to bikes. The BB NWR was established to aid migratory birds, and as such, the dike trails are closed (to both hiking and biking) during the winter (Nov. 1 through Mar. 31). Hikers and cyclists may access FCSP year-round via the beach.

False Cape State Park Source: HRTPO staff via Google My Maps

Approximately 3 miles south of the BB NWR visitor center and parking lot lies the border of False Cape State Park (FCSP). Most of the hiking trails in the state park (green lines on map) are open to biking.

The FCSP visitor center can be found approximately 3/4ths of a mile south of the NWR/FCSP border. The trail environments in FCSP vary from open to wooded, and approximately six miles south of the state park welcome center lies the Virginia / North Carolina border.

View of Back Bay from False Cape State Park Source: HRTPO staff photo

False Cape State Park (FCSP) visitor center Source: HRTPO staff photo

Trail between FCSP visitor center and the beach Source: HRTPO staff photo

Back Bay along trail between FCSP visitor center and North Carolina Source: HRTPO staff photo