Starting with the Cape Henry Trial in Virginia Beach, HRTPO staff plans to periodically highlight one of the many multi-use trails in Hampton Roads.

Cape Henry Trail
Source: google maps

Cape Henry Trail runs roughly parallel to Shore Drive, between Jade Street (near the eastern end of Lesner Bridge) and the Narrows (on Broad Bay), crossing 64^th Street near the Oceanfront.  The trail has two sections:

1. The western section (solid green line parallel to, and south of, Shore Drive above) is a straight trail running 2 miles through neighborhoods and commercial areas including restaurants.  For this section, the western end is at Jade Street and the eastern end is where the trail crosses the entrance road to First Landing State Park (Route 343).  This section is constructed of paved asphalt and—due to following an abandoned rail line—runs straight.

2. The eastern section is a curving, largely-unpaved, 6-mile-long trail (dashed line below) running through the woods of First Landing State Park. As shown below, the southern-most portion runs parallel to 64th street, seving The Narrows picnic area and boat landing at Broad Bay.

 
Cape Henry Trail- Eastern Section
Source: dcr.virginia.gov

Cape Henry Trail- Eastern Section Source: Va. Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (SPFL0041)

Note that 64^th Street (curving white line at top of map below) joins the Cape Henry Trail (dashed green line at top of map below) to the bike-friendly feeder road paralleling Atlantic Avenue between 80^th and 50^th Streets, the 8’ asphalt path paralleling Atlantic Avenue between 50^th Street and 40^th Street (solid green line below), and the bike path along the boardwalk between 40th and 1st Streets (double green line along the oceanfront below).

Cape Henry Trail and Oceanfront
Source: Google Maps

For more information:

https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/parks-recreation/parks-trails/Documents/bikeways-trails-map.pdf

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/first-landing