(Hampton, Virginia)
This pristine preserve of 475 acres of salt marsh and tidal creeks is about as remote a spot as you may find in Virginia's bustling Tidewater community, located out on the northeast end of Hampton and you will have to drive through a lot of neighborhoods and there isn't much parking when you get there and your dog isn't even allowed in the wetlands but...
Dogs are not allowed in Grandview between May 15 and September 15 but that prohibition is coming to an end and if you are traveling anywhere near the Tidewater your dog will thank you for seeking this beach out. There is over two miles of secluded, gently curving white Chesapeake Bay beachfront here. A walk along the beach will bring you to the ruins of the Back River Lighthouse that was built here in 1829 for $4,250 and stood until a hurricane wiped it away in 1956. The pile of rocks you see in the bay are all that remain.
The beach is littered with driftwood which make for excellent fetching in the frisky waves. The white sand beach is the only place your dog is permitted in Grandview Nature Preserve - and that will be just fine for her.
www.hampton.gov/PARKS/waterfront_and_feature_parks.html
RETURN TO SEPTEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER
No Dogs Allowed?
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