Activities in the Wild
Wild Waterways
WATERSPORTS AND WATERWAYS
The Middle Peninsula of Virginia – home of Virginia’s Coastal Wilds – is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Nestled between the Northern Neck and the Virginia Peninsula, it’s bounded by the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on the south, with the Chesapeake Bay to the east. It encompasses six Virginia counties: Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, and Middlesex. You know what that means? There’s never any shortage of watersports to play and waterways to explore!
Wildlife
OUTDOORS AND WILDLIFE
By discovering nature, you discover yourself. When you come to visit the Middle Peninsula, to discover the unique ecosystems that make up this place, be sure to discover the nature that defines it. The waterways and the wildlife. The trails and the parks.
Wild History
HISTORY AND HERITAGE
Spend a day on the Middle Peninsula – a weekend or a full week, if you wish – and you can explore centuries of history. From museums to ruins, historic bed and breakfasts and waterways Captain John Smith himself sailed through, the Middle Peninsula is filled with the history not only of a region, but of a nation.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPOTS TO EXPLORE
Stay Awhile
LODGING
From historic plantation homes transformed into bed and breakfasts to larger hotels where you can gather with a reunion group, there’s plenty of places to stay in Virginia’s Coastal Wilds for as long as you’d like. And you’ll find that the innkeepers and hoteliers are ready to welcome you. They’re ready to serve you. And they’ll leave the lights on for you.
FIND A PLACE TO STAY
Wet and Wild
PADDLE THE WATER TRAILS
Gloucester County and its 506 miles of shoreline is home to the Gloucester Blueways, a system of water trails spanning five tidal rivers, dozens of navigable creeks and a lake formed by a man-made impoundment. The trails are particularly suited for small hand-powered craft such as canoes and kayaks. Used by the area’s native inhabitants for generations, Gloucester’s waterways were explored extensively by Captain John Smith’s shallop in the early 1600s.
Mathews County is home to more than 100 miles of water trails. The Mathews Blueways Water Trail Guide includes launch sites and detailed area maps for each launch site. Of particular interest for many paddlers is the third oldest lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay, New Point Comfort Lighthouse, commissioned in 1804 by Thomas Jefferson. The 55-foot octagonal sandstone lighthouse sits on an island, separated from the mainland by the Hurricane of 1933. View and exploration perfect by boat or kayak.
EXPLORE VIRGINIA WATER TRAILS IN THE COASTAL WILDS
