Trails

Outdoor Fitness Centers

Enjoy the beauty of Chesapeake's parks as you exercise on our outdoor fitness centers at Bells Mill Park, City Park, Deep Creek Lock Park, Elizabeth River Park and Oak Grove Lake Park. Move from station to station at your own pace, completing the exercises at each stop. Trails are open from sunrise to sunset all year.

Blue & Green Trails

Chesapeake's outdoor trails criss-cross the height and breadth of this 353-square-mile city where wildlife, flora and fauna flourish. Parks with established foot or bike trails include:

  • Battlefield Park: Enjoy the scenic marsh overlook and a 1.25-mile trail through a pine forest. This is a leisurely walk along the Intracoastal Waterway.
  • Bells Mill Park: 2.5 miles of mowed grass path offers scenic views of the Elizabeth River. Great place for a cross-country run or a quiet morning of birdwatching. Keep an eye to the sky as eagles frequent the park. This is a great getaway in the heart of the city.
  • Chesapeake Arboretum: 45 acres of various themed gardens with 3.5 miles of wooded trails.
  • Deep Creek Lock Park: About 1 mile of trail meandering through a wooded area with scenic overlooks, views of the historic locks and Deep Creek.
  • Deep Creek Park: Great pacer track. 1 mile packed stone dust trail circles around the park starting and finishing next to the restrooms.
  • Elizabeth River Park: Watch the watermen work the Elizabeth River from 1 mile of intertwining sidewalks. Views of the tidal marsh, shore birds, and the shipyard all in one walk.
  • Indian River Park: Home of the Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Trail, this park offers terrain changes and great riding. Also includes a small section of the Virginia Tree Trail. Trees are labeled for educational purposes.
  • Northwest River Park: 7 miles of hiking trails for the adventurous. Trails are well marked and journey through mature hardwoods, swamps and immature forest as well. Great place for nature watching. Wear your boots.
  • Oak Grove Lake Park: 1.5-mile circular packed stone dust trail takes you around this 65-acre lake. Stop at one of six platforms to fish or watch the waterfowl. Want to burn some calories? Try our new fitness stations that follow the walking trail.
  • Western Branch Park: 2 miles of hiking trails wander past two playgrounds, a tidal marsh and the ball fields.

Always recognized for its back-to-nature habitats for the two-legged locals to enjoy, Chesapeake is fast becoming a destination for serious nature lovers. There are hundreds of species of fish and mammals, as well as birds and butterflies. Due to its geography and forested wetlands, you can see these natural surroundings up close from walking or biking trails, or from water trails in a canoe or kayak.

Additional Biking Information for Chesapeake

Dismal Swamp Canal Trail

The Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, a former section of Virginia State Route 17, is now a multi-use trail with surface parking and restrooms, and is open to bicycling, walking, running, horseback riding, and boating. The north trailhead is located at the intersection of Dominion Boulevard and Old Route 17 in Chesapeake, VA, and runs south 8.5 miles, adjacent to the Dismal Swamp Canal.