Recreation

Leisure time is quality time on the Virginia Peninsula. With a mild, year-round climate and plenty of water, Peninsula residents can live a healthy lifestyle, getting plenty of exercise and having fun at the same time. So, get out your fishing gear, pump up your bicycle tires, gas up the boat, lace up your running shos, dust off your golf clubs, learn tennis, rugby or sailing and get outside!

Fishing

Parks

Mariners Museum Park
The Mariners' Museum is one of the largest and most comprehensive maritime history museums in the world. It houses a treasure trove of more than 35,000 items inspired by human experiences with the sea. Glimpse priceless artifacts from the wreck of the USS Monitor, the world's most famous ironclad ship. Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Except Thanksgiving & Christmas Days. Phone 757-596-2222. Web: Click to visit.

Yorktown Battlefield Park
See where American independence was won at the Yorktown Battlefield. Here on October 19, 1781, British forces under Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to the combined American and French armies led by General George Washington, concluding the battle that signaled the beginning of the end of the fight for American independence. See numerous museum exhibits, including the field tents used by General Washington during the battle. Take a guided walking tour of the battlefield and 18th-century town. Drive through the battlefield and see the numerous fortifications and cannons; the Moore House, scene of surrender negotiations; and Surrender Field. Phone 757-898-2409. Web: Click to visit.

Waller Mill Park
Waller Mill Park , the City's 2705-acre park situated around its reservoir, was opened to the public in July 1972. The 286-acre lake is open for fishing, boating, pedal boating, canoeing and kayaking with a tunnel connecting the upper and lower sections of the lake. Numerous picnic tables, four shelters, play fields, and playground equipment are nestled among the trees providing a scenic picnic area. The shelters can accommodate 25-150 people. Phone (757) 259-3778 Web: Click to visit.

Sandy Bottom Nature Park
Hampton's premier park is a 456 acre environmental education and wildlife management facility. From the 10,000 square foot nature center overlooking Sandy Bottom Lake to the elusive creatures that inhabit the wetland marshes, there is something for everyone at the Sandy Bottom Nature Park. Phone: (757) 825-4657. Web: Click to visit.

Deer Park
Deer Park is located on Jefferson Avenue, just south of J Clyde Morris Boulevard in the center of the city. The park has two entrances, at Robinson Drive and Groome Road. White-tailed deer used to be raised on a game preserve in this area before the land was dedicated as a public park, hence the name "Deer Park". Phone: (757) 886-7912 Web: Click to visit.

Huntington Park
Huntington Park is home to Fort Fun, a 15,000 square foot wooden playground, built with the assistance of many volunteers. Fort Fun is located on a scenic bluff overlooking the James River, and the view is spectacular during the late evening hours.
There are three picnic shelters available for rent in the park, two are on the bluff near Fort Fun, and the third is located behind the Virginia War Museum.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset daily. Phone: (757) 886-7912 Web: Click to visit.

King Lincoln Park
King-Lincoln Park is a beautiful 18-acre park situated along the shore of the Hampton Harbor at the east end of Jefferson Avenue. The Park has a natural beach, basketball courts, playgrounds, a stage, three picnic shelters, restrooms, and tennis courts. Visit the King-Lincoln Park Interpretive Center to enjoy exhibits highlighting native wildlife and ecosystems along the harbor. Each of the three picnic shelters in King-Lincoln Park will accommodate approximately 35 people. Phone: (757) 888-3333, (757) 886-7912 Web: Click to visit.

York River State Park
This park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life. The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of York River frontage and its related marshes while providing an area for passive day-use recreation for visitors. York River State Park served as a role model for all of Virginia’s state parks in developing resource management plans. The park’s natural resources make it a significant place for environmental education at all levels. Phone: 1-800-933-PARK. Web: Click to visit.