Fort Boykin Historic Park

Fort Boykin is a small, partly wooded park on a high bluff overlooking the James River. The site dates back to 1623 and commemorates a fort that protected the Commonwealth for 239 years. Subsequently, gardens were established around the ruins of the fort. A 12-station trail interprets the historic aspects of the site. As the trail is walked, white-tailed deer, woodpeckers and a variety of songbirds such as eastern wood-pewee, and northern cardinal, and eastern bluebirds may be encountered. Butterflies flitting along the bushy edges include summer azure, pipevine swallowtail, American snout, and eastern tailed blue. From the bluff, bald eagles and ospreys can be seen soaring over the James River, as well as more common birds such as Forster’s tern, great blue herons, and several species of swallows. The available trails also include beach access onto the James River where a variety of waterfowl can be observed, particularly in the winter.