Description
Located along a small indentation known as Godfrey Bay, the Piankatank River Landing offers naturalists spectacular views of the Piankatank River mouth at its juncture with the Chesapeake Bay. This site features a quiet, publicly accessible beach which can be used to launch a kayak or canoe. During favorable tides, and especially during migrations, the marshes, mud flats, and small white sand beach provide foraging habitat for various shorebirds and large waders. In the channel, wintering horned grebes, loons, and diving ducks can often be seen. Up to five species of tern summer here, including locally rare least and sandwich terns. Bald cypresses along the site’s eastern edge, and the trees just inland, attract several species of woodland birds. These trees are especially rewarding during migration, though nesting birds are also numerous here.
Wildlife Sightings
Birds Recently Seen at Piankatank River Landing:
- Ring-billed Gull
- American Herring Gull
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Downy Woodpecker
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Northern Mockingbird
- Eastern Bluebird
- White-throated Sparrow
102 species have been reported at this site to date.
Recent Checklists:
| Date | # of Species | Submitted By |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jan 2026 | 9 | Morgan Brown |
| 16 Jan 2026 | 3 | Mark Owens |
| 7 Jan 2026 | 16 | Sherry Rollins |
| 3 Jan 2026 | 9 | Bill Corbin |
| 3 Jan 2026 | 9 | Chris Conley |
Amenities & Accessibility Considerations
Site Amenities
- On-site Parking
- Kayak/Canoe Launch
- No Fee or Permit/Pass Requirement
Maps & Directions
Location Coordinates: 37.505579, -76.354304
From I-64, take Exit #220/SR 33 East. Proceed 17 miles to Glenns and continue straight through the light onto SR 198. Follow SR 198 16.2 miles and turn left on Rt. 626. Proceed 0.4 miles to Rt. 632, turn left, and continue 0.4 miles to the road’s end.
Site Information
Managed By:
- 0
Access Requirements:
Contact Information:
- Visit Website
Sites, or portions of sites, can be closed periodically for management activities. Please always check the site’s website for additional information prior to visiting.
