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Piankatank River Landing

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 SpeciesSubmitted By
27 Jan 20269Morgan Brown
16 Jan 20263Mark Owens
7 Jan 202616Sherry Rollins
3 Jan 20269Bill Corbin
3 Jan 20269Chris Conley

See more recent checklists…

Amenities & Accessibility Considerations

Site Amenities

  • On-site Parking
  • Kayak/Canoe Launch
  • No Fee or Permit/Pass Requirement

Maps & Directions

View on Google Maps

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.

About the VBWT

The Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail is a network of over 600 greenspaces and blueways throughout the Commonwealth selected for their wildlife viewing potential. Walk a nature trail, paddle a river, or enjoy a scenic overlook and you’ll soon see why Virginia is a premier destination for birding and wildlife viewing.

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