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Vir-Mar Beach

Description

This small sandy beach offers an excellent vista at the confluence of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Visitors can see large concentrations of wintering waterfowl, wading birds, terns, osprey, and fall migrating sanderlings, and monarchs butterflies. Strong offshore storms often bring interesting pelagic species to this spot. In addition to good waterbird viewing, a small wood lot adjacent to the parking area hosts interesting fall migrants. On humid summer evenings, the site may be a cacophony of gray and green treefrogs’ loud choruses. On clear days, the Smith Island Lighthouse can be seen, as well as the shores of Maryland. A spotting scope is highly recommended to fully enjoy the wildlife at this site.

Wildlife Sightings

Birds Recently Seen at Vir-Mar Beach:

  • Surf Scoter
  • Black Scoter
  • Bufflehead
  • Ring-billed Gull
  • American Herring Gull
  • Forster's Tern
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Turkey Vulture
  • Merlin
  • American Crow

98 species have been reported at this site to date.

Recent Checklists:

Date# of SpeciesSubmitted By
23 Jan 202614JoAnn Dalley
3 Jan 202611Maeve Coker
21 Nov 202515Frederick Atwood
12 Oct 202511Frederick Atwood
16 Feb 20256JoAnn Dalley

See more recent checklists…

Amenities & Accessibility Considerations

Site Amenities

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

Other Site Amenities: Beach

Maps & Directions

View on Google Maps

Location Coordinates: 37.929819, -76.307791

From US 360 E/Queen St in Tappahannock/Warsaw, continue east. Turn right onto SR 600/Ridge Rd and continue for 3.6 miles. Turn left onto Coan Stage Rd/SR 612 and continue for 3.1 miles. Turn right onto US 360 E and then, in 10 miles, left (northeast) onto SR 644/Hacks Neck Rd. In 3.7 miles, turn left (north) onto SR 643 and follow this road to its end at the beach.

 

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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