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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

98 species have been reported at this site to date.

Birds Recently Seen at Vir-Mar Beach:

    Recent Checklists:

    Date# of SpeciesSubmitted By
    1 Mar 20266Robert McLemore
    25 Feb 20268Lee Adams
    8 Feb 20264Andrea Levine
    8 Feb 20264Betsy Washington
    5 Feb 20265Beth and Dan Fedorko

    See more recent checklists…

    Amenities & Accessibility

    Amenities

    • On-site Parking

    Other Amenities: Beach

    Accessibility Considerations

    This location does not have a Birdability Site Review available at this time

    Learn more about Birdability’s efforts to map accessible outdoor spaces

    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.

     

    Access Requirements:

    • Open Daily

    Contact Information:

    • Northumberland County Administrator's office: 804-580-7666, ltadlock@co.northumberland.va.us
    • 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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