Newport News Park Fact Sheet

Newport News Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States, consisting of 8,065 acres with approximately 3,500 acres in use from sunrise to sunset daily. A free map may be obtained at the Newport News Visitor Center, located at the Park entrance, or at the Campsite Office, located ½-mile west of the Park entrance. The Newport News Visitor Center is open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., seven days a week and the Campsite Office is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (extended summer hours). Basic camping supplies and food items are available at the Campsite Office..

Twenty picnic shelters, including two designed for wheelchair access, are available year-round for family gatherings, special activities and company picnics. Shelters can be reserved by calling (757) 888-3333. $

There is playground equipment in each of the four picnic shelter areas and in the campground.

Fishing is permitted year-round in the park. Permits are obtained at the Campsite Office. A valid State Freshwater Fishing License is required. $

Jon boat, paddleboat and canoe rentals are available daily, year-round from the Campsite Office, weather permitting. Rentals are also available at the Lee Hall fishing area (open weekends and holidays, May – September) and Harwood’s Mill fishing area (open weekends and holidays, May – October). Shoreline and private launch is permitted year-round, but permits must be purchased in advance from the Campsite Office. Gas powered motors are prohibited. $ (There is no charge for private launch if you are camping.)

The 188 campsites are spaciously arranged throughout natural woodlands. Conveniences include electrical & water hookups, heated showers, flush toilets, laundry facilities, camp store and a centralized sewage disposal station. There’s a picnic table, grill and parking pad at each site. Pets are welcome (rabies certificate required.) There are also group campsites for Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and church youth groups. There is a primitive area for Boy Scouts only. MasterCard & Visa accepted. Call 1-800-203-8322. $

Swimming is not permitted in the reservoirs. State law forbids the use of alcoholic beverages in the Park. The Park is ranger-patrolled 24 hours a day.

Enjoy over 30 miles of hiking trails and more than 10 miles of biking trails including a multi-use 5.3 mile bikeway, which extends from the campsites to George Washington’s headquarters at Yorktown Battlefield. Bicycles may be rented on an hourly basis from the Campsite Office, or bring your own bicycle and use the trails free-of-charge. A City ordinance requires helmets for ages 14 and under.

Golfers will enjoy the challenge of the two 18-hole courses at Newport News Golf Club at Deer Run, located in Newport News Park. The Deer Run and Cardinal courses play off rolling Bermuda grass fairways onto meticulously manicured bent grass greens. $

There is a public archery range near the campground. You must furnish your own equipment and have successfully completed the free Archery Safety Class. $

There is a 5-mile heavily forested, twisting single-track mountain biking trail at Harwood’s Mill Reservoir. The trail has tight corners, quick hills and obstacles. It is a unidirectional trail with novice, advanced and expert sections.

An 18-hole disc golf course is located near the entrance to the park. There are championship (5,413 feet) and regulation (4,207 feet) distance courses. $

A Discovery Center with flora and fauna exhibits, as well as Civil War artifacts, is located in the park, across from the Dam No. 1 Bridge. The Discovery Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and most holidays the rest of the year. Regularly scheduled nature and living history programs are available throughout the year.

For the history lover, Newport News Park is the site of some of the best preserved Civil War fortifications, earthworks and redoubts in Virginia, and a designated stop of the Virginia Civil War Trails network.

The Japanese Peace Garden is a great location for weddings or special ceremonies. Call (757) 886-7912 to schedule special events in the park. $

$ = Fee charged

Current Rates (subject to change)

* Fee plus tax