False Cape State Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| False Cape | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location | Virginia, United States |
| Nearest city | Virginia Beach, VA |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 4,321 acres 17.49 km² |
| Governing body | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
False Cape State Park is a state park in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is a mile-wide barrier spit between Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The park adjoins the state border with North Carolina. At the south end of the park is a monument with "Va." on one side and "N Ca" on the other. Although it says "A.D. 1728" on top, it was probably put up in 1887 when the boundary was surveyed.
Access is through the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and is limited to hiking, bicycling or boating. The park features primitive camping and an extensive environmental education program in one of the last undisturbed coastal environments on the East Coast.
The area got its name because, from the ocean, its landmass resembled Cape Henry. This false impression of Cape Henry (at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay about 20 miles (30 km) to the north lured ships and boats into the treacherous shallow waters, where they often ran aground.
According to popular legend, the now lost community of Wash Woods was developed by survivors of such a shipwreck in the 16th or early 17th century. The village’s church and other structures were built using cypress wood that washed ashore from a wreck. In the early 20th century, False Cape was a haven for a number of prestigious hunt clubs, which took advantage of the area's abundant waterfowl. The park's Wash Woods Environmental Education Center is a converted hunt clubhouse.
In 2004, a story in The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) newspaper about the poor conditions of a trash dump area in the park garnered public attention and remedial action by state officials. In a follow up story of May 3, 2005, the newspaper reported "a stunning turnaround for a situation that had lingered for years." The story reported that park employees, volunteers and private firms from the region had joined in a massive cleanup project in the remote area which is virtually inaccessible by vehicles. [1]
Undeveloped portions of the park were rededicated as the False Cape Natural Area Preserve in 2002.
[edit] See also
- Wash Woods
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
- Lost counties, cities and towns of Virginia
[edit] External links
- Map links:
- False Cape State Park
- False Cape State Park in World Database on Protected Areas
- Waterland Farm website with photos of remains of Wash Woods
- Museumsusa.org, False Cape State Park webpage
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