Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve
Park
110 acres2.3 mi of trail
Lake Ballard TrailRiprarian TrialHomestead TrailKid's Trail+1
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: U.S. Navy photo · Public domainB−Outdoors
Outdoors in Portsmouth
Portsmouth has 18 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve (2.3 mi), Paradise Creek Nature Park (2.2 mi), Portsmouth Sportsplex (0.5 mi). 76% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 590 acres are parks and preserves, 6.1 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns · #162 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
433 acres · of 33.3 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
590 ac
6.1 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
76%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
5.0 mi lanes · 3.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
18
15 beaches · 12 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Portsmouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Portsmouth is ahead of 49% of U.S. towns, #162 of 253 in Virginia. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Portsmouth’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land6.1 acres of park per 1,000 residents (590 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13CParks close to home76% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 49%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 36%
Water is 29% of Portsmouth’s area (13 of 47 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, with 2.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Paradise Creek Nature Park
Managed by Elizabeth River Project
39 acres2.2 mi of trail
Wildflower TrailOsprey TrailFox TrailBlue Heron Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Portsmouth Sportsplex
Managed by Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
28 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Portsmouth City Park
Managed by Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
87 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Boat Trailer ParkingWebsite ↗
Churchland Park
Managed by Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
58 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 33 parks & preserves
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve110 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Paradise Creek Nature Park39 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Elizabeth River Project
DirectionsPortsmouth Sportsplex28 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPortsmouth City Park87 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsChurchland Park58 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsGosport Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRiver Front Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHunt Mapp Athletic Fields27 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCavalier Manor Recreation Center24 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWoodland Park23 acres
DirectionsCharles Peete Little League15 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSimonsdale Athletic Area10 acres
DirectionsColumbia Park8 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
Hospital Point Park8 acres
DirectionsHodges Manor Athletic Fields7 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
John F. Kennedy Recreation Center6 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHighland Biltmore Park5 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
DirectionsJohn Tyler Fields5 acres
DirectionsPort Norfolk Beach Reflection Walk4 acres
Joseph E. Parker Recreation Center3 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
Fort Nelson Park3 acres
Trophy Park3 acres · U.S. Navy
DirectionsBeazley Community Center2 acres
DirectionsScott Creek Park2 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
Fountain Park2 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
George Washington Park2 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
Park at Jefferson and Eighth2 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
Bernad D. Griffin Park2 acres · Portsmouth Parks and Recreation
Afton Square1 acres
DirectionsOwens Creek Park1 acres
Crawford Levee Park1 acres
DirectionsNorth Landing Park1 acres
DirectionsMiddle Street Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
433 conserved acres
2% of Portsmouth’s land. Water is left out: Portsmouth has 33.3 square miles of land and 13.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Portsmouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city381 ac
Private owners45 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4 ac
Not recorded109 ac
Local Park · 434 acLocal Recreation Area · 102 acConservation Easement · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffler Creek Wildlife Refuge Local Park | Town or city | 138 | Open |
| Paradise Creek Nature Park Local Park | Private owners | 85 | Open |
| Churchland Park Local Park | Not recorded | 71 | Open |
| Woodland Port Local Park | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| City Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Portsmouth Sportsplex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Hunt Mapp (Wilson Little League) Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Cavalier Manor Athletic Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Simonsdale Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Lake Shores Green Space (Parcel B) Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
101 places to go in Portsmouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Portsmouth
Needle Beach
DirectionsPlus 14 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Portsmouth
3 public pools without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Portsmouth
42 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Portsmouth
Kayak Launch
DirectionsKayak LaunchIn Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve
DirectionsSailboat launchIn Portsmouth City Park
DirectionsU.S. Coast Guard - Base Portsmouth
DirectionsPlus 8 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Portsmouth
3 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Portsmouth
White Blind
DirectionsWhite BlindIn Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Portsmouth
23 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 18 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.2 miUnpaved · 5.7 mi
Lake Ballard Trail1.0 mi
Osprey Trail0.4 mi
Wildflower Trail0.4 mi
Riprarian Trial0.4 mi
Fox Trail0.3 mi
Homestead Trail0.2 mi
Blue Heron Trail0.2 mi
Otter Trail0.2 mi
Songbird Trail0.2 mi
Kid's Trail0.2 mi
4 more trails
Bluebird Trail
0.2 miWillett Trail
0.1 miStewardship Circle
0.1 miWhite blind trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Crawford BayGreen LakereservoirHorseshoe LakereservoirLake BallardLake CavalierreservoirLake CollinsreservoirLake JeanreservoirLake KingmanLake PamreservoirBaines CreekCraney Island CreekHoffler CreekLilly CreekParadise CreekScott CreekSouthern Branch Elizabeth RiverSterns CreekWestern Branch Elizabeth River
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.3 mi
off-road bike paths
6.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
46Tennis
36Baseball
32Soccer
18Basketball
8Softball
6Football
6Pickleball
5Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →23 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Portsmouth CourthouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itPortsmouth Olde Towne Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1970
About itPortsmouth Naval HospitalBuilding · listed 1972
About itTrinity Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itCraddock Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1974
About itQuarters A, B, and C, Norfolk Naval ShipyardBuilding · listed 1974
About itPythian CastleBuilding · listed 1980
About itTruxtun Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itPort Norfolk Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itPark View Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About it11 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Portsmouth: April to June
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 50 | 53 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 71 | 61 | 54 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 5.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Portsmouth →
Next door
Portsmouth and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 2% | 0.6 | 6 | 76% | B− |
| Chesapeake | 36% | 0.4 | 37 | 71% | A− |
| Suffolk | 17% | 0.7 | 17 | 44% | B+ |
| Norfolk | 8% | 0.6 | 7 | 86% | B+ |
| Hampton | 5% | 0.7 | 14 | 52% | B |
| Newport News | 10% | 0.8 | 23 | 75% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Portsmouth
Where can I hike in Portsmouth?
The longest trail networks: Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, 2.3 miles; Paradise Creek Nature Park, 2.2 miles; Portsmouth Sportsplex, 0.5 miles; Portsmouth City Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Portsmouth is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Virginia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Portsmouth’s trails?
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve and Paradise Creek Nature Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Portsmouth?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.0 of painted or protected lanes, 3.3 of off-road paths and 6.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Portsmouth?
12,467 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Portsmouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 590 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Portsmouth have?
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #162 of 253 in Virginia. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Portsmouth neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →