Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
34,901 acres34.9 mi of trail
Jericho Ditch TrailPines TrailCamp Ditch TrailWest Ditch Boardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: User: Kubigula · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Suffolk
17% of Suffolk’s land is conserved: 42,307 acres
The biggest trail networks: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (34.9 mi), South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve (19.9 mi), Lone Star Lakes Park (7.2 mi). 287 miles of mapped trail cross Suffolk, 0.7 per square mile of land. 44% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns · #103 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
42,307 acres · of 399.2 sq mi of land
Trails
287 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,697 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.1 mi
0.4 mi lanes · 4.7 mi paths
Highest peak
66 ft
Baines Hill
Lakes & rivers
50
3 beaches · 11 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Suffolk?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Suffolk have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Suffolk is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns, #103 of 253 in Virginia. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Suffolk’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (287 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,697 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home44% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 72%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 60%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Suffolk ranks #260 on Outdoors.
Water is 7% of Suffolk’s area (30 of 429 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 16%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. 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 Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, with 34.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve
Nature preserve
2,994 acres19.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Lone Star Lakes Park
Park
1,001 acres7.2 mi of trail
Horseback TrailArchery Range TrailDouble Decker TrailField Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bennett's Creek Park
Park
57 acres1.4 mi of trail
Bennett's Creek Park Nature TrailBennett's Creek Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement
Nature preserve
20 acres0.5 mi of trail
Field Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cypress Park and Pool
Managed by City of Suffolk
32 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 28 parks & preserves
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge34,901 acres · 34.9 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsSouth Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve2,994 acres · 19.9 mi of trail
Lone Star Lakes Park1,001 acres · 7.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBennett's Creek Park57 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Meade Park53 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsConstant's Wharf Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWildlife Habitat Enhancement20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Cypress Park and Pool32 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Suffolk
DirectionsLong Leaf Pine Enhancement12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Lake Kennedy Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Suffolk
DirectionsWhaleyville Community Center8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMagnolia Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Suffolk
DirectionsDowntown Festival Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSleepy Hole Park65 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarbour Breeze Estates Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bill Jesse Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBurnt Mills Lake Park69 acres
DirectionsSuffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail Park32 acres
DirectionsHolland Athletic Fields12 acres
Colburn Park6 acres
Pughsville Park6 acres · City of Suffolk
Planters Park6 acres
Peanut Park4 acres
Joyner Park2 acres
DirectionsVillage Square Park2 acres
Harbour Breeze Estates Playground 22 acres
DirectionsMary Estes Playground2 acres
Ida Easter Park2 acres
Who protects it
42,307 conserved acres
17% of Suffolk’s land. Water is left out: Suffolk has 399.2 square miles of land and 29.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Suffolk’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service71,006 ac
State conservation3,940 ac
Town or city1,482 ac
Other state land1,192 ac
State natural resources819 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits713 ac
American Indian Lands521 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 71,006 acState Conservation Area · 5,671 acLocal Park · 2,698 acConservation Easement · 1,382 acOther Easement · 1,283 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,522 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 69 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 69,901 | Restricted |
| South Quay Sandhills State Natural Area Preserve State Conservation Area | State conservation | 5,671 | Restricted |
| Lone Star Lakes Local Park | Not recorded | 2,181 | Open |
| Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 849 | Restricted |
| South Quay State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 527 | Open |
| Nansemond Indian Nation Holding Native American Land Area | American Indian Lands | 521 | Closed |
| Great Dismal Swamp Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 270 | Closed |
| Lake Kilby Park Local Park | Not recorded | 166 | Open |
| Tnc Land Holding Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 160 | Closed |
| South Quay Sandhills State Wilderness | State conservation | 160 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
145 places to go in Suffolk
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Suffolk
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Suffolk
Suffolk Meadows Playground
Directions88 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Suffolk
6 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Suffolk
Bennett's Creek Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 10 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Suffolk
2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Suffolk
15 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Suffolk
Baines Hill66 ft elevation
DirectionsKnob Hill26 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Suffolk
17 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Suffolk
Bennetts Creek Park Disc Golf CourseIn Bennett's Creek Park
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 50 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 35.3 miHorses · 1.4 miUnpaved · 43.9 mi
Jericho Ditch Trail1.8 mi
Horseback Trail1.4 mi
Archery Range Trail1.1 mi
Field Trail0.9 mi
Bennett's Creek Park Nature Trail0.8 mi
Long Leaf Pine Trail0.7 mi
Double Decker Trail0.5 mi
Pines Trail0.4 mi
Camp Ditch Trail0.4 mi
Bennett's Creek Nature Trail0.4 mi
2 more trails
Tiemann Trail
0.2 miWest Ditch Boardwalk
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Beamon PondreservoirButler LakelakeC-PondreservoirCedar LakereservoirCrane LakelakeCrystal LakelakeD-PondreservoirEagle LakelakeFerry Point PondreservoirFingers LakelakeGodwins MillpondreservoirHarbour Breeze Fishing LakelakeHoly Neck PondIssac Walton LakereservoirLake AnnettelakeLake CohoonreservoirLake KilbyreservoirLake MeadereservoirLake PrincereservoirLake WahoolakeMathews LakereservoirMurphy PondreservoirNorfleet PondreservoirOsprey LakelakeRainbow LakelakeRountree North PondreservoirRountree South PondreservoirSadler PondreservoirScruggs PondreservoirSleepy LakereservoirSouthen LakesSouthern LakeslakeSpeights Run ReservoirreservoirSuffolk Meadows Retention PondlakeUnion Baptist Missionary Retention PondpondWestern Branch ReservoirreservoirBennett CreekBlackwater RiverBleakhorn CreekCampbell CreekCedar CreekChuckatuck CreekDeanes BranchHoffler CreekKnotts CreekNansemond RiverQuaker Neck CreekStreeter CreekWest CreekWestern Branch Nansemond River
Biking & sports
5.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.7 mi
off-road bike paths
East Coast Greenway (NC/VA complementary route)Bike route
1.4 miCourts & fields
55Tennis
39Baseball
23Soccer
13Basketball
8Tracks
6Football
5Softball
4Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →22 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
St. John's ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itGlebe ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itRiddick HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itBuilding at 216 Bank StreetBuilding · listed 1985
About itSuffolk Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itPhoenix Bank of NansemondBuilding · listed 1991
About itGodwin-Knight HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itChuckatuck Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itDriver Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itWhaleyville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itHolland Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itProfessional BuildingBuilding · listed 1999
About it10 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Suffolk: 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 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 51 | 54 | 61 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 72 | 62 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (3.0 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 Suffolk →
Next door
Suffolk and its neighbors
Suffolk has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk | 17% | 0.7 | 17 | 44% | B+ |
| Portsmouth | 2% | 0.6 | 6 | 76% | B− |
| Chesapeake | 36% | 0.4 | 37 | 71% | A− |
| Newport News | 10% | 0.8 | 23 | 75% | A− |
| Carrsville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Suffolk
Where can I hike in Suffolk?
The longest trail networks: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 34.9 miles; South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve, 19.9 miles; Lone Star Lakes Park, 7.2 miles; Bennett's Creek Park, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Suffolk is conserved land?
17% 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 Suffolk’s trails?
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Suffolk?
5.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of painted or protected lanes and 4.7 of off-road paths. Named routes: East Coast Greenway (NC/VA complementary route).
Is there public land near Suffolk?
32,403 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Suffolk or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,962 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Suffolk have?
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #103 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 Suffolk 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 →