Newport News Park, located in Newport News, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...

, is the largest park

Park

A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...

 in the system of municipal parks maintained by the Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism

The Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is the government agency responsible for maintaining city parks and other sites of interest to tourists and the general population within the city of Newport News, Virginia. It is under the authority of Assistant City Manager Alan Archer...

. At 8,065 acres (32.63 km²), it is one of largest city-run parks in the United States. It offers a wide range of activities for residents and tourists alike.

Location

Newport News Park is located in the northern part of the city of Newport News. Its main entrance sits on Jefferson Avenue, to the northwest of its intersection with Ft. Eustis Boulevard. Further up Jefferson Avenue is the entrance to its campsite. To the northeast of the intersection, on Ft. Eustis Boulevard, is the secondary entrance at Old Stable Road, and further up Ft. Eustis Boulevard is the main entrance for the Newport News Golf Club at Deer Run, located on park grounds. Newport News Park shares a long stretch of border with the Colonial National Historical Park

Colonial National Historical Park

Colonial National Historical Park is located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and is operated by the National Park Service of the United States government...

 and several of the park's biking and hiking trails cross over into the CNHP.

The mailing address for Newport News Park is 13560 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News VA 23603 USA.

History

During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, the current park was the site of the Battle of Dam No. 1, part of the Battle of Yorktown (1862)

Battle of Yorktown (1862)

The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder's small Confederate force...

. In the days prior to the battle, the Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 forces constructed rifle pits and other earth works from which they held off the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 forces commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan

George B. McClellan

George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...

. The earth works were preserved; though overgrown with woods, they are accessible from the White Oak nature trail on the camping side of the reservoir.

In the 1960s, as Newport News grew, the city found itself taxing its water supply. The solution to the problem was to purchase several lakes in the Lee Hall

Lee Hall, Virginia

Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....

 area and pump the water into the city. To protect the cleanliness of the water, a watershed around the new Lee Hall Reservoir was created. The watershed was developed into Newport News Park in 1966, primarily through the efforts of City Manager

City manager

A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...

 Joe Biggins, who considered the development of a large park important as the city continued to grow.

Campsites, hiking and biking

Newport News Park offers 188 campsites, ranging from basic sites with no utilities to sites with electrical and water hookups.

There are over 30 miles (50 km) of trails in the Newport News Park complex. The park has a 5.3 mile (8.5 km) multi-use bike path. The park offers bicycle and helmet rental, and requires helmet use by children under 14.

Discovery Center

The Newport News Park Discovery Center was built to give visitors a look at the park in a more structured, educational way. There are numerous exhibits on the types of natural life in the park, as well as exhibits on the historical aspects of the land. Civil War artifacts found in the park are on display.

Non-traditional offerings

Newport News Park also offers an archery

Archery

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...

 range, disc golf

Disc golf

Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...

 course, and an "aeromodel flying field" for remote-controlled aircraft, complete with a 400 ft (120 m) runway. The park welcomes geocaching

Geocaching

Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....

, with over 50 geocaches in the park (as of August 2008).

External links

• Newport News Park - official site