June 12, 2023

Virginia Indians knew the Northern Neck peninsula by its villages and bodies of water. The current names of many of those waterways and settlements trace their origins to the Virginia …


December 8, 2022

Kayak the Shore – A Guest Blog by ESVA Tourism This trail is part one of a six part series! Follow along for updates about different trails to explore around Virginia’s …


August 22, 2022

Virginia’s water trails are not just about paddling.  When you find yourself paddling a remote trail, with few signs of modern development along the shorelines, it’s almost as though you’ve …

historic hand-drawn map of coastal Virginia


July 15, 2022

Sometimes overlooked by hikers and paddlers, Virginia’s Wildlife Management Areas provide ample opportunities for hiking, kayaking, fishing, birdwatching, and camping.  Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are public lands that are managed …

bald cypress trees reflect on still creek waters with a kayak bow in the foreground

June 24, 2022

Often forgotten on Virginia maps, the Eastern shore has a culture all of its own. This narrow strip of land between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean may seem …


June 12, 2022

If you’re traveling to rural, coastal Virginia from a distance, finding the right overnight accommodations is essential. In these rural areas, it can sometimes be difficult to just drop in …


March 15, 2022

If you’ve been thinking about planning a getaway to paddle some of Virginia’s Water Trails, but you haven’t yet chosen when to go, consider planning your trip to coincide with …


February 2, 2022

If you’ve been thinking about trying out kayak-camping, make this the year you give it a whirl. Or if you’re an experienced paddler that has completed countless multi-day tours, we …

tent and two kayaks in the grass next to an open bay

December 31, 2021

A New Year’s resolution usually does one of two things: motivates you, or makes you feel like a failure. And unfortunately, we all know too well that the latter is …

"love" sign with the V made out of kayaks with water in background and sand in the foreground