ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Here and away from the park, schools, community groups and others may learn about and explore the park’s diverse ecosystem and that of Virginia’s Northern Neck area. Contact park staff at 804-462-5030 for details. A small fee is charged to cover time and materials.

FISHING, BOATING
Fishing: Saltwater bank fishing. A valid Virginia saltwater fishing license required.

Boating: The park offers guided canoe trips during the summer season. A ramp is available for the motor boaters and cartop launch area for canoes, kayaks and windsails. Boaters are encouraged to visit by way of water. The motor boat area offers a picnic shelter, grills and restrooms. Docking is permitted during daylight hours. Controlling water depth at the mouth of Deep Creek is two feet mean low water. Purchase an annual boat launch passport by calling 1-800-933-PARK.

Equipment rentals at the camp store offer opportunities to explore the park’s 7 miles of shoreline on the Rappahannock River, Deep and Mulberry Creeks, in addition to the eight varieties of wetlands and coastal agricultural fields.

Equipment

Canoes, single or tandem kayaks - $10 an hour, $30 for a half day
Paddle boards - $15 an hour, $45 for a half day
Bikes - $5 an hour or $15 half day

Belle Isle has seven miles of shoreline on the Northern Neck’s Rappahannock River and provides access to Mulberry and Deep creeks. The park lets visitors explore a wide variety of tidal wetlands interspersed with farmland and upland forests. It has a campground, three picnic shelters, hiking, biking and bridle trails, and motor boat and car-top launches. Belle Isle also offers overnight lodging at Bel Air and the Bel Air Guest House. Bicycle, canoe, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available. Guests also enjoy the park’s universal access playground, accessible floating kayak launch, boardwalk and fishing pier, and educational programs. The Bel Air historic area is ideal for weddings.

The diverse habitats found in the park provide homes to many predator birds, such as blue herons, osprey, hawks and bald eagles. White-tailed deer, turkeys, groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels, moles, reptiles and amphibians are also common. There are eight distinct types of wetlands within the park. These diverse ecosystems make Belle Isle an excellent outdoor laboratory for environmental education.

The park offers almost 10 miles of trails, most of which are gravel and multi-use. There are a few short secondary trails, which are mowed around open fields, that visitors are encouraged to walk. These areas are ideal places to observe songbirds, small mammals and butterflies. Osprey are plentiful along the walks in the spring and summer, and bald eagels may be seen in these areas in fall and winter months. There is also a short universally accessible boardwalk that wraps around Mulberry Creek near the car-top launch, and the fishing pier is a good place to observe waterfowl.