Newport News Park, in
Newport News, Virginia, is the largest
park in the system of municipal parks maintained by the
Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. At 8,065 acres (32.63 km²), it is one of largest city-run parks in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, and offers a wide range of activities for residents and tourists alike.
The park is in the northern part of the city of Newport News (13560 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News VA 23603), with its main entrance on Jefferson Avenue to the northwest of its intersection with Ft. Eustis Boulevard. Farther 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 farther up Ft. Eustis Boulevard is the main entrance for the Newport News Golf Club at Deer Run, which is on park grounds. The park shares a long border with the
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. The park protects and interprets several sites relating to the Colony of Virgini ...
, and several of its biking and hiking trails cross into it.
History
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, the current park was the site of the
Battle of Dam No. 1, part of the
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 M ...
. In the days prior to the battle,
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
forces constructed rifle pits and other earthworks from which they held off the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
forces commanded by
Maj. Gen.
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...
. The
Lee's Mill Earthworks were preserved; though overgrown with woods, they are accessible from the White Oak Nature Trail on the reservoir's camping side.
In the 1960s, as Newport News grew, the city found itself taxing its water supply. The solution was to purchase several lakes in the
Lee Hall area and pump the water into the city. To preserve the water's cleanliness, a watershed was created around the new Lee Hall Reservoir. It was developed into Newport News Park in 1966, primarily through the efforts of
City Manager Joe Biggins, who considered a large park important to the city's future.
Campsites, recreation, other facilities
Newport News Park has 188 campsites, some of which include electrical and water hookups. It has over 30 miles (50 km) of hiking trails, and a 5.3 mile (8.5 km) multi-use bike path. It offers bicycle and helmet rental (helmets are mandatory for children under 14).
It has an
archery range; a
disc golf course; and an aeromodel flying field for remote-control aircraft, with a 400 ft (120 m) runway. The park welcomes
geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific l ...
, with dozens of geocaches in the park as of September 2018.
It also hosts the Albert E. Dorner cross country invitational annually for several public and private high schools.
Discovery Center
The Newport News Park Discovery Center gives visitors a look at the park in a more structured, educational way. There are exhibits on the park's animal and plant life, and on the land's history, including displays of Civil War artifacts.
References
*
External links
Newport News Park- official site
{{Newport News
Virginia municipal and county parks
Parks in Newport News, Virginia