Description
COVID-19 UPDATE (June 3, 2020)
TNC’s public preserves in Virginia remain open. We ask all visitors to observe our preserve access guidelines and to follow current health and safety precautions, including guidance from the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), including maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from others (social distancing).
Parking may be limited at many of our preserves. If you choose to visit a preserve, if possible, please visit outside of peak times (11 a.m. through 4 p.m.) to reduce overcrowding in parking areas and on trails. If parking areas are full, please plan to return to the preserve another day.
Thank you for helping us in our efforts to protect our visitors’ health and well-being.
Most TNC owned islands at the Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve (VVCR) are open to the public for low-impact, recreational day use, such as hiking, bird watching, surf fishing and photography. These include Smith, Myrtle, Mink, Cobb, Rogue, Sandy, Parramore and Revel Islands and the TNC owned portions of Metompkin, Cedar and Hog Islands.
Seasonal restrictions are in place to protect nesting birds—all areas above the high tide line are closed April through August.
Little Cobb and Ship Shoal Islands are CLOSED to visitor use at all times for scientific research and safety reasons.
What We're Doing Here
The Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve’s 14 undeveloped barrier and marsh islands help to protect Eastern Shore communities from storm surges and sea level rise, as well as providing critical wildlife habitat. The mainland and island preserves of VVCR offer visitors unique natural experiences.
The barrier islands shelter more than 250 species of raptors, songbirds, and shorebirds, which find food in the adjacent bays and salt marshes.
For five decades, VVCR's migratory bird program has managed and protected coastal habitats for the bird species that depend on them for survival.
