Newport News Park facts for kids

Newport News Park is a super big park located in Newport News, Virginia. It's the largest park managed by the city's Parks, Recreation and Tourism department. Imagine a park that's about 8,065 acres – that's huge! It's one of the biggest city parks in the entire United States. This park has tons of fun things to do for everyone, whether you live nearby or are just visiting.

Where is Newport News Park?

Newport News Park is found in the northern part of the city of Newport News. You can find its main entrance on Jefferson Avenue. This is northwest of where Jefferson Avenue meets Ft. Eustis Boulevard. If you go a bit further up Jefferson Avenue, you'll find the entrance to the park's campsite.

On the other side of the intersection, on Ft. Eustis Boulevard, there's another entrance at Old Stable Road. Even further up Ft. Eustis Boulevard, you'll find the main entrance for the Newport News Golf Club at Deer Run, which is also part of the park! The park also shares a long border with the Colonial National Historical Park. Some of the park's biking and hiking trails even go into this historical park.

The park's address is 13560 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News VA 23603 USA.

What's the History of the Park?

This area has a really interesting past! During the American Civil War, a battle called the Battle of Dam No. 1 happened right where the park is now. This was part of the bigger Siege of Yorktown (1862).

Before the battle, soldiers from the Confederate side built special trenches and dirt walls. From these spots, they fought against the Union Army forces. These Union soldiers were led by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. You can still see some of these old battle areas, called the Lee's Mill Earthworks, today! They are covered by woods but you can reach them from the White Oak nature trail near the camping area.

In the 1960s, Newport News was growing fast and needed more water. So, the city bought several lakes in the Lee Hall area. They then pumped water from these lakes into the city. To keep the water clean, a special protected area was created around the new Lee Hall Reservoir. This protected area was turned into Newport News Park in 1966. A city leader named Joe Biggins really pushed for this park. He thought a big park was important as the city continued to grow.

Camping, Hiking, and Biking Adventures

Newport News Park is a great place to go camping! It has 188 campsites. Some sites are simple with no hookups, while others have electricity and water for your RV or tent.

If you love trails, you're in luck! The park has over 30 miles (about 50 km) of trails. There's even a 5.3-mile (8.5 km) path just for bikes. Don't have a bike? No problem! You can rent bicycles and helmets at the park. Remember, if you're under 14, you need to wear a helmet.

Explore at the Discovery Center

The Newport News Park Discovery Center is a special building designed to help you learn more about the park. It has cool exhibits about the different plants and animals that live in the park. You can also learn about the park's history. They even have Civil War items that were found right there in the park!

Fun and Unique Activities

Newport News Park offers some really unique activities you might not expect!

• Archery Range: You can practice your archery skills here.
• Disc Golf Course: Try playing disc golf, which is like regular golf but with frisbees!
• Aeromodel Flying Field: If you have a remote-controlled airplane, there's a special field with a 400 ft (120 m) runway just for flying them.
• Geocaching: The park is also a popular spot for geocaching, which is like a treasure hunt using GPS. As of 2018, there were dozens of hidden geocaches to find!