Windsor Castle Park

We absolutely love this place. We first moved here in October and I wanted to see the foliage that Virginia had to offer around this time. My neighbors told us about this place. We love the trails, dog park, bridges and horses. The run is a nice challenge too with all the hills. It’s so peaceful. I go back every time I need a minute to myself also.

What a wonderful outdoor amenity for such a small town!
I came here to help with a cross country meet that was hosted by Smithfield High School. The kids really loved the course as it was largely in the woods and a single loop (as opposed to multiple loops around baseball and soccer fields that they’re accustomed to elsewhere).
I had some time to run an outer loop of the trail after the meet and was impressed with the condition of the trail (crushed cinder) and variety of scenery– from fields to woods to the creek and the grounds of the homestead. The footing is smooth and the gently rolling hills and meandering offer nice variety.
Aside from the meet, the main activity in the park on this fall evening was the dog park. There had to have been at least a dozen families there. I parked in the main lot off of Jericho Road, but there are multiple entrances that cross the creek into the main part of town. Very impressed!

Nice park with plenty to do. The dog park was big and beautiful and even had some agility equipment, but a code is needed to enter. The trails are wide and very well-​marked and there are a few maps posted throughout the park. Bridges, water, free parking, happy-​looking people… not much more I could ask for!

Great park to go for a walk, take your dog, canoe or just hang out with the family. It ab awesome place to take the family.

Great Trails! Some parts are Woodsy some are Boggy, Marshy! If you go at Low-​tide you can see Fiddler Crabs and Turtles. Luvy Lu Loo La La (my youngest Niece) loves seeing Turtles and we did!
This Park/​Trail was a Cool and HOT Nature Scenic Route back to Town from the River Station Boardwalk! My Brother said if you walked the entire Trail it is much longer than the cut-​through portion we took!
My Brother Kayaks here and says you can easily get lost in the mazes of tall Reeds!

Love this park! We did almost 2 miles on the walking trails. I love the up and down paths. Very smooth and don’t feel crowded even though there were a lot if people today. The mtn bike trail looks just as smooth. The dogs have a sweet set up for playing together. The kayak put in here is one of theft I have ever used.
We will be back soon to walk again. If I lived nearby I would do the circle daily.

gorgeous! it was sadly raining by the time we parked– so I didn’t get to walk around too much but from what I saw– this area is a total gem! I can’t wait to go back and enjoy the crisp winter air.

If you enjoy short day trips that involve the great outdoors then Windsor Castle Park should be right up your alley. From my home in Virginia Beach it was around an hour without much traffic. I planned this trip on a day that my kids had off school. Unfortunately we got a much later start then I hoped and was unable to cover all of the park.
Our adventure started at the Smithfield Station entrance on a sunny mid 60’s afternoon in November. Immediately your taken with the beauty of the area. Not to mention Fall in Virginia made this a special day with the foliage unfolding right before our eyes.
We took the trail up to Windsor Castle and explored the exterior of the old barns and even the house thanks to a super nice City of Smithfield employee in the home. I snapped some pics of the house and was surprised to find out it is to be sold off by the city to a private party. The structure has really terrific bones, but is in need of a few million to renovate. What was more shocking is the antiques that were located in the non climate controlled home. A pre Civil War piano was the most noticeable YIKES! The area to be sold off includes all the barns and vineyard.
Before we headed into Smithfield for a tour we enjoyed going down to the water at a overlook area. The scenery is very stunning and on a warm Fall day was even better. What was very disappointing was the amount of trash every where just below where we were standing. Lots of beer cans, bottles and debris in this beautiful marsh. Trash was also on the decking area with a trash can just feet away. We cleaned up the trash on the deck before leaving. The city, or a volunteer effort needs to get this cleaned up.
Most certainly we need another trip back to this park to take in all of what is offered. I hope the next time we return a serious clean up effort has taken place. I mentioned. It is also quite shocking that Smithfield is selling off such a treasure in Windsor Castle. I am unaware of the budget constraints, or politics of Smithfield to really say more than what I have mentioned.
On this visit we only scratched the surface of this stunning recreational area. Beautiful town, beautiful park and a must area to check out.

Beautiful park to go hiking and kayaking. So many different terrains to view – woods, river, marsh, grassy fields. Great for taking photos.

Beautiful park with great hiking trails, observation points, and fishing! There are several different trail options as well as a dog park (that seems to be member only) and everything is always clean and well taken care of. We were even impressed to see a kayak slip on one of their boat ramps, which makes easing your kayaks into the water incredibly easy and seamless. Makes us really regret selling our tandem kayak!

Beautiful Hiking trails!