Mount Trashmore Park (Detailed Guide)
Mount Trashmore Park stands as one of Virginia Beach's most distinctive and visited recreational facilities, located in the southeastern portion of the city near the neighborhoods of Kempsville and Princess Anne. The park occupies approximately 165 acres. It's built atop a former landfill, making it an innovative example of adaptive reuse of industrial land. The name derives directly from its foundation: the site served as the city's primary solid waste disposal location from 1963 until 1979, when the city decided to transform the 60-foot-high mound of compacted refuse into a public recreational space. Today, Mount Trashmore Park functions as a major recreational and environmental center, featuring athletic facilities, playgrounds, a man-made lake for water recreation, and extensive landscaping that has created a functional ecosystem atop what was once considered unusable land. The park's successful transformation has made it a notable case study in urban environmental remediation and sustainable land use practices.
History
Mount Trashmore Park's story is tied directly to Virginia Beach's rapid post-World War II expansion and the municipal challenges that accompanied explosive population growth. During the 1960s, as Virginia Beach consolidated with the surrounding Princess Anne County in 1963, the newly enlarged city faced significant waste management challenges. The former landfill site, located on approximately 165 acres in what was then relatively undeveloped land, served as the primary repository for the city's municipal solid waste throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Trucks deposited household garbage, construction debris, and other waste materials into the expanding mound, which eventually rose to a height of approximately 60 feet, making it one of the most visible geographical features in the southeastern part of the city.[1]
By the late 1970s, environmental consciousness was growing. The landfill neared capacity. City planners saw an opportunity to address multiple challenges at once. Rather than abandoning the site or developing it for traditional industrial purposes, the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department conceived an innovative plan to rehabilitate the landfill into a public park. This forward-thinking approach required extensive soil stabilization, capping of the waste materials with clay and soil layers, and careful engineering to ensure environmental safety and structural integrity. The transformation began in the early 1980s, with landscaping crews planting vegetation that would stabilize the mound and create an aesthetically pleasing environment. By 1983, Mount Trashmore Park officially opened to the public, becoming one of the nation's first major parks constructed directly atop a closed landfill, a distinction that earned recognition from environmental and urban planning organizations.[2] The park's successful development demonstrated that remediated land could serve valuable public purposes while maintaining environmental safety standards.
Geography
Mount Trashmore Park's topography is its defining geographical feature. Two prominent artificial hills form the park's most recognizable landmarks. The larger of the two mounds rises approximately 60 feet above the surrounding landscape, providing panoramic views of the southeastern Virginia Beach region. These hills, though constructed from compacted municipal waste sealed beneath multiple protective layers of soil and clay, have become natural-looking features that serve recreational purposes including sledding in winter months and running or hiking throughout the year. The park's terrain contrasts sharply with the relatively flat landscape characteristic of much of southeastern Virginia Beach, making the elevated vantage points particularly valuable for visitors seeking views and recreational opportunities unavailable elsewhere in the immediate area.[3]
Diverse geographical zones characterize the park's layout, including the man-made lake, which covers approximately 10 acres and serves as the primary water recreation feature. This lake, created through careful hydrological planning, supports both recreational activities and wildlife habitat functions. The water body maintains appropriate depths for swimming in designated areas during summer months and is stocked for fishing, drawing both casual and serious anglers. Surrounding the lake and mounds, extensive landscaping includes native plantings, meadows, and wooded areas that have developed into functional ecological zones supporting diverse bird species and other wildlife. The park's vegetation represents a deliberate effort to create naturalistic habitats that provide environmental benefits while maintaining aesthetic value and recreational functionality. The soil composition and drainage systems installed during the park's construction ensure that groundwater remains protected from any potential contamination, and ongoing monitoring confirms the environmental safety of the site.
Attractions
Mount Trashmore Park offers diverse recreational attractions for visitors of all ages and activity levels. The primary water recreation feature, the man-made lake, provides swimming opportunities during warmer months with designated swim areas supervised by lifeguards during peak season. The lake also accommodates fishing, with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources maintaining fish stocks suitable for recreational angling. Boating activities, including kayaking and small sailboats, are permitted in designated areas, making the water feature a multi-use recreational resource. The park's playground facilities include equipment designed for various age groups, from toddler-appropriate structures to challenge courses for older children, representing significant investments in family-oriented recreation infrastructure.
Athletic facilities abound throughout the park. Tennis courts, basketball courts, and volleyball courts serve organized sports programs and casual recreational users. The park maintains athletic fields suitable for soccer, football, and other field sports, with many fields available for permit-based organized league play. The sledding hills provide winter recreational opportunities, with the mounds becoming popular destinations during rare snow events in the region. A disc golf course winds through the park's landscape, utilizing the natural topography and wooded areas to create an 18-hole recreational experience accessible to players of all skill levels. Picnic areas, shelters, and grilling facilities throughout the park support family gatherings and community events. A multi-use trail system extends throughout the facility, providing walking, running, and cycling opportunities that accommodate various fitness levels and recreational preferences.
Culture
Mount Trashmore Park has become deeply embedded in Virginia Beach's recreational culture and community identity. The park regularly hosts community events ranging from holiday celebrations to sports tournaments and festival gatherings. The annual Mount Trashmore Park events calendar includes activities that bring together residents from across the city and region, creating spaces for community interaction and cultural expression. The park's transformation from landfill to beloved public space has become a point of civic pride, frequently cited in discussions of Virginia Beach's environmental stewardship and innovative urban planning. This cultural significance extends beyond mere recreation. It represents the possibility of productive reuse and environmental rehabilitation.
Educational significance matters too. School groups and environmental organizations use the park as a teaching tool. Field trips to Mount Trashmore Park provide students with tangible examples of environmental remediation, waste management history, and ecological succession. Environmental educators use the park's development narrative to illustrate principles of sustainable development and creative problem-solving in urban contexts. Local historical societies and preservation organizations have documented the park's transformation as a significant chapter in Virginia Beach's post-war urban development story, contributing to broader understandings of how cities address infrastructure challenges and environmental legacies.[4]
Transportation and Access
Mount Trashmore Park benefits from substantial connectivity to Virginia Beach's transportation network. Vehicle access comes via multiple arterial roads. The primary entrance is accessible from Princess Anne Road, with additional access points available from nearby thoroughfares. Ample parking facilities accommodate daily recreational users and support large gatherings during community events. The park's location within southeastern Virginia Beach places it within reasonable driving distance of residential neighborhoods throughout the city's eastern and central sections. Public transportation options exist through the Hampton Roads Transit system, though the park's location requires connections or transfers for many transit-dependent riders.
Pedestrian and bicycle access has been enhanced through connections to the broader Virginia Beach trail and greenway system. The park's multi-use trail system integrates with regional biking infrastructure, allowing cyclists to access the facility from various directions. Walking paths within the park accommodate visitors arriving on foot from nearby residential areas. The comprehensive transportation infrastructure supports the park's function as a neighborhood recreation facility while accommodating regional visitors seeking specialized recreational opportunities.