Beautiful place. Have been a few times for a peaceful walk around Lake Ballard. This visit a few friends and myself signed up for a moonlight paddle kayak paddle. Was awesome! Beautiful surroundings. Great people there to assist if needed. Not a huge group so no extra noise or nuisances. Highly recommended

Beautiful location. Friendly staff. Awesome yoga session overlooking the water. Instructor was amazing.

Had a wonder kyacking experience with Heather and the volunteers at the park. Learned a lot and enjoyed the experience will return for more kyacking fun. Great place !

Wonderful volunteers and beautiful well kept trails. Thanks for offering a golf cart if I couldnt walk the full trail bc of my back.

This is a hidden gem. Quiet, serine, peaceful. The perfect place for fresh air and a bit of nature amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

A very good place to go for walking exercises and see different sceneries. We didnt see any wildlife when we went there though. Perhaps theyre still hibernating.

It is beautiful here! Very peaceful walking around there.

Great little walk around the lake in nature. Not very busy and very green. Bring big spray

Wonderful walk around a little lake, lots of benches. Can rent canoes, kayaks on the far side of lake.

Gorgeous place. Nice paths to walk, run or ride your bike. They have wildlife observatories and a visitors center with well informed rangers and volunteers.

I had so much fun.

Beautiful scenery and lots of things to do (hiking, walking, picnics, kayaking...etc)

This park is incredibly gorgeous. Picture do it no justice. Come on a clear beautiful day.

Beautiful wooded area for viewing wild birds. Well maintained. Bring your glasses and camera. There is also opportunity for volunteers to help with maintenance.Visitors please respect the POSTED RESTRICTIONS. No one likes having to bury your dogs poop because you cant respect private property.Amenities Restrooms, Benches, Gazebo, Picnic tables, Bird blinds and kayak (seasonally)

A quiet nature preserve off of twin pines road in Portsmouth. The trails are well maintained while the hours are short 10 am to 4 pm unless there is a special activity scheduled. Remember that the entry price is free donations are appreciated and the staff for the most part are volunteers. No running or jogging on the trails because it tends to scare off the wild life. We were able to see a great egret on the marsh and a turtle in the lake as well as a small lizard on the way back to the parking lot so the wild life is there you just have to be quiet and patient.

Absolutely beautiful

Did a multi-generational 1+ mile hike around the lake on a nice December afternoon. The trails are well maintained and easy to follow. The lake is pretty and there are a couple of nice decks overlooking both the lake and the marsh/river where wildlife can be observed. There are also some interpretive signs that help to understand the flora and fauna. The park is well off the beaten path and I would consider it a hidden gem.

This spot serves so many positive purposes for the local area. As a refuge and wildlife habitat, Hoffler Creek houses deer, foxes, songbirds, game birds (no hunting!), birds of prey, including eagles, tons of turtles, and no doubt countless other species. As previous posts mention, certain activities arent permitted here because its not a public park

Its nice but if you take some of the side trails that are not as wide or groomed as well expect to get a tick or two on you.

Very lovely place to get away. Several nature trails, kayaks, and more. Check it out.

Great family day trip

Great place to clear your head or to burn calories. I also enjoy helping keep this place clean as well.

A nice family friendly location to see wildlife especially birds. Single and tandem kayak rentals are available and there are several walking trails.

Quiet, uncrowded walk thru the woods

Great one mile loop. It’s level and has great views all the way around the lake.Bring a lunch and sit at the picnic tables or on one of the benches sprinkled along the path.There is plenty of parking and even a bathroom. ;). Enjoy.

Since its privately owned, you would think those individuals would have a little bit of money on the side, because by the looks of the park they need to kick in a little extra cash and upgrade a few things around there because its actually looking pretty sad... its a beautiful place and I really wish more people would put in more money Especially those private owners. Take some Thompson Water Seal and seal those wooden observation decks and that would add another five to seven years of life to the wooden structures if not more. I mean dont own a park, and not do anything with it and Im giving it 4 stars because of the scenery. Im just disappointed at the owners.

Beautiful place. Great for pokemon go!

Great place to rent a kayak!

Great place to go to clear your mind and take a good walk. Very shady, with beautiful scenery. Will be going more often.

I love the preserve. Having a safe place to enjoy nature is awesome.

This place is so pretty!! There are trail all the way around a big, blue lake and more. In Fall it is even more beautiful! There are no bugs and the leaves are so many different colors. It has so many trails coming off of the main trail too with too many cool things to say. I would totally advise you going with you family or even with a bunch friends.

My son and I went today just for an adventure and we saw so many water creatures it was great!!! We were told by the guys working of the different membership options and the perks of it! We will definitely be back!!! Can not wait to go kayaking!

Nice trails 3 miles in total fun place to take kids for trail hikes

One of the favorite outdoor adventures. I visit Hoffler Creek often. It is a very beautiful creek with lots of trees and walking trails. The most beautiful part is the views of the lake and the marsh. Its well worth the visit!

Decent outdoor trail. WEAR BUG SPRAY or get some from the ranger building, but wear it. Nice lake view, kayak rental is available. Hours are 10 to 4 Tuesday to Sunday.

Awesome experience great place to go with the family

Great experience. In need of a little upkeep. Bring bug spray. Be prepared to get wet.

Hoffler Creek is an excellent place to unwind in the peaceful serenity of nature filled walking trails, with the main trail wrapping around Lake Ballard. There are many forms of nature and many activities to keep the family involved and educated.

Nice walk around a lake. Its a good 60 minute walk if you do all the side trails. Its a nice hidden nature gem in portsmouth

Nice park but no dogs allowed

Excellent place to come to get back to nature and reconnect with yourself. Lovely all the round.

Lovely views, amazing birds to see, helpful staff, convenient location

Very nice trails bathroom facility at headquarters lots of birds

Niece place to walk around

Nice easy trails with lots of shading. Can get a little boring with how thick the bush is. Part of the place backs up to housing and kind of ruins the whole nature immersion experience.

Great place to go and get away for a minute

The near full moon paddle was almost otherworldly--brilliant moon and perfect air and you could hear herons and frog song. Our guide was kind, patient, knowledgeable and funny.The marshmallow roast afterward was fun and informative. Highly recommend this event and will attend others.

A beautiful natural setting in the midst of the city. There is a beautiful lake surrounded on two sides by a creek. Wildlife is abundant. It is a great place to exercise by taking a walk around the lake. There are several trails that branch off from the main route. All in all a natural gem.

Great place to spend time with family enjoying nature. Free outdoor fun. They offer many low cost special events. Volunteer opportunities available as well. Good location for Pokemon Go.

Nice tucked away wildlife preserve in Portsmouth. Limited hours so check the schedule via their website or better yet, become an active member of the foundation.

Photos like nice. Anyone know if fishing is allowed?

Very Serene and peaceful, lovely little excursion into nature. Just be wary of ticks and mosquitos.

Great place to take a walk and enjoy the serenity of the woods, the lake, the walking trails

I grew up in Western Branch and never knew this place was here. It is a hidden gem. Its not huge, but for the city......it is the perfect spot. We took our kids and they enjoyed it. Trails and water. Perfect for the whole family or even good date idea.

A must see. Hidden Gem in Portsmouth Va

A nice walk with nature. Walked the perimeter of the creek and saw turtles and egrets. Sprayed clothing with insect spray so wasnt bothered by them. The attendant was very friendly and provided me with a map of the preserve and a list of activities at the preserve. There was a picnic area that was available for use also.

A nice quiet place. The paths are well worn, the views delightful. I have always taken great enjoyment in walking around here. Downside is of course the hours they are open.

Very relaxing. Throughout the year they have wonderful family, and couple, events. If you are looking forward to a serene jog or if you just want to take in nature, this place is beautiful.

Its quiet and peaceful. A beautiful walk around the lake.

I love this place its so peaceful for being so close to some major roads. I also appreciate how covered and wooded the multiple trails are, it adds to the quiet and beauty. The few parks in the area good for walking are out in the open and just not as nice as here.

An amazing oasis of nature

Nice place. The gate cloases at 4:00pm regardless of if you are loading your kids in the car at 3:58. Long story short, Police were called and Facebook messages sent after the phone number posted had no answer. Finally the media director, a nice lady I might add, responded on Facebook and coordinated our rescue! Although Portsmouth PD and FD stood ready to assist. I would highly recommend a working phone number.

Always a great place for family.

What a nice honey hole. A great place to walk, relax, and visit nature right in our backyard and its FREE! They even offer programs.

A great hidden gem in Northern Portsmouth! I love going here whenever I can for a nice walk/hike around a beautiful kept nature preserve and lake.There is no admission or cost, but you can become a sponsor/member and your donation goes to up keep of the preserve as well as gets you discounts on programs offered by Hoffler Creek before and after hours. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and do a great job keeping the area maintained.Even if your not a member you can still pay to be part of special events put on by the staff such as early morning bird watching, berry picking in the summer, or even rent kayaks to paddle around the lake. There is lots of opportunity to learn about nature through educational programs and events offered at the preserve so its great for children and nature enthusiast alike!If you have a free day at some point and are looking to get out and enjoy nature, I highly suggest you take a trip here, you wont regret it.

Very nice hike

By far one of my favorite place to go. It is easy to get in and out of, very clean for the most part and they have never been rude to me or my family. Very community base as well, they for sure know how to bring people together.

Beautiful place

Theyve really done a lot developing the place. The trails and structures are built up real nice. I grew up in the neighborhood. I used to trek back here and swim and fish - back when barely anybody knew it was back there...Im talking about in the late 70s and early 80s. Fishing and swimming are not allowed anymore (not that they were allowed in the 70s/80s.They close it down at 4 pm. Its a great place to take a walk and just ...get out into nature. Bikes are not allowed. Im not sure if jogging is allowed either. Its beautiful out there, no doubt, but it seems a little strict. I guess you need strict -in a conservation situation.

Beautiful lake

I loved this nature park.and feel bad that I have never knew it was here.as sure alot of others dont.and I will.be back with my grandkids and for summer field trips but needs better advertising !

Really fun spot we had a blast canoeing with my daughters 7th grade class

Great area, very well kept, beautiful views with bird houses also

Great place to take a quick stroll. They close at 4 so if you want to go after work for a quick walk thats not possible.

Great hike around the lake. Just remember the bug spray. I got eaten alive. The kayaking looks fun. You can launch either into the pond or the bay.

Rep was very informative and pleasant.

Beautiful & peaceful

A nice small Wildlife Refuge, good for a day trip or a relaxing excursion in nature nature (ln summer beware the mosquito).

Nice maintained trails

Fun place to walk around. Lots of wildlife and plants to see

Hoffler is very quiet and beautiful. Its a great place for walking in nature and bird watching. Some of the trails are not maintained well and hard too see.

We love it here! It is well maintained and a great place for a walk. The path is not so bad that we were able to take a stroller!

Nice easy walk around the lake. You can also go on some trails in the woods. Easy hiking trails.

Its quiet! Several good walking trails. Great place to take family when you just want to go someplace different. Good place to play Pokemon if youre into it. The only drawback to this place, is mosquitoes during damp and warm weather. Proper repellant and clothing will offset the bad.

The preserve is an awesome place to visit, step out into nature, enjoy the time there, leave with a sense of gratitude, since it is a privately nonprofit, donating a little bit goes a long way to the up keep, go for an hour, youd see what I mean !!

Truely a hidden treasure that is not well known to most people in the area! At the center of the park is a large lake surrounded by a wide trail that splits off into smaller trails that wind through the woods. There are several small piers, some offer views of the lake, others provide views of the surrounding wetlands. The park itself is only a few hundred feet away from the James River which can be seen from the far end of the park. Keep in mind that they are very strict about people the no running policy and the park has very brief hours of operation that begin and end while most people are still at work.

This is my sanctuary. You will find peace in this little slice of heaven.

Good walkthrough that you can do in less than 30min. Opens a bit later in the morning (10am I think), but a nice walk as long as it hasnt rained in the last few days

The trail is great. We have visited many times just out of the blue for something to do

Great outdoors area in the back of my neighborhood. I love kayaking there!!!

Neat hidden gem in Portsmouth. Various trails to walk and plenty of wildlife to see.

,Its ok for a family you eat their once then you know what to expect when travling, I prefer eating someplace I know when I travel.

Very pretty. Highly disappointed that they do not allow pets.

Beautiful trails, very calming and peaceful. Good for photography, meditation, etc. Walking around the lake a couple times also makes for excellent excersize!

I live within walking distance of this place... wildlife is in My own backyard! I love going there with my kids... sooo BEAUTIFUL!!!

Nice place with a great history.Nature trails, wildlife and friendly knowledgeable people.

Beautiful and very peaceful!

Quite nice actually. Good long walk. Nice and quiet.

Among the best communities with wild life in Ptowne

It was amazing