Always a little or big adventure here. Amazing spot for getting into the river if you have a kayak or canoe. Easy chillen here too if you wanna just sit on the bank. A little on the muddy side for just standing near the shore so you gotta get in there a little. Nice place for a quick walk in nature. Close to plenty of walkable restaurants

Lovely trails with quite few access points to the James. Wish that traffic from Dock St weren’t so ever present but a nice little walk and would be ideal for many picnic sites.

Such a hidden treasure! A great place to come for some light hiking, fishing and relaxation. I definitely recommend this place for a beautiful picnic with a loved one., and make sure you enjoy the food trucks next door! Great little area!

Fun piece of Richmond history with great views of the river and the capital bike trail is really nice took a ride from there to Varina

The park is very nice somewhat secluded but the recent flooding has decreased the areas that are accessible

Beautiful little hidden gem. Was able to participate in a river cleanup in this area, and its so great to see such an active community enjoying the area! Also about 6 little beautiful crooks to come by and enjoy the sunset from. If you havent been, you have to! Right off the capital trail, a great little waterside area to cool down and explore the river banks.

Great location, not alot of parking yet a wonderful place to sit by the water or walk the trails. I do see people kayak an canoe as well. Great couples spot.

Nice spot to park for free since most areas to park are pay only.perfec5 to unload your bike and close to water and trails and the canal walk is about 10 min away.

Great location. Limited parking. Get there early. There is more parking just down the road or across from it

Start of the 51 mile bike trail to Jamestown and where the confederacy built its ironclad gun boats

The food is great and they have the best chef (Wing) in the restaurant.

Nice paved walkway near the river. Seen walkers, runners, and bicyclers.

I like this place for the many friendly people who come fish here. As a newcomer to Richmond it was a blessing to talk and communicate with the masters of these waters. I wished there was more access. There is a lot of mud and silt on the other end of water access restricting good casts.I am happy for whatever is provided too.

Its a super cute little park, but its a little ruined by people who leave trash, fish hooks, and food scraps around. People with dogs and little kids will need to keep an eye out.

A nice little park with a little bit of learning and history.

Love to go here. Its not crowded like other popular parks generally. You can step into an area where you feel miles away from the city with a beautiful little inlet by the river in the shade.

The end of the Capital Trail which begins in Jamestown. No amenities that I noticed but a pretty spot

Nice spot to walk or fish. I recommend it.

Good place to bike around

Really cool park. You can see some old industrial panoramas here. Also, there is an old canal and lock gates here. If you are nearby - stop by!

This is a great place to stretch your legs and explore one of the many trails. There is a good variety of open areas and shade to suit the weather. The trails here are relatively flat without being boring. Come explore!

Very nice park,for walking, running, sit and joy it

A busy park but space to walk and explore the area. Parking is limited so be prepared to park across the street.

A cute little walking path for casual explorers. Theres a lot of history that you can see and read about which makes you feel closer to the city.

Great little park that has a lot of history to Richmond . Everyone in Richmond should visit it and see how old commerce was done. I enjoy it best in the winter when there isn’t many people roaming around.

It was wonderful. My boyfriend and I enjoyed ourselves.

If youre into trains you can see some great action here if youre lucky

Great/easy river access. Now that I have a stroller and a million things to carry I look for the easier entry. I appreciate the beautiful view of the sunset that you get here and theres plenty of fishermen enjoying the site as well!

I start my walks here every time I need to walk my demons off. It starts to calm me. I often go there when I am near critical with my demons. It always brings me a measure of peace. Then I start my walk.I love this park.

Nice clean park enjoyed visiting

Great little place that shows and tell some of the history of Richmond. Great location.

Ok little park with river access. Not too much going on otherwise.

A nice family place.

Nice place in RVA to take a stroll.

Too much litter. People need to show more pride.

Good service, helpful staff

Small, but very popular

Great place to start the Virginia Capital trail.

I enjoyed the paths that lead to a great spot by the water. Very quiet.

This is a really nice free park. The is not a lot of parking and it gets fill fast on nice days, but if you do find a spot the park is right on the edge of the city and is on the cap to cap trail. The trail follows the canal in one direction and the river in another. The old locks have some signs around them talking about the history. There are 2 porta potties on site which is nice if you need a bathroom break. If the lot is full, drive up the road to the round about and take the first exit. At the first light turn right (dead end road) and there is a bigger parking by lot there. Its about a .5 mile walk from shiplock park. Overall a great parking spot, but not a lot of activities other than history and the trail.

Interesting to get a feel for how ships came and went (and were built) back in the day. Now primarily a parking lot for bikers riding the trail. Could use some real restrooms, not just a port-a-john.

Great place to take a walk and chill.

Great location to get drone shots of the city with CSX rolling by.

Great place to visit with family or friends or even somewhere to be alo e and relax and read a book and take photos or to work out or get a piece of mind. Very beautiful area. Not over crowded and doesnt have any rift raft. Highly recommend!

Beautiful! A lot of history and very well-maintained!

Its a great place to park and begin your ride on the cap to cap Trail. The lovely spot along the river. We found parking during the week but its often full over the weekend. My only complaint was that the Porta-Potty could have used Servicing.

The shiplock has always been an important part of Richmonds history, and while its a remarkable to see it as is, Id love to know more info about it! Its also a really stellar starting point for the capital trail, and for walking alongside the James in general! After all, it follows down to the Canal Walk, which carries to Bells Isle, if youre adventurous enough.

It was awesome

The water I fished there as a young boy so many years ago

Cool history and very well maintained. Tools and pump on the bike path

ViewsBig ol shiplock in the woods.If you go looking for old photos of Chappell Is. & the old shiplocks...youd be surprised how it looked 100+ years ago....

This is a very nice place to to get some great photos of the city. So make sure you bring your camera!

Great spot to start enjoying the canal and capital trail this is the meeting spot for most of our rides and walks in this area lots of sites and people there to see and do things with

I HAVE CAUGHT SOME NICE SIZED CATFISH THERE

Great place to hike with our dog without having to leave the city. Theres a nice little private beach area too!

Good riding spot

Good place to just go in the cut and chill by the water.

Easy to park.

Not the brightest gem in the James River Park. Bike trail is good but be careful if you stroll the woods alone.

So cool!

This is a beautiful little park with a shaded, quiet trail. Its a good morning walk to start here and go up to Canal and back.However, the metal bridge to go into the park could probably burn a dogs paws in the middle of summer.Not many places to sit by the river and enjoy like Belle Isle or Texas Beach unless you sit near the entrance of the park on the edge of a trail (that nobody goes on anyway)

Quiet, out of the way park on the river downtown. Excellent views of Rockett’s Landing further downstream. Plaques on the local ecosystem and the history of the park add interest. Trails and landscaping seem neglected at times.

Interesting historical markers and a good place to put a kayak or canoe in for some flat water exploration.

Absolutely gorgeous walk around richmond

Nice for fishing; even catching enormous catfish. Just watch out for snakes.

Great place to walk around as long as the river isnt high. Great place to also fish and do other outdoor activities. Only draw back is not enough parking now that the bike trail runs through the park.

Great example of locks. Excellent access to the river for pedestrians. Decent amount of parking. Good view of Rockets Landing from up river. Capital Trail has a pit stop for bikes here (tire pump and tools free tonuse.) Can see the old Brave from the Diamond on top of Lucky Strike from here as well. I look forward to coming back and spending more time or using this as a starting point for some Cap Trail bike cruising. Parking can get tough.

Really good place to park if you are riding the Cap Trail but come early because its a small lot and fills up quickly. Also easy access to Canal Walk, Slave Trails, and Rockettes Landing. Truly a gem of downtown Richmond.

Oasis in the heart of the city

This is a nice park for access to the Virginia Capital Trail. It would be nice if there were hard standing restrooms instead of a porta-port.

Love this trail all the way through

Wonderful!

Great place to park.

Great for relaxing and chilling. Shady areas with seating. By the water.

Awesome paths through the woods, secluded beaches, picnic areas. All along historic James River.

Great spring time place for a date or with the family

Start of the cap 2 cap trail, right by the river

Its nice I went with my dad once had quality time together

Great trail for biking! Thank you Richmond!

Nice

It was a interesting experience lol

This district was nice we passed by stop and walked a lil it was nice great walking

I went on the little canal tour, it was very simple and pretty short, you have to bring your own table cloth, food, drinks and even music, but the captain/guide was funny, knowledgeable and well-spirited. Overall had a good time. It was a good and relaxing way to see the river and learn a little Richmond history.

Parking can be busy on nice days. Try walking from the docks, or your favorite bar in the Bottom!

Service is slow very slow. Too slow

Go for a walk and enjoy the River.

River meets the canal, plenty of parking. Beautiful spot. Even walk to Rocketts landing.

Peaceful and historical. Limited parking though.

Beautiful space! Great walk.

Fix the dang bike pump already

My favorite place in richmond.

Calming and serene overlook

My history

Never been here before but my dog and I enjoyed it.

The sign that tells you exactly how many people have died here is not exactly reassuring but I suppose its for good reason-- the ship locks are kind of dangerous and are themselves not exactly reassuring. They are cool to see, however. I dont think theres a whole lot to the park which is the reason for the lower rating but its still worth at least one trip.

Cool for fishing and relaxing & reflection..

Lovely area to walk along into the city

This is my fav park in the greater Richmond area. I used to live about 3 miles from here. I was so lucky to be able to visit this hidden park anytime. At first glance, it doesnt look like its very fun. Keep walking. You do not have to go far. It opens up to a beachy area where I guess you can swim. I never have tried. Its not deep there though. Im sure lots of people have swan there. This place is never crowded. Its such a surprise. It does have a few short paths. My husband did see a snake there once. So you do have to keep a watch around the undergrowth. Shiplock Park has lots of trees so it is very forrest-y. I moved to Bradenton, Fl a couple of years ago. While it is beautiful here, I miss places like Shiplock Park. When it is hot, you have almost constant shade. Its out of the way in the middle of the city. It is a great surprise when you go there especially for the first time. Even Im surprised by the beauty and I have been lots. You will not be disappointed if you decide to go. I cannot say how much I LOVE it here @ Great Shiplock Park. Oh one more thing it is on the Virginia Capital Trail . So if you get tired or the kids need a break, it is the perfect place to take a rest.

Another great place to walk and enjoy the scenery.

Great place to hike,bike,walk,fish,and just explore