Off the beaten path of Williamsburg Virginia: Hog Island

Last visited 4/22

We stayed at Wyndham Williamsburg Kingsgate

https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com/us/en/resorts/wyndham-hotels-resorts/united-states-of-america/virginia/williamsburg/club-wyndham-kingsgate

This is a barrier island across the James River from Jamestown. It is managed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and you must access it through VEPCO Power Plant, which means you will have your car searched , and you MUST HAVE AN ACCESS PERMIT TO ENTER. Find more information here: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wma/hog-island/

To begin, jump on the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, which is free and runs every 30 minutes. We rode on it twice, and found no issues getting on even though we traveled during peak hours (7-9 am and 3-5 pm). Just make sure you get there in plenty of time. We did get our car screened for bombs on the trip over, which means that you do need to keep that in mind when planning times if you tickets to an attraction.

There will be rules that you are expected to follow in order to access Hog Island, and I believe that you also may need to sign paperwork agreeing to them. The biggest rule is that there will be no pictures taken on the grounds of the power plant, which means no pictures until you are on the gravel road.

Nathan and I straddling the road and breaking the rules

Once we got off the road, there wasn't another soul to be seen, which was kind of scary. Even though the woman told us that no other people had entered via the gate this morning, the island is completely surrounded by water, and anyone could come in by boat. Check for daily openings as there are days reserved for hunting permits only.

Immediately upon entering, we saw our first eagle flying overhead with a fish in its mouth heading for its nest. We couldn't see the nest from where we were, but it was a cool first sighting.

There are sandy beaches which are fun to find things on after a storm. There aren't a lot of shells, but we did some good trash collecting to help the environment

Disappointment over no shark teeth

I think this would be a great place in the fall when the birds are migrating. However, in the spring, there are few birds to see. Also, fishing is good...blue catfish, red drum, and American eel among several species are found here. Regulations do apply.