Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking at False Cape State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

The last time I was on a bike it didn’t go too well. We were mountain biking in Arizona and the bike was too big and the seat was too high for my comfort–I couldn’t control myself, I got my pants stuck in the gears and almost fell off more times than I could count. The time before that? I was 10.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

That said, I’ve always enjoyed biking and have been wanting to go out for a ride again, so when I spotted a fat tire bike tour on our Virginia Beach itinerary, I was super excited!

Weather wasn’t on our side, and we ran into a couple of rainy days during our trip–the tour got postponed a day because of a storm, but thankfully, we were able to get out for our ride the following day.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

When we arrived, we unloaded the bikes from the back of the truck and Kenny, our fantastic guide from Surf and Adventure, got our gear ready to go. Then it was off to the beach.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

We made our way over the sand dunes and down towards the water. The trail followed the path of the shoreline, and I was surprised that the sand wasn’t more difficult to ride over. We kept an eye out for treasure along the way–Kenny told us stories about several washed up items they have encountered over the years.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Our ride started out in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and we were headed all the way to False Cape State Park–a park that isn’t easily accessible as it is several miles from the nearest road. You cannot drive to False Cape–walking, biking or boating are they only ways you can access the park, and there are some tram tours that will bring you to the area in the summer, as well.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Once we biked a little ways down the False Cape beach, we made our way back through the sand dunes and towards the inland trails where we stopped at the park’s visitor center for some snacks, a chat with the park ranger, and a photo with the “Southernmost Virginia State Park” sign, which looks strikingly similar to the Key West landmark.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Soon, the path turned into gravel and trees surrounded us on our way towards the other side of the park where the bay is located. By this point, we were both getting pretty tired out, but the scenery was so pretty that we didn’t want to stop peddling and exploring.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Eventually, we decided to head back towards the car, and wow, we were glad that it was a cloudy day. I don’t think we would have been able to push through to the end if we had the sun beating down on us all morning. The final stretch of the ride started to push my limits–I puttered along the gravel path and eventually, we all made it back in one piece.

Fat Tire Biking on False Cape Beach, Virginia Beach, Virginia

The ride came to around 14 miles in total, so I would say it was a pretty successful day! We loved exploring False Cape State Park, especially since we only saw a few other people the entire day. Plus, it was great to finally get out on a bike ride again!

We traveled to Virginia Beach courtesy of Visit Virginia Beach and Travel Mindset for a video campaign project. As always, all opinions are our own.