Award-winning
Five-mile Trail
The Noland Trail offers fun and excitement for nature enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.
The Noland Trail, located within Mariners’ Park, is a peaceful sanctuary where one can exercise, enjoy nature, and spend time with loved ones. This award-winning trail is free and open to the public and offers a variety of paths with stunning lake views.
The Trail is a dynamic home to a variety of flora, fauna, and wildlife. Noland Trail users range from dog walkers, runners, hikers, birders, photographers, and families, all eager to experience the beauty of the changing seasons and scenic views.
Noland Trail:
5 miles round trip (loop)
Grade of the trail:
Stone dust path, 215 ft elevation change, easy to moderately hard
Access points:
North, South, East, and West entrances; Harvey Field; Williams Field
Recommended activity:
Running, hiking, walking, bird watching
Noland Trail Facts:
- Noland Trail is approximately five miles round-trip, with route combinations as short as 0.5 miles.
- Fourteen large wooden bridges and 13 footbridges are numbered chronologically around the Trail.
- There are 17 benches around Noland Trail, each about a quarter-mile apart.
- Four overlooks are spaced throughout the Trail (Monitor, Pinetree, Oaktree, and Holly Tree).
History of the Noland Trail
In 1930, Archer Huntington founded The Mariners’ Museum and Park with the help of Homer Ferguson and several other Newport News Shipbuilding executives. Lloyd Noland Sr., president of Virginia Engineering Company, was tasked with organizing and constructing the Warwick Boulevard Bridge and Lions Bridge. In the 1930s, there was a shoreline trail around Mariners’ Lake where locals could ride horses. Lloyd Noland Jr. used the equestrian trails around the Park throughout his childhood.
Sixty years later, he brought this story full circle by offering to fund a walkable, five-mile lakeside trail. Since its dedication in 1991, thousands of people have walked, run, and enjoyed nature on the Noland Trail in one of the country’s largest privately owned, free parks. The Mariners’ Park Department maintains the Trail year-round with assistance from volunteers and funding from The Noland Trail Endowment, support from the Noland Family, and generous donations.
Popular Destinations
in the Park
Come explore one of the nation’s largest privately owned and maintained parks that is free and open to the public. This 550-acre park offers visitors a quiet and serene place to walk, hike or run amongst rolling woodlands and features the award-winning five-mile Noland Trail that surrounds the 167-acre Mariners’ Lake. Every visit to this beautiful urban oasis will bring a new experience every time!
Other paths to enjoy in the Park:
Meadow Path
1.5 miles (round trip)
- Access points:
South and West entrances, Harvey Field - Grade of the trail:
Starts off with paved, short area of shell path, rest is stone dust path, mostly flat terrain, easy - Recommended activity:
Walking, running, hiking, stroller-friendly after the shell path area.
Loop Road Path
0.5 miles (round trip)
- Access points:
North entrance parking lot, South entrance - Grade of the trail:
Stone dust path, mostly flat terrain, easy - Recommended activity:
Walking, running, can be stroller-friendly, but watch for tree roots. The trail can link with Meadow Path at the South entrance for more mileage.
Multipurpose Trail
2.2 miles (round trip)
- Access points:
Can start at North entrance of Museum, officially starts at the Propellor Wall on Avenue of the Arts. Parking and entrance also off Warwick, Copland parking lot. - Grade of the trail:
Paved, flat terrain, easy - Recommended activity:
Stroller-friendly, walking, running
Partnership with City of Newport News
Fun in the Park
From a bumblebee garden to a playground, the Park has many activities for you and your children to enjoy.
Map
Park Accessibility
There are many accessible experiences throughout our 550-acre Park.
Noland Trail Maintenance
The Noland Trail receives year-round maintenance from The Mariners’ Park Department team members and volunteers. Each year, one mile of Noland Trail is resurfaced.
