Wash Woods in False Cape State Park, Virginia

[MR.Ty]

Tucked along the most south east coast of Virginia lies False Cape State Park and the "Ghost Town" of Wash Woods. I used quotation marks because all that is really left, since the town was abandoned, are the remains of the Church and a dozen grave markers. Below are some photos from my day trip to see the area.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wash_Woods,_Virginia

According to legend, the community was developed by survivors of a shipwreck. The village’s church and other structures were built using cypress wood that washed ashore from a shipwreck. Around the turn of the 20th century, the area was still inhabited. Wash Woods was home to a United States Coast Guard lifesaving station, a grocery store, two churches, and a school. Three hundred people once lived there, working as fishermen, farmers, hunting guides and manning lifeboats. Located along the section of ocean known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the town of Wash Woods was subject to the severe weather conditions which had brought the lumber to shore to build it. By the 1920s the sea had inundated the narrow sliver of sand so often that townspeople began to leave by the 1930s. Subsequently the site became the location of several hunt clubs. Today, the area is a Virginia state park, adjoining the federally managed Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

There are a three ways to get to the park, I elected to take the southern route because it involves driving on the beach and 4wd.

Arriving at the beach nice and early.







Even though I've been to Corolla a few times, I always seem to for get just how long the 4x4 beach is.

Getting to the VA/NC border.



If only I had an authorized vehicle!



From there I turned into the neighborhood to get to the southern entrance to the park.







It is roughly a 2.5 mile hike to the ruins and the whole time I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun it would have been to drive through this area in a fresh off the show room floor CJ.

 

[MR.Ty]

Wash Woods in False Cape State Park, Virginia P.2

Arriving at the site. What is left of the church after vandals destroyed in back in the 1980s



An overview of the graves



The most recent headstone that I found.



On the way back I decided to looking into two things I noticed during my hike in. First I took a closer look at an area I had initially dismissed as a trashed campsite, turns out that it is what was left of some sort of building.





Shag carpeting!





Second was the "Monument" indicated on the trail map that I had. The monument proved to be a little more difficult to find.



Found it, just on the other side of the border fence.



Turns other that the "monument" is an old border marker. Sadly it doesn't say how long ago it was put there.







At this point I wasn't very far from where I left Stumps so I started to head out and back towards home.



A trip to Corolla wouldn't have been complete if I didn't see any of the wild horses.



An unplanned stop at the old Coast Guard station. I still think it sucks that it is now a realtor office for the beach homes in the area.



At least they left the old sign above the main door.



All three of the buildings.



Poser shot!



Back on the beach and heading home.



If you live in the area and don't mind a long hike in soft sand I absolutely recommend taking the time to head out there and see the remains for yourself.

 

[WJCO]

That is some cool exploring. Nice.

 

[Draconianwinter]

Awesome little adventure and writeup

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[Andy5160]

WoW
Really nice out there!

 

[MR.Ty]

Thank you fellas. It was a great way to spend the morning.

 

[piginajeep]

Very cool! My wife and I hiked to this about 7 years ago! Amazing how old that cemetery is. There's still a ship wreck you can see close to the boarder at low tide.

[emoji1360]


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[piginajeep]

Back then, there was no fences around the plots.


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[wayoflife]

Whoa!! Very cool - thank you so much for sharing this :thumb:

 

[benatc1]

this is pretty cool, wish i knew about this when i lived out that way. would have been cool to check out for myself. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[MTG]

Very cool indeed. I like the beach shot...I feel like I need to go drive on a beach now.

 

[Ddays]

Cool stuff - thanks, I really enjoyed reading this. It's always neat when guys post up these little nugget threads!

 

[sipafz]

Neat little adventure! That's what's it's all about! Thanks for sharing!

 

[tanmanjk]

Cool write up I don't live far from there gonna have to check that out when I get time

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[Rocklobsta]

Very cool up there in Corolla. We were just there over Thanksgiving, took the 4runner out and found some pretty good puddles and sand to play in (didn't have the Jeep yet). Being an 18 year Coastie it was very cool to see the old Life Saving Boat House. Take a tow rope to pull out the dummies that rent home up there and think the minivan will make it!!