Note: Northwest River Park is located at 1733 Indian Creek Road in Chesapeake. Watch for brown and white signs marking the route to the park. “Skywatch” is conducted in the equestrian area of the park, which is about 1 mile west of the park’s main entrance.
From Interstate 64, take Exit 291-B onto Route 168 south. Stay to the left.
Drive 8 miles to exit 8B, Hillcrest Parkway East.
At the second light turn right onto Battlefield Blvd
Drive about 4 miles and turn left onto Indian Creek Road and drive 3.5 miles./p>
Turn right into the equestrian area. Follow the dirt road around and through the first wooden gate. Do not drive beyond the second gate. Park along the short fence. Please dim your lights as soon as possible if arriving after dark.
The site has a rest room (which may be closed during winter months.) There is a security guard on duty during the event. The site is available only during scheduled events. Skywatch is free and open to the public.
Directions to South Terminal at Northwest River Park
From the park’s main entrance follow the dirt road behind the park office (note the sign says “Do Not Enter” ... the road is not open to the public). It is about 1 mile to the Terminal. Stay to the left on the way in and to the right on the way out.
The “South terminal” is the location for the “Night Hike” observing session. Night Hike is a program for campers at the park and a fee applies. BBAA members participating in the session should meet at the park office, just inside the park’s main entrance at 1733 Indian Creek Road. Parking at the south terminal is very limited, so transportation to the site must be coordinated. There are rest rooms available at the site.
Take either I-64 or I-264 to I-664 towards Newport News.
Exit on Rt 17 toward the James River Bridge.
Turn west (left) onto Rt 258/Route 32. The sign indicates “to Rt 10”
Turn north (right) onto Route 10 (Route 10 West, Route 258 South) toward Smithfield and continue for approximately 15 miles. Follow the truck route to bypass the business areas along Rt 10.
Option 1: Turn right onto 634 (Highgate Road). Be sure to follow 634 (another right) then turn left onto Alliance Road. The park will be on your right.
Option 2: If you miss the first turn to 634, continue on 10 and turn right onto Alliance Road (Still route 634) There is a sign for Chippokes Plantation State Park. Park will be 4 miles on the left.
Enter the park (be sure to put the fee $3 in the night box and display a "BBAA" sign on your dash) and continue past the admission booth, and the turn to the campground. Turn right at the sign for Cabins and Historic Area. Continue to the end of the road and set up in the mansion parking lot.
Rest rooms are available. Site is available only during scheduled events. Check with the park (757-294-3625) for permission to use the site independently, a camping fee would most likely apply.
Take I-64 to the Fort Eustis exit.
At the light at the exit, turn north onto 143 Jefferson Ave (left) and then almost immediately right. You will be heading east on 105, Fort Eustis Blvd.
Turn north (left) onto Rt 17. (Note: an alternate route is to exit I-64 on Rt 17 North, J Clyde Morris, George Washington Memorial Highway)
Cross the Coleman Bridge. There is a $2.00 toll northbound.
Approximately 6.5 –7 miles north of the bridge turn right onto Rt 614 (Featherbed Lane.) There is a Shell gas station at the corner. But be attentive, the turn is not visible until you are almost upon it.
Follow Rt 614 until it ends at a gate flanked by two stone lions. Go through the gate and bear right. Park along the gravel road.
THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. PLEASE DO NOT USE WITHOUT OBTAINING PERMISSION. There are no rest rooms. Contact Rob Schonk robschonk@hotmail.com or 757-489-0898 for details.
Note: Battlefield Blvd is exit 290 B off of I-64. The 168 bypass is a toll road that will merge with Battlefield Blvd just before the N.C. border.
Take Route 168, (Battlefield Blvd) south continuing on Rt 158 south to Coinjock North Carolina. Cross the high bridge over the intercoastal (Palmer Knapp Bridge). On the south side of the bridge is a left turn lane and a sign for “camping”. Turn left (Waterlilly exit) and follow signs to Hampton Lodge Campground all the way at the end of this road. (About 10 miles). Immediately after passing through the gate, observe a crop of cedar trees on the left, the observing area is within these trees. OBSERVE THE 10 MPH SPEED LIMIT.
This site is a commercial campground and camping fees apply at all times. Rest rooms and showers are available near the camp store. Register at the camp store, unless instructed to register with the ECSP organizer, Kent Blackwell. Call the campground at (919) 453-2732.
Pettigrew is located in Washington county NC, about twenty-two miles S.E. of the city of Edenton. It is the favorite site of BBAA member Charles Allewelt.
Take US 17 S. bypass around Elizabeth City and continue past the town of Hertford. Turn left on Rt. 37 about six miles south of Herford. Rt 37 becomes Rt. 32 after about 5 miles. You will cross the Albemarle Sound on a beautiful LIGHT-FREE bridge. About a mile after the bridge turn left onto US 64. Exit 64 at the town of Creswell and follow the brown signs to Pettigrew State Park. You'll be on 8th street. Continue on and watch for another brown sign directing you to turn left onto Main Street (1142). Go about two miles to another brown park sign and turn right on Thirty Foot Canal Rd (1160). Near the end of road (about 4.5 miles) turn left and you will see the park office.
Charles describes the site:
"There are 13 campsites in the park with picnic tables and an iron fire grate. They are in the woods mostly but nearby is an open area about twice the size of the open area in the cedars at Hampton Lodge. However the amount of sky is less because of tall trees with the west and south mostly affected. Still it is a sheltered area with plenty of sky to work with. The nice thing about this spot is that I can generally leave things set up and go to bed when I'm ready. This spot is the drain field for the shower house and cannot be driven on. On rare, calm conditions I opt to observe on the boat ramp with virtually unlimited horizon. I will ask the ranger on duty to turn out the one light there, which is intended for sport fisherman who stay out past dark. I've never had a problem with this except when the ranger on duty flipped the wrong switch and left without checking. If there is any air movement in winter the wind chill and humidity factor are too much for me at this site and I don't set up there. The boat ramp is about forty feet diameter of asphalt and can accommodate about 3-4 vehicles with scopes, and about 10 scopes if vehicles are parked nearby. A special use permit may in future be required for a large number at the boat ramp only because it wasn't intended for this use."
"After observing at the boat ramp you have to pack up and drive the short distance back to camp. Nightly rates are $12.00 and this includes hot showers. December 1st the rate goes to $6.00 and no showers are available. Fall and winter are generally the times I go because of fewer campers and it's rarely clear down there in summer anyway."
Contact Sid Shearin via email pettigrew_sp@coastalnet.com
From I-64 or I-264, take US 58/460 West. Use the Rt 58 Bypass around Old Suffolk. At Holland, bare left and stay on Rt 58 Bypass until you come to the SR 671 exit, also listed as Paul D.Camp Community College. Turn left and go approximately one half mile. Turn right on SR 688 (follow signs to "Fairgrounds"). At the crossroad, be sure to stay on 688. The fairgrounds will be on the left about one half mile from the crossroads. Look for the Fairground sign.
Directions From South Central Tidewater Area
Take I-64 EAST to exit 291B
NOTE:
Once you exit I-64 the exit splits into five lanes. The left two lanes head off to the VA - 168 bypass and the two middle lanes become Dominion Blvd which is VA - 104 South and US-17S.
Follow the signs for US - 17 South, Exit 15B, the middle two lanes. This will put you on Dominion Blvd.
Follow Dominion for approximately 4.1 miles.
Turn LEFT onto West Road, there will be a sign for the Chesapeake Municipal Airport.
Follow West Road for approximately 5.3 miles.
NOTE:
The intersection is a little odd, continue on West Road just past the detour sign to Benefit Road, ignore the detour sign as it applies to Douglas Road.
Turn LEFT onto Benefit Road. Follow Benefit Road for approx. 1.1 miles, Cornland Park will be on your left. It is just before the Fire Station.
Fan Mountain Observatory is approximately 190 miles from Virginia Beach. Take I-64 toward Charlottesville.
Use I-295 around Richmond; take exit 200 “I-295 / US-60 / Washington / Rocky Mt NC” for .5 miles then left onto ramp for I-295 towards “I-295 / Washington” for 23.9 miles and return to I-64 (exit 53A) toward Charlottesville for another 59.8 miles.
At exit 118A, take ramp right onto US-29 (Monacan Trail Road) toward “US 29 / Lynchburg” for 14.3 miles. Look for a very small sign “Fan Mt.” at route 805. Turn left onto the narrow dirt road. (Fan Mountain Lane / Lackey Road )Watch for the train at the RR Crossing. Its about 3 miles to the observatory.