Poquoson City Highpoint Trip Report
38 points (10+ ft)
Dates: May 10-11, 2005
Author: Don Desrosiers
For every one of the areas in Poquoson, remember that this used to be part of
York County, so you could be doing a single point up near Lightfoot.
Chip Clark's warnings about this area are still valid. There is even more
development going on, so some points are gone. Finding 6-8 inches of relief
will be a lot; and when you are warned about boots, heed that warning.
Chip knows footwear!. The topos are somewhat out of date, so getting better street
information from someplace like maps.google may be in order.
If we are to paraphrase both Julius Caesar and Chip, Poquosonia est omnis divisa
in viaes tres, in my case very early one morning, later that evening, and very
early the next morning, although I think it could be done in one day. I did a
slightly different order than Chip, primarily based on the hour of the day.
The directions below are based on a more optimum route than I did (although it
includes large blocks of my points).
From I-64, take exit 256 onto VA 171 for 4.9 miles and turn right onto Elliot
Road just before the city line. Walk back to the city line and bushwhack
through the easy woods to get the three points right on the line.
Back in the car onto 171 (now Little Florida Road) and turn right at the light
for Wythe Creek Road (VA 172). The Food Lion is on the right and the highest
ground could well be to the northwest. It isn't highest by much and has been
seriously developed.
Continue south on Wythe Creek and take the first left onto Aldus Road then right
onto Smith Road. There used to be an area at what is now #31 (very large house)
but I believe it is now gone. The second area looked to be between #13 and #15.
The pine trees worked for me.
Keep going on Smith and turn right onto Little Florida to the middle school (not
the high school as noted on the topo). Walked around the school (home of either
the Bulls or the Islanders) to be on the safe side. Didn't find the BM which
the NOAA page indicates is 9.92 feet, not 11 as noted on the topo.
From the school, take the first left onto Park Street to the two small areas
near the swamp. The southern point is now under the ball field and the northern
one appears to have been developed away. You can probably ignore these two points.
Back to the middle school and turn right onto Poquoson Avenue, then left onto
Bennets Farm Road. HP is behind #33.
Back to Poquoson and then the next left onto Hudgins. HP is behind #97.
The Young Kwan Church is a good parking place.
Continue on Hudgins to Wythe Creek. Bushwhack to the area west of the Hudgins
Road intersection (behind the Auto Wholesalers). You could do this in
conjunction with the areas near the Victory Center.
Walk north on Wythe Creek to #538 (next to the florist). HP is behind one of
the two buildings (you get to pick).
Stay on Wythe Creek which will become Yorktown then will become Hunts Neck Road.
Take a right onto Browns Farm Road. I concur that the HP is at #3.
Back onto Hunts Neck and turn right onto Pasture Road then left onto Moore Road.
HP is on the driveway to #33. I martinized it.
Back onto Hunts Neck to #198. The HP should be near a large pine tree next to
the fence (just past Roberts Landing Road).
Continue on Hunts Neck and turn left onto Edwards. HP is about 25 yards into
the woods across from the mailbox for #10.
Going southeast on Hunts Neck this time, come to the large area with orchards
indicated on the topo. There is a new housing development being constructed
here and on the small area immediately west. These two areas do not, in my
opinion, go over 10 feet any more.
Continue south on Hunts Neck and turn right onto Dixon. There is one HP in the
front yard of #2, another on the left side yard of #2 Trotters Bridge (probably
developed), and a third between #5 and #7 Dixon. The fourth point is a slight
walk down Hunts Neck then into the woods to the right of #29.
Continue south on Hunts Neck and turn right onto Yorktown Road. Park at Emmaus
Church and walk to the next five points. The first is in the woods behind #835,
a second is behind #843, the area with the church looked to be near the
playground at the church, the area northwest of BM Moore was on the driveway to
#795 but it looked lower than the other areas, and the larger spanning area was
at the large oak tree at #785. As an aside, the BM page indicates that the
original height of BM Moore was 13 feet, so this may well be the big enchilada.
Continue on Yortkown and turn right onto Rogers. HP is in the side yard of #4.
Back to Yorktown and turn right onto Powhatan, left onto Emory, right onto
Westover and right onto Dryden to #16 then to #32.
Back on Dryden, left onto Westover, bear right onto Carriage Hill Road,
go around corner then left onto Lynn Circle to the front yard of #6.
Back to Carriage Hill and go left. At the end, go left onto West Carriage Hill
then right onto Westover. HP is in the yard of one of the houses on the corner.
Your call as to which one.
At Yorktown Road, turn right then left just past the city line into the Victory
Christian Center. For the next five points you will need a GPS. Go about half
way down the field near the Victory Center then head east into the woods. After
the first initial briar shock, the woods get slightly better. I wandered around
for a shade under an hour and a half, finishing up back at the car with a headlamp.
I have no clue as to which point is the highest.