Mount Trashmore was created almost exactly as it sounds like it might have been: with heaps of trash. Yet the outcome is a large, appealing park home to scores of amenities and many different things to do.

Mount Trashmore Park Virginia Beach first opened in 1973 as a 165-acre public city park. The man-made mountain the park is named for was made by using both clean soil and compacted trash, and layering each via a system creating the mountain, more than 750 long and 60 feet high. A rare accomplishment, especially within the region, Mount Trashmore is a landfill-turned-beautiful-public-park boasting many eco-friendly aspects, including a xeriscaped garden, requiring a fraction of the water most public gardens use.

Visitors exploring the area are usually drawn to Mount Trashmore to see for themselves that a landfill can be adapted in something attractive. It’s also a great place to spend a day, offering a long list of amenities including playgrounds, more than a dozen picnic shelters, sports areas, Kids Cove, a skate park and more. Two lakes (Windsor and Trashmore) flank the park, offering good spots for fishing. Walking trails include one looping the park and spanning almost two miles, and a Hill Trail and Lake Trail that when combined are almost three miles long.

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Mount Trashmore Skate Park is a 24,000-square-foot facility opened in the late summer of 2003. It’s acclaimed by local and visiting skateboarders for the excellent street-style course that encompasses a bowl measuring seven-feet deep, and a professional-size thirteen-foot vertical ramp. The Skatelite Pro surface is perfect for skateboarders, BMX riders, and inline skaters. The Mount Trashmore Park Virginia Beach skate park welcomes many famous skateboarders and also hosts special skateboarding events. Anyone can use the skate park for free, but must sign up to receive a free pass. The park opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes a half-hour before the park does, which is posted at the main entrance.

Kids Cove is another great reason to visit Mount Trashmore Park Virginia Beach. It has the top-rated playground in Virginia Beach and is one of the best things to do with kids. With a fire affecting the original facility (constructed mostly of wood), the newly built Kids Cove opened in 2010 and boasts 2,600 square feet of pure fun. Created mostly of a solid rubber component, Kids Cove has three areas for kids to play: scores of elevated walkways, swings, and climbers in one section, another section chock-full of various climbing structures, and a third part dedicated to swings for all sizes and ages. The playground offers picnic tables and benches for a rest or a snack and accommodates all children, regardless of disabilities.

Mount Trashmore Park is located at 310 Edwin Drive, Virginia Beach and opens every day at 7:30 a.m. Closing times vary depending on the season, but it are always posted in an obvious location. There are several places for shopping located nearby, including Pembroke Mall, Aragona Village Shopping Center, and Loehmanns Plaza. Parliament Park and Central Park are also to the northwest and north respectively. Chesapeake Bay Beach is a short 20-minute drive north to the shore and Sandbridge Beach is 30 minutes southeast.