Goodwin Island

Located at the mouth of the York River and Back Creek, Goodwin Island is a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Site in Virginia (managed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science) and consists of hundreds of acres of salt-marsh islands surrounded by inter-tidal flats, extensive underwater grass beds, a constructed oyster reef and shallow open waters.

The paddle begins on Back Creek in Yorktown and heads out to the thoroughfare between Dandy and Goodwin Island. Once on the York River side of the island, the paddle winds through the island and out the other side. Great blue heron, great egrets, osprey, red winged black birds, bald eagles, fiddler crabs, small fish, marsh cord grass, and eelgrass are just a few of the many fauna and flora you will see on this trip.

We'll take a break at the half-way point and wade in the tidal flats.

Waterproof cameras and binoculars are a must!