Mt. Trashmore in Virginia Beach – Let’s Fly Kites on a Mountain of Trash
Every city seems to have a park that stands above the rest for one reason or another. The classic example is Central Park in New York City, but other famous A-List parks include Hyde Park in London, Balboa Park in San Diego, Lincoln Park in Chicago, etc. It’s the park where city dwellers flock on the first warm day of spring, where barbecues and volleyball games are held, and frisbees and footballs are seen flying through the air.
In Virginia Beach, that park is the one and only Mount Trashmore – a great park with an even better name .
stairs leading to the top of the ‘mountain’
In a previous life, Mount Trashmore was a landfill, however, the site was re-purposed as a park by compacting the layers of waste with clean soil. The result was a ‘mountain’ of trash and soil, and the name ‘Mount Trashmore’ became its official moniker.
However, if you’re worried that you might hit trash if you dig into the soil, fear not. When Mount Trashmore was built, not only was soil mixed in with the trash, but the whole thing was covered in six feet of clean trash-free top soil. Then when the park underwent a refurbishment in 2002, they protected it even further by creating a rubber seal around all the trash so no waste could leak into the groundwater.
Even though it’s safely covered with topsoil, all that festering, decomposing trash does create flammable methane gas as a byproduct. Mount Trashmore deals with this problem in the form of vents placed at the top of the mountain. When a sufficient amount of methane gas has built, these vents release a delightful, trashy smell that wafts over the park.
But Mount Trashmore is about more than just the mountain. All of the amenities that are found at other parks can also be found at Trashmore – picnic facilities, running trails, a playground, a fishing lake, and even a large skate park all grace the grounds of Mount Trashmore Park.
the lake at Mount Trashmore
skate park at Mount Trashmore
I visited the park on a sunny and unseasonably warm afternoon and the park was full of activity – people flew kites high on top of the ‘mountain’, a group of runners were finishing their long-distance run, mothers were taking their children for walks and multiple people were exercising by sprinting up the mountain then walking back down.
As I strolled around the park, the fact that I was standing on top of tons of trash (quite literally) faded from my mind. Instead, I was admiring the view from the top of the mountain, enjoying the sunshine, and taking in the beauty of the park. What at first was a novelty to me instead just seemed like a great place to be.
I’m sure that’s exactly what the designers of this park had in mind – creating a recreational destination for the people of Virginia Beach. And when there is perfectly good land on top of a trash pile, why let it go to waste? Of course they had to have a good sense of humor when building this park, and thus the name.
Mount Trashmore is a great example of how otherwise undesirable sites can be repurposed for public use. 35+ years on it’s still THE park to be at in Virginia Beach.
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22 Responses to Mt. Trashmore in Virginia Beach – Let’s Fly Kites on a Mountain of Trash
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Mt. trashmore is nice and neat picnic spot.
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I grew up right by Mt. Trashmore! Many fond memories of playing there. If I recall correctly they have a pretty cool playground there. Really excited to see it on your blog!
Elizabeth Bird recently posted..Guest Post: Kenya Safari
I did not see the playground, but I’m sure it was awesome. I didn’t know you were from Hampton Roads! I should have asked you for some tips before I left (it’s my last night here!)
Love it!
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..How to Stay Fit on a Diet of Goat Cheese and Wine in Cafayate
Haha, looks like a neat park. We have our share of trash piles in Florida – indeed, they are the only sort of mountains in FL at all. The smell around them is just…..bad. Horrible. One has a prison next to it, and I imagine that is a strong deterrent against future criminal behavior. I guess since this landfill is no longer actively used, the smell must not be quite as unbearable?
travel editor recently posted..Windsurfing with Sea Urchins
There is actually no smell at all! Well, except for when the vents release the pressure beneath. But for the most park, it’s as pleasant as any other park.
I regret to have been to this side of US! it looks so gorgeous! Hope to go to to US quite soon and sunbath to Virginia beaches! Thanks for sharing your stunning shots!
Robert – to be honest, I’m not a big fan of the beach in Virginia Beach. Hopefully I can write more about this soon!
In SW Ohio they made a mountain of trash into a ski hill, and in LA the old trash dump has become a park. It’s nice to see that the idea has spread.
Lane recently posted..A Jaunt to Juneau
I agree – I love seeing these reuse projects.
It’s amazing that I lived in Virginia most of my adult life, passed Mt. Trashmore countless times on the Virginia Beach Expressway, and never visited. Good for you to go check it out!
Curt recently posted..St. Mary’s Basilica in Phoenix
I didn’t realize you lived in the area Curt! There are plenty of places in Denver I still haven’t had the chance to check out either.
Yeah, I went to college in nearby Williamsburg, and later I lived in Richmond. I visited Virginia Beach fairly often from both places.
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Go Tribe!
Very cool! I love when undesirable areas are reclaimed as park space.
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..Photo Teaser #29: Yellow swirly mess
Agreed! I did another article on a similar park in Seattle where they turned an old gasworks into a beautiful park.
Interesting history there, but it looks so nice now.
Agreed! They found a way to turn an eyesore into a place of beauty.
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I wonder why they don’t capture the Methane and use it to generate electricity? Maybe there’s not enough for it to be used, but I hate to see that energy go to waste.
Bill Brikiatis recently posted..3 Critical Soil Building Techniques
Interesting idea, I’m not sure why they’re not doing that.