colonial beach municipal pier

We walked out on the pier about 3 pm and when walking back there was a large group of youths who felt the need to harsh us. Thank goodness my husband is retired military and has an amazing ability to communicate with people. With my husbands amazing skills he was able to talk us "around" the kids and we made a fast get away to our vehicle. The view was amazing but there is a need for security.

Gets a little crowded but were convenient. Make sure you purchase your Potomac Fishing license. Wonderful town people.

Stopped by Colonial Beach on our way through to see if it was a place for a future vacation. Why on earth anyone would anyone vacation there. We've seen better kept places in 3rd world countries. Here's a clue for the town, if your livelihood is tourism, you may want to clean the place up a little bit. Municipal restrooms without men/women signs, toilet paper, or hand towels. Dead or worn grass in the common areas. Sidewalks and streets needing repair. It could be a fantastic vacation spot as opposed to calling in the riff raft.

Quiet not crowded. beach could be more cleaned. places to eat right on the beach and not far from the water

Colonial Beach is not the beach with the boardwalk and all the frills of one, but it is a nice beach. I have been several times as it is the closet to me being about 2 hours away. It is less crowded than the big name beaches (Ocean City or Virginia Beach) which is nice, it has sand, sun, and water. Make sure to bring quarters for the meters (1 quarter gets you 15 minutes) I don't know if there is other parking as I have always used the metered parking. I have not seen rentals for umbrellas or anything at least in the area I go to so bring an umbrella. It is great fun, my daughter loves it and there is not the waves since the beach is on a river and not the ocean. There are a few small stores up near the pier that are nice and I have never had any issue with anyone else there, most of the people who visit have been friendly.

If you haven't checked out this small beach town, go! The weekends are crowded with parking a nightmare. But, if you want a nice day at the beach without the drive or hassles of Virginia Beach, go here! True, you won't have the glirz and glam of Virginia Beach. But, I wish I'd checked this place out earlier.

While Colonial Beach is NOT Virginia Beach, it is closer to Fredericksburg and an easy drive for an afternoon outing. The water is calm and the atmosphere is laid back. We brought a picnic and some drinks and swam. There are picnic tables and restrooms and a shower available and a restaurant (can't comment on the restaurant because we did not go). It was not crowded (we were there on a weekday afternoon) and it was just right for my 6 year old grandaughter and I.

Colonial Beach has been a summer oasis for people living in the D.C. area since the late 1800s and it's a beautiful little town. This is the second longest beach in VA - and there is plenty of shade for those who don't want to sit in the sun, but plenty of sandy sunny beach for those who do. There are no lifeguards, but you can swim in the river, kayak, or fish. Check out the events on the Colonial Beach website. This is an old fashioned small town with lots of parades and other happenings. There is an active art community. Every second Friday of the month there is an art walk - year round. Start at Jarrett Thor Gallery at Taylor and Hawthorn Sts., at the Pottery By Hand on Hawthorn or at Visions By Shirl on Hawthorn. They will head you to other art locations. Drive around the water by going down Irving St. and then following the water around Monroe Bay. DO NOT come on July 4 and expect that this little town can handle crowds and provide you with every necessity. Come any other weekend - and plan to stay for awhile!

I've never swam in the Potomac River; Colonial Beach was a good place to try it for the first time. Colonial Beach is a small, quaint town with several restaurants. The beach is nice with four trees along the concrete boardwalk. I just wish the people who visit would clean up after themselves better. The town provides bathrooms and outdoor showers along Wilder Street. No lifeguards, no fees.

For the past 3 years now we have spent our 4th of July at Colonial Beach, Va. Just for the day then ending with Fireworks and our usual trip home. This year was a disaster. Usually there are 2 parking lots that you can park in up by the beach. This year One lot was being used for River Boat cruises only. Which left the one public parking lot closed due to being packed already. Costing usually $10.00 to park. We set off to find a place to park. Finally lucking out and getting a place farther down the beach on the street with meter parking. Great spot, a jetty area of the beach. Nice with many families around. Fireworks only lasted maybe 7 minutes. Then the run to the cars to get out of there. From where we were parked they wound us through neighborhoods. We were in a sitting position for over an hour. It took us 3 hours to get out of colonial beach. They emptied the paying parking lots first making the rest of us sit. The least they could have done was provide porta potties along the neighborhood route so we could relieve ourselves. I was disappointed the fireworks and parking getting out of there has never been like it was this year,2013. We saw personnel standing around talking instead of directing traffic. Some personnel flashlights for directing traffic were burned out leaving drivers not knowing if they were to follow where they were telling them to go or not. some personnel were not even in a uniform of any type. Even the Residents were having problems getting around in their golf carts because of the way the traffic was being routed. Suggestion would be to visit Colonial Beach during an off time. Holidays are too busy and They cant handle the crowds.

We took a day trip to Colonial Beach, intrigued by the idea of a beach that did not involve a drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge! This town is quite a little gem. Primarily residential, Colonial Beach does have a number of restaurants and shops, but the main attraction is the beach-- long stretches with sudden coves outlined at times by tall beach grasses, private docks stretching out into the water, and gulls who have taken up residence atop telephone poles and pier pilings. Parking is metered, and literally steps from the beach. However it is limited and residents and shop owners are serious about protecting their parking spaces. We lucked out and found a space that still had a little over an hour on the meter -- more than enough time to walk along the eastern shore and explore the western side as well. There is also free parking where you can find it on many side streets. Like many beach towns, Colonial Beach has an eclectic mix of architectural styles ranging from 1950s style bungalows to Victorians and many yards and porches sport an array of beachy kitsch. Though the temps were in the 90s and it was fourth of July weekend, the beaches were not overcrowded. Families bring tents and umbrellas and coolers filled with food and drink. There are some lovely shade trees up near the street, but if you go, it's best to bring your own shade. This beach has the feel of what beaches must have been like in earlier, simpler times. There is no boardwalk lined with shops selling everything from fries to beach wear. There is no amusement park although there are amusements. Mostly it's just quiet, with families and couples enjoying the sun, sand, and water. Really lovely. We checked out the accommodations and determined that for us, an overnight stay would not be a choice we'd make. I think if we had young kids we might stay over. But it's an easy ride back to Northern Virginia and we managed to do everything we wanted to in a one-day trip.

Colonial Beach was a wonderful experience! We enjoyed the cove like beaches, the paddle boats, and canoe. It was good to be able to play in the water, grill off to the side, and just lay back on the sand.

We were visiting the Northern Neck of Virginia for a few days and drove up to Colonial Beach for a day. It was a pleasant surprise because we had no idea that there where beaches on the Potomac River. This was a refreshing small town where you could park for free on the side streets near the pier, but there was metered parking on the street that runs by the beach.The free wooden Municipal pier juts out into the river, has some benches and is good for fishing and bird watching. There are a number of osprey nests around the pier and beach A tour of the area also lets you see some interesting old homes along the riverfront. A very pleasant way to spend a day.

Many go for fishing, jet ski, sun tanning, and walks on the beach. not too much for bathing. my three year old enjoyed playing in the water, I enjoyed watching people fishing. Locals travel in golf cart which is cool. The houses and marina is nice.

I'm a native to the area, I have seen the pier go through a lot of changes over the years.After Hurricane Isabel in 2003, the pier was in shambles. It has since been rebuilt. It is crooked for whatever reason, but it is a great place to fish 24/7. Bring the right bait and you're sure to catch dinner every night.If not a fisher, it's a nice walk on a pretty evening. :)