
You’ll be amazed at what you can find in and around Sandbridge Beach, VA – from seashells of all shapes and sizes to flora and fauna galore.
Why not organize a family scavenger hunt to see what you can discover? Each family member can create a list of specific things to look for – one list for Sandbridge Beach itself, another for Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and a third for Little Island Fishing Pier.
Top 7 Photo Ops at Sandbridge Beach

The Ocean
The ocean at Sandbridge Beach changes with every passing hour. From high tide to low tide, calm seas to stormy waves, sunrise, and sunset, capturing the natural majesty of the ocean is a powerful way to preserve your vacation memories.
Take a beach walk and capture close-up shots of seashells, sand castles, dunes, and vegetation. If you have a DSLR camera, turn your setting to “micro” to get the best details. If you’re using a camera phone, zoom in so that smaller objects fill the whole frame.
Beach Dogs
Sandbridge Beach is dog friendly, and nobody has more fun playing on the beach than our furry friends. Keep your camera ready so you can capture those wet, goofy smiles as these playful pups dash by.
Back Bay Wildlife Refuge
There’s no end to the photo opportunities at Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. This 8,000-acre barrier island is home to hundreds of species of birds, including flocks of Tundra Swans and rare ducks. On the ocean side, keep a lookout for turtle nests, diving seabirds, and dolphins. In the wetlands and forests, stay camera ready for deer, bobcats, hawks, and colorful songbirds.
Little Island Park & Pier
Little Island Park is a 122-acre beach park just north of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The 400-foot long fishing pier provides spectacular opportunities to photograph crabs, fish, diving pelicans, the sparkle off the water, sunrises, sunsets, and even passing dolphins breaching the waves.
Lotus Garden Park
Lotus Garden Park is just north of Little Island Park on Sandbridge Road. This park has a lovely pond that is full of blooming lotus flowers. Lotus Garden Park is a haven for colorful water birds, frogs, butterflies, and other animals and exotic insects. For the best pictures here, go slowly and observe the water and flowers carefully.
False Cape State Park
Between Back Bay and the ocean, you’ll find False Cape State Park, an undeveloped slice of heaven. This historic site has 6 miles of pristine beach and hiking trails that pass by photo-worthy locations such as an old church site with a cemetery, the Coast Guard Life Saving Station, and the remnants of the Wash Woods community settlement.
You can hike or ride bikes around the park, but you can also take a tram ride that leaves from Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. If you’re short on time, the tram is an excellent way to make a round trip through the park and see the highlights. The park is open from dusk until dawn each day for visitors. You’ll want to bring plenty of sunscreen and bug spray.
Family & Friends
Of course, the heart and soul of Sandbridge Beach are the people who come to share the joy of this special place. It’s easy to wind up a vacation with hundreds of scenic photos, but the best photos to help you remember your vacation feature you and your family or friends. Make a vacation resolution to take at least one group shot each day, commemorating your favorite moment or most dramatic discovery. If you’re traveling with your kids, remember how quickly time flies. Those photos you take of your children playing on the beach may just become your favorite memories years later when they’re grown.
Pro Tips
Whether you’re using your cell phone camera or a DSLR camera, a few quick tips can help you take better photos of your Sandbridge Beach vacation.
Lighting: The hour just after sunrise and just before sunset are known to photographers as “the golden hours.” During this time, sunlight is naturally diffused, giving everything a heavenly glow. Take photos of people (and things) when the sun isn’t directly behind them, so you don’t get a dark, backlit effect. Pictures come out better when the sunlight is indirect; the closer you are to noon the more washed out your photos will be.
Composition: Frame your photos with the subject either directly in the middle of the frame or filling up two-thirds of the frame. If you’re taking pictures of a trail or boardwalk, place the start of the path in the corner of the screen.
Quantity: If you’re using a digital camera, the best way to get a fantastic photo is to take lots of pictures and edit down to your favorites later.
With its pristine beaches, protected parks and refuges, and breathtaking scenery, Sandbridge Beach is a photographer’s dream. Take plenty of pictures, seek out off-the-beaten-path gems, and capture your favorite moments and discoveries each day to enrich your memories later.
Morning Fishing – Memory Monday 1/29/18

Temperatures are pleasant today, and we understand that fish don’t really mind it when it rains.
That brings us to today’s Memory Monday photo submission that was sent to us by Huilei Zhang, of Detroit, Michigan who visited Sandbridge Blue this past fall and decided to give some surf fishing a try one early morning.
Nice cast!
Some folks don’t realize that Sandbridge has very good fishing available to visitors. While most do not do what Huilei is doing here in this photo (surf casting), and would rather head down to Little Island Fishing Pier, the fact is that some of the record catches in Virginia have taken place at Sandbridge.
The best time to go fishing, we hear, is right at sunrise like Huilei is pictured doing here, or you can take your chances at dusk. At either time fish fill their tummies before either a night time fast or a day full of activity.
The next time you are in Sandbridge you should rent a house from Sandbridge Blue and then give fishing a try just like Huilei did on his recent stay.
Thanks for sharing your photo memories. We look forward to serving you again soon.
All the best from the beach!
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