Island Drive (Jamestown Island Loop)

A one-way loop road through the wild half of Jamestown Island, laid out by the National Park Service in the 1950s and almost entirely undeveloped since. Two loops share a start: a shorter three-mile circuit and a five-mile version that runs to the far end of the island.

The point is what the settlers actually faced. The road threads through tidal marsh, loblolly pine and cypress swamp, crossing causeways where the water sits level with the tarmac on both sides — the mosquito-ridden, brackish, unfarmable ground that killed most of the first colonists within a year. Interpretive pull-offs mark where later brick kilns, pottery works and glasshouses stood, and murals at several stops reconstruct 17th-century industry. Wildlife is the other draw: deer, bald eagles, ospreys, herons, turtles and, genuinely, the occasional bear or snake crossing the road.

Practical: access is through the Historic Jamestowne entrance, so it needs the same ticket. Speed limit is low and enforced, and the loop takes 20 to 40 minutes with stops. Cyclists share the road. Best early or late for light and animals; the marsh is thick with insects in summer, so bring repellent if you plan to leave the car.