Cumberland Marsh Natural Area Preserve

Cumberland Marsh Natural Area Preserve is a protected wetland along the Pamunkey River in southern Virginia. The site covers 1,095 acres of freshwater tidal marsh where waterbirds, fish, and plants thrive in the natural habitat.

The Nature Conservancy bought this land in 1993 to protect its natural habitats and keep the ecosystem stable. This purchase was important for preserving the Pamunkey River region for the future.

The preserve serves as a place where visitors learn about how wetlands work and watch animals in their natural home. Interpretive signs along the paths help people understand what they are seeing.

The preserve is open from dawn to dusk with a 4-mile loop trail for walking through the marsh. A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk with viewing platforms gives good spots to see birds and wildlife without walking the full trail.

The preserve holds the largest population of sensitive joint-vetch, a threatened plant species protected by federal law. This rare plant thrives here in conditions found nowhere else nearby.