Virginia Beach Turns 640,000-Ton Landfill Into 165-Acre Mount Trashmore Park
Virginia Beach reshaped a massive 640,000-ton landfill into a 60-foot hill that now anchors a 165-acre public park featuring lakes, trails and playgrounds.
Facing a mounting waste problem in the early 1970s, Virginia Beach compacted roughly 640,000 tons of garbage into a 60-foot artificial hill and capped it with soil, birthing Mount Trashmore. Launched in 1973, the transformation turned the former landfill into a 165-acre park that now hosts two lakes—Lake Trashmore, a freshwater body, and Lake Windsor, a brackish lake linked to Thalia Creek—along with extensive trails and a 26,000-square-foot inclusive playground.
A smaller rise called Encore one outlet adds variety to the terrain, while a water-wise xeriscape garden reduces irrigation needs. Visitors can fish, kayak, skate, BMX ride, or simply picnic amid grass-covered slopes, largely unaware of the site's waste-disposal origins. The project is cited as the nation’s first landfill park, illustrating how reclaimed land can serve community recreation and environmental goals. Today, Mount Trashmore remains a beloved local destination, showcasing the potential of repurposing former dump sites.
Why it matters
It shows how cities can turn waste sites into valuable community and environmental assets.
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