Newport News has more than 9,200 acres of parkland throughout the City. At 8,330 acres, Newport News Park is the largest municipal park east of the Mississippi River. The Park contains picnic facilities, a campground, two golf courses, an archery range, boat rentals, biking/hiking trails and an aeromodel flying field.

Besides Newport News Park, there are four other major parks. Deer Park, located in mid-City near the Oyster Point business park, borders the Virginia Living Museum and contains ball fields, a picnic area and playground, and freshwater fishing. Huntington Park, located near the James River Bridge, contains a public beach along the James River, baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic areas, the Fort Fun playground and the Virginia War Museum, as well as fishing from the James River pier.

King-Lincoln Park, located on Hampton Roads harbor, has a beach, picnic shelters, a playground, basketball and tennis courts and salt-water fishing. Riverview Farm Park, in the Menchville area of the City, contains soccer fields, a hiking trail that leads to an estuary along the Warwick River, a gymnastics center and the Fantasy Farm playground.

There are also fifteen neighborhood parks and three mini-parks. Two of these parks have boat ramps, two have facilities for salt-water fishing and one provides fresh water fishing.

A unique feature in Newport News is the existence of a "private" park, the Mariners’ Museum Park that is, nevertheless, open to the public. This 646-acre park contains softball fields, the Noland Trail, fishing and boating on Lake Maury and picnicking. More information about the Newport News park system is available at the City’s website.