Kiptopeke State Park

The Eastern Shore of Virginia fascinates me. I'm not sure how the entire peninsula doesn't belong to the state of Maryland, but I'm glad this special place is part of the commonwealth. And I'm thankful Kiptopeke joined our park system. What a unique place, with intriguing history, spectacular coastal woodlands, lovely Chesapeake Bay shoreline, and glowing sunsets.

Just reaching Kiptopeke State Park is an adventure itself, as you cross the 17-mile-long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. (Be aware of the steep toll.) Adding to that feat, we discovered two nearly flat tires on our travel trailer upon arriving at the park. Eastern Shore Repair Services saved the day by replacing the leaking valves on all four tires! And we were very grateful that we did not have a blowout on the bridge-tunnel.  

Kiptopeke was once the northern terminus of the Norfolk to Eastern Shore Ferry that ran from 1950 until 1964 when the bridge-tunnel opened. During the time of the ferry, nine of the 24 concrete WWII ships were partially sunk in a row as a breakwater. I highly recommend reading the history of these ships at the visitor center. Another neat piece of history can be found tucked in the woods near the playground and hawk observatory area: A vintage motel sign—the remnants of a bygone era. A must see! 

Joseph and the kids had already visited this park back in 2019 with a group of dads and kids from church. So, I knew that with the tight campsites and lack of trees, this would probably not be my favorite camping spot. However, I was pleasantly surprised! I loved our campsite, and I loved this beautiful park! The weather was absolutely perfect (especially for Labor Day weekend), and we hiked, kayaked, played games, relaxed, and had a blast. 

Tips:

• There are gnats. Bring bug spray and citronella candles. A box fan kept them out of our faces while we ate. The times the wind picked up, we didn't notice them.

• Bring your own equipment if you want to get out on the water. They are currently not able to rent kayaks.

• If you want to kayak out to the concrete fleet (which you should!), plan to go early in the morning or in the evening at sunset when the water is calm and smooth. We chose the middle of the day and felt like we were out in the middle of an ocean during a storm. (It was actually a little scary.)

Fast Facts (and Opinions)

Location: Kiptopeke State Park, Cape Charles, VA

Equipment: Travel Trailer

Date: Labor Day Weekend 2025

Weather: Chilly in the morning and evenings, sunny, windy, very pleasant weather

Kid-Friendly: Yes (ours were ages 13 and 11)

Dog-Friendly: Yes (we have a large dog and a small dog) - dogs are not allowed in any of the buildings and only one of the two beaches is dog-friendly

Site: A-40

• End site with open area and walking path on one side

• Back-in with trees at the back

• Dirt/no borders or marked tent pads

• Electric/water hookups (not a sewer site like some are here)

• Nice and shaded with several good hammock trees

• Enough room for 2 vehicles

• Not within sight of bathhouse but not too far away

Bathhouse:

• Two bathhouses in campground (one is in primitive tent-only area)

• Older - could use an update

• Men's and women's sides with several toilet stalls and 4 showers with curtains

• Laundry area

Cell Service: Yes (Verizon) but kind of spotty

Park Highlights:

Click here to watch highlight reel.

• Chesapeake Bay (with pier fishing, kayaking, boating, swimming beaches, boat ramp)

• Hiking and biking trails 

• Two beach areas with unguarded swimming, concessions at the nearby camp store

• Picnic areas, playground, and observation areas 

• Nice visitor center

• Concrete fleet and vintage Tourinns Motor Court sign

• The only deluxe yurt in Virginia's state park system (plus several regular yurts)

• Great cabins and lodges

Area Highlights:

• Closest grocery store is Food Lion, about 10 minutes away

• Chincoteague is about an hour and a half north and is a very charming place (visited for our anniversary one year)

Park Hikes:

• Campground to Raptor Trail to Songbird Loop and back -  3.3-mile out-and-back

• Flat, dirt, sand trails

• Mostly shaded

• 10 feet elevation gain

• Easy

• Campground to Baywoods Trail to Brown Pelican Trail and back with Peregrine Boardwalk spur - 2.25-mile out-and-back

  • Nice boardwalks, stairs, and dirt trails

  • Mostly shaded

  • Several stunning water views

  • 50 feet elevation gain 

  • Easy

Area Hikes:

• None that we explored

Other Campsites:

• Our site was our favorite site out of all of them, even the sites with sewer hookups

• Site B-35 looked awesome with lots of privacy and space; however, the system states that it allows equipment up to 20 feet, so ours is a little too long

Things to Do Next Visit (Because There's Just Never Enough Time!):

• Bring fishing gear

• Bring bikes or rent bikes from camp store

• Kayak during sunset

• Hike the 1 or 2 trails we missed

• Join a ranger-led activity

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