Virginia Adventure Travel - Eastern Shore Camping

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Adventure Advisor
Eastern Shore Camping

By Tim Neville


	Kiptopeke State Park on Virginia's Eastern Shore, (Photo by Keith Lanpher/Virginia Tourism Corporation)

Do you have any recommendations for serene camping spots in the Virginia Beach, Virginia, area?

— Lyndi, Williamsport, PA

Adventure Advisor:

Virginia Beach proper isn't the best spot for camping as there are something like half a million people in the city alone with another million living in the greater Hampton Roads area: not a lot of wriggle room for anything really "serene." But fortunately the metropolitan glaze of asphalt, boardwalks, and condominiums stops at the warm waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic, which box in much of the buildings, leaving ample expanses of cordgrass, dunes, and lonely beaches to explore.

One of my favorite places to explore is the Eastern Shore of Virginia, just across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on a sliver of the state that dangles south of Maryland. The shore is only 18 miles from the hustle of the city, but it's worlds apart, with rural farmlands, fecund wetlands, and fantastic beaches. If you really want serene and are willing to spill some sweat to earn it, camp out on Mockhorn Island, located between Magothy Bay and the Atlantic. There are no roads to or on Mockhorn, so you'll have to either hire a boat captain to take you out there from Oyster, a small fishing village about three miles away on the mainland, or rent a sea kayak and paddle out there yourself: highly recommended. Once on the island you can hike to an old World War II submarine watchtower or paddle along canals to a lodge and farm that has since been reclaimed by storms and tumultuous seas. Other islands like Wreck, Ship Shoal, and Cobb are worth exploring, too, but you can't camp there. The owners of Southeast Expeditions have excellent kayaks for rent and can give you more information on how to get out to the island (www.sekayak.com; 877-225-2925).

If that's a little more than you're looking for, a more relaxed option would involve a visit to Kiptopeke State Park, at the southernmost tip of the shore. There you'll find good camping facilities, including a yurt overlooking the Chesapeake that sleeps six. The park's sandy, 50-foot-high cliffs spill into the warm Chesapeake, and climbing up for a view at sunset is a must. To make your beach experience truly great, try parking yourself on the deck at the Sunset Beach Resort to suck down a dozen oysters on the half shell. Book the yurt early for summer stays (www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/kiptopek.htm#General; 757-331-2267, $89 a night, two-night minimum).

On the Virginia Beach side of the bay, you'd do well to explore False Cape State Park down on the North Carolina line. There is no vehicle access into the park and the camping sites here are primitive and limited—12 sites in all, so you're practically guaranteed that serenity. You'll have to either hike about six to eight miles through Back Bay Wildlife refuge along a beach trail or take a boat to get to your sites. Either way, you'll have plenty of time once you're set up to play in the surf, look for wild horses, and stroll along the beach. (757-426-7128; www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/falscape.htm#Map).

Planning a trip of your own? [ask the AA]