Kiptopeke State Park, Cape Charles, Virginia

View of the Chesapeake Bay with blue and green water — A view from one of the trails at Kiptopeke.

Kiptopeke State Park is the only state park on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. It’s located on the south end, just a few miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The park encompasses 562 acres and offers recreational access to the Chesapeake Bay. There are five miles of hiking and biking trails, a boat ramp, swimming and picnic areas, a raptor observation tower and a playground.

Dogs are allowed on the beach, away from the main swimming areas. During our early July visit, we walked or biked every mile of the trails, which take you to spectacular views of the bay, through meadows and pine forests. We found ripe blackberries (deliciously sweet and warm from the sun), explored a native plant garden and saw rays feeding (or perhaps mating) near the shore.

Concrete Ships

A “ghost fleet” of concrete ships serves as a breakwater near Kiptopeke’s boat ramp and swimming areas. According to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, two dozen concrete ships were built in 1942 during a steel shortage brought on by World War II. All of the concrete ships served during the war; two participated in combat missions.

The nine of these ships that make up the breakwater served as training and transport vessels in the South Pacific.

Former Ferry Landing

Old rusty Tourinns Motor Lodge signe — The Tourinns Motor Court sign.

Kiptopeke is the site that once was the northern terminus of the ferry that connected Virginia Beach (formerly Princess Anne County) and the Eastern Shore. The ferry ran for decades until the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel opened in 1964.

Today a remnant of the ferry days still stands in the park – a Tourinns Motor Court sign that advertised lodging that once served ferry passengers.

Camping

Photo of a travel trailer and truck on site C5 — Site C5 at Kiptopeke State Park.

The park has 143 sites over six loops. Loop C has water, electric and sewer. Loops A and B have water and electric, with a few that have sewer hookups, likely set up for Campground Hosts. Most of sites on Loops A, B and C are open or partially shaded – just a few have good shade — and they’re pretty close together. There’s one bathhouse for all of these loops, and they get a lot of use.

Loops D, E, F and G have no hookups and intended for tents. They are all shaded. The camp host I spoke to, Dennis (He said, “Just think of Dennis the Menace and you won’t forget my name!”), told me that the water systems in these loops need repairs, so they will not be available for reservations for the near future, but if you already have a reservation, you’ll be able to stay.

There are also cabins, lodges, yurts and a bunkhouse if you need non-camping options.

Campground Details

Campground Name: Kiptopeke State Park
Location: Cape Charles, VA
Campground type: Virginia State Park
Campground description: A, B and C loops accommodate RVs. Sites are on grass and close together. Many of the RV sites are in an open field with no shade. Some of the sites on the A and C loops have shade on one side.
Number of sites: 143
Hookups: All sites have 30 and 50 Amp Electric and water. Some sites have sewer hookups.
Connectivity: On T-Mobile, cell service was OK. We consistently got 2 bars of 5G in the campground.
Bathrooms: There’s one bathroom that services the A, B and C loops that has bathrooms and showers. On the holiday weekend we stayed, they got a lot of use and cleaning crews got behind. Campers also had to wait for showers. There is another bathhouse that serves the tent-only loops.
Campground amenities: Dump station.
Reservations: Visit https://reservevaparks.com to make a reservation. Virginia State Parks take reservations 11 months in advance.
Campground rating: 4 out of 5

Navigating the Bridges and Tunnels

Most visitors to Kiptopeke go via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. There’s a pricey toll – and pricier with a camper. The one-way toll is $24, and you’ll pay it each way.

If you are traveling from the Virginia Peninsula, you’ll likely go via I-64 and the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT). If you are towing a trailer with propane, you are required to stop at an inspection station before entering the tunnel to verify that your propane tanks are turned off.

During our trip out at the southbound HRBT inspection station, a pair of VDOT employees looked at the camper and took down some information on a clipboard (we assume it was our license plate number), then waved us through. On the return trip (northbound HRBT), the agent asked us to remove the cover for the tanks for inspection, (no clipboard) and then sent us on our way. The toll agent at the CBBT just asked us if our tanks were off – no inspections required.

Nearby

A flight of six wines in glasses — A flight of wine from Chatham Vineyards.

Chatham Vineyards at Church Creek, Machipongo. Chatham is located about 25 minutes from Kiptopeke. They have more than 20 acres of high-density French vinifera varietals. The winery offers flights and glasses of reds (cab franc, merlot and Vintner’s blend), whites (chardonnay – oaked and steel) and a rose. We visit often (we are members of the Chatham wine club) and have enjoyed all vintages. Sit outside under a tree (or next to a fire during the colder months) and enjoy views of the vines. Light fare is also offered.

Vic enjoying a glass of the Buoy 36A Irish Red Ale at Cape Charles Brewing Company.

Cape Charles Brewing Company, Cape Charles. The brewery is less than 15 minutes from the campground. It offers “Craft Brews & Tasty Eats with an Eastern Shore Twist.” They brew about a dozen different types of beer and offer pub-style snacks and a full food menu. I enjoyed the “Heff’n Fairytale,” a Bavarian style Hefeweizen and Vic had the “Buoy 36A Irish Red Ale,” and paired our drinks a soft pretzel served with beer cheese. If you’re not into beer, you can also purchase glasses or bottles of Chatham wines. There are lots of seating options inside and out. Our favorite is outside, under the trees.