Best Glamping near Knotts Island, NC

Our family stayed at site 99 which is close to the bathhouse and camp host. It is also on one of the small roads that leads to a boardwalk to the beach. Thete are 4 boardwalks to the beach over the dunes so keep that in mind when booking your site. This is a pretty big campground and thereare many trees which are dense and it keeps a lot of the campsites private even though they may be close to each other. Some areas are more open with less privacy. The bathhouses are clean but not climate controlled in the summer so be ready for heat and humidity after showering. The staff, camp hosts, and rangers were allvery helpful. The campground is situated on the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach. We loved the beach here because we have six small grandkids and they could play in thewater without the worry of large waves and heavy tides. The park also has many awesome trails that you can walk or bike. Also, dogs are totally allowed on the beach as long as they are on a leash during any time of the day or night. There are no lifeguards on duty. There are many tent sites and e/w hook up sites. It definitely seemed to be tent heavy while we were there this time. We loved our stay here and have already booked a time to go back in April.

This is a small family oriented campground close to Sandbridge beach. They are located on a small waterway that leads to Back Bay. Good fishing and wonderful area to kayak or paddle board. You can even bring a boat. The bathhouse is clean, climate controlled , and never too busy. There’s a game room for relaxing or playing air hockey, pool, and fussball. The owners have corn hole available as well. There’s a small swimming pool in case you want to take a dip although due to excessive rain the week before our trip it was closed for cleanup. There’s a basketball court and small playground. This is a low lying area and standing water at some sites after heavy rains can be an issue. There are a few cabins to rent, pop ups and a bunkhouse camper as well as full and water/elec. hookup RV sites, waterfront sites and tent sites. We’ve stayed here several times and the owners and employees are always very welcoming and accommodating. Pets are allowed on leash and our dogs love it!

Sites: 11 primitive tent sites 2 of which are group sites 

4 tent cabins that sit right on the edge of the lake

 The individual campsites are FCFS and you must park and hike in. It is a short hike along the lake and placed a short distance from the trail so hikers will not be hiking through the sites. You have a sand bottom tent site, picnic table, fire ring/grill and trash. This is a beautiful 456 acre education and wildlife facility. Born from garbage dumps and it is great example of what can be achieved. This really is a great site.  There is an amazing nature center that overlooks Sandy Bottom Lake. Hiking, and biking trails, fishing, boating with boat rentals or bring your own, birding and wildlife viewing. 757-825-4657 

LNT

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This was our first time staying in a yurt at Kiptopeake State Park. We love staying in the yurts at Virginia State Parks because they are always an affordable, easy way to camping without having to set up a tent or spend the extra money for a cabin. The ones at here are $75/night. This one was awesome! It is hidden down a long walkway from the parking area and is very secluded. The one we stayed in, Yurt 4, only has neighbors on one side. It comes with two picnic tables, a water spigot, fire pit, grill, a big deck around the yurt with rocking chairs, and a refreshing breeze coming off the bay. Unfortunately, the way the yurt is situated, none of that breeze gets inside the yurt and it was very hot inside. Especially if staying here in the summer, I would suggest bringing some fans or a portable a/c for a more comfortable nights sleep. The bathrooms are farther away than I would like with little kids. You have to walk through to the tent campground loop to get to them. Even with a couple negative things about it, I think this is the way to stay here at Kiptopeake and I am already planning our next yurt trip here for next year!

Love this park so much! The beach is amazing. This time we discovered the dog-friendly beach, which was less crowded than the main one. I always like to go out and watch the sunset over the bay, it is magical!

The park is centrally located with easy highway access.  Plentiful parking, lots of trails to choose from.  The staff was top notch and super kind and helpful.  They were very insistent about the "no alcohol" rule.    

Sites are first come, first served.  Must reserve in person.  Visitor's center is open 9-6.  

The sites were located about 1/4 mile from the parking lot down a trail.  They were spaced nicely apart and had nice sand tent platforms with a picnic table and a fire ring with a grate.  Trash cans were very close by, which was super nice.  The bathrooms were flush toilets and running water faucets and located behind the parking lot, so a bit of a hike in the dark if you need to go.  Other than that, expect no amenities.  Bugs weren't terrible but were present.  Definitely bring bug spray.  

The biggest negative was that no matter where you were in the park, there was significant noise from the highway.  Horns honking, sirens blaring, the general rush of cars going by.  There is no sound barrier between 64 and the park so every noise just filters right through the trees.  Not anyone's fault, but definitely a downside.  

Overall when you consider the dirt cheap price of 10.60 per night, this campground delivers as advertised.

Kiptopeke is absolutely beautiful. Situated along the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore, campers can participate in tons of water fun. There is a boat launch (with tons of parking), a swimming beach, a huge (24-hour) lighted fishing pier, kayak, paddle board and bicycle rentals, a camp store stocked with a little bit of everything, designated campsites for RVs and tents, clean bathhouses with laundry facilities, and miles of beautifully-maintained (easy-to-walk) hiking trails. In addition to campsites, they have one yurt (with electric), four brand new cabins, and several six-bedroom lodges. The concrete ships are an interesting piece of history, and if you look closely along the road leading to the boat launch, you might even see the old motel marquis that used to welcome weary ferry travelers to one of the only motels along their journey.