Best Tent Camping near Chester, VA

Beautiful area with views of the York River. Tons of cabins and house rentals along with RV and tent camping sights. It is located on a military base so access is limited to those with base access. The base is more of an industrial area with lots of traffic but some of the cabins sit back on the water so noise is not an issue.

We have been here a couple of times.  Love the fact that they just let you choose your area.  They have two tent sites that have power the rest are premiative.  The bath house is always clean.  The staff is always nice, they do whatever it takes to keep you happy.  The little store has a good variety of things that are priced pretty good.  This is our go to for local camping.

Tent sites are shady, although some can be VERY close to one another. There’s a nice beach area and the park seems to offer boat rentals (unsure of COVID policies at the moment, though). 🛶

The playgrounds and amenities for kids are cute, and the bathrooms are clean. The park sells wood and has a little mini outdoor library and charging station which is adorable and something I don’t see often 💜

We ended up staying here because everything else was booked and we needed a place to stay for the kiddos soccer tournament. The sites are close but not on top of each other. We have an RV but there are cabins and tent sites. There are paved and dirt roads/trails, a pond, shower areas and is right on the water. They also have a light game by the showers that the kids loved. We’ll be back!

Bear Creek Lake is a bit off the beaten path which was one of the things I really loved about it. My kids and I camped in a tent on the Chestnut Loop, which was well shaded by trees and the bathrooms were incredibly clean. The sites are a little close to each other for my taste, but everything else was so nice I didn't let it bother me.

The lake itself is smallish, but the scenery is beautiful. We rented kayaks and the staff were all very nice and helpful. There is a small beach area for swimming, but I'm not a fan of swimming in lakes myself so I skipped visiting that area. Instead we hiked the very scenic trails around the lake, which are well marked for the most part.

In all, this was a very nice park to visit for camping, hiking and kayaking. I imagine I'll be returning again in the future.

Love this park. Lots of biting flies and mosquitoes during the summer! The left loop sites are a good size but not much shade or privacy. I would definitely stay in the right loop area next time for tent camping. Newer bathrooms and showers. Pretty basic camping setup with fire ring and picnic table. 

We love the pool in the summer! Free pool passes when you camp there. It has never been too crowded for us. The plantation area is pretty cool with a farming equipment museum and  farm animals. Great playgrounds for the kids. Love the hiking trails here and hunting for fossils at the beach. 

Overall, not a bad experience, just bring your bug spray and sunscreen!

This is a really nice campground. They have on-site bathrooms/showers as well as laundry. It's mostly RV spots but they also allow tent camping and have a couple cabins available for rent. They have a dog park area, playground and pool. The store has items for purchase and a gathering room. They do potlucks and get togethers often for the campers. The staff is very friendly and super helpful. You can purchase firewood and propane on-site. Each spot has a concrete padded area with a picnic table and fire pit. It is a little ways out of town in any direction bit it's very nice and quiet out here as you're surrounded by woods. They also have a fishing pond and trails on-site. This really is one of the best campgrounds I've ever been to! Definitely recommend.

Stopped off at this campground after finding it while passing though just before Labor Day weekend. While it was the last weekend for the pool before its closure and while they were in the process of working on some of the plumbing at the campground, it was a well put together campground which was very impressive.

Located somewhat remotely from the larger community and near several places of interest along the road, this camp was a great stop for a tent camper like myself. They offer a basic tent site for $26 with nice bath houses. For full connections the price does rise slightly offering both both 20/30 amp and 50 amp connections for RVs.

The roads around the camp are gravel and a little bumpy but the sites themselves were pretty level and grassy for tents which was pretty nice. Sites are located far enough off the road that road noise is minimal.

I did also notice they have cabin rentals available and a pretty nice little store with lots of options for those who didn't bring everything with them.

This state park is amazing, it is close to the Richmond metro but allows an easy and wonderful retreat to nature. I was there in early June, and it wasnt crowded, though I can imagine it might be later in the summer. There are numerous camping options here, ranging from tent camping to RV’s to camper cabins to yurts, to regular full service glamping cabins, all in different sections. There is also an area set aside that could be rented for a group retreat or group summer camp, with groups of cabins around meeting space and dining hall area. The full service cabins are new and very upscale; the camper cabins are older but well maintained. The yurts are lovely too. I car camped in a standard site, all the campsites are wooded, shady, fairly private and well spaced. The park is huge and has lots of recreation, from miles of hiking and riding trails, biking and more. Very family friendly, with playgrounds, an incredible waterpark and pool, and nature programs at the visitor center. There is also a summer series of concerts etc in the park. Highly recommended!

So much to say! We’ve loved our trips to Pocahontas, even in the cold months of December and March. For one, the bathrooms/showers are nice and toasty (and super clean). I was there in December for a camping and mountain biking trip with Scouts. The group site we were at was very spacious and private. There were a few RV/tent sites nearby but not very close. We felt quite secluded but it wasn’t too far to walk to the bathrooms. The bike trails were epic fun! Some areas were more challenging than others, likely because there had been a lot of rain and wet leaves on steep bike trails can be tough to avoid slipping/sliding. But we made the best of it. I returned a few months later for a NOLS Wilderness First Aid course that was held in a large dining hall on the park’s property. It couldn’t have been more perfect! We camped there and drove to the dining hall each day for class. It was very well-organized! I have fond memories of this park and look forward to returning during other times of the year for more fun things to participate in!

This campground is family and dog friendly and close to Williamsburg tourist destinations.  It has multiple sites for rvs, tents, camping cabins, yurts, and nicer more fully equipped cabins with bathrooms.  They even have a fantastic dog bath and holding kennel in case you have more than one dog.  They have a pool with a sprayground and a grassy area with ping pong and corn hole.  Plus, they always have activities for the kids.  Love this place and can't wait to go back.

Chippokes is a gem! Quaint park with a variety of activities. You can tour the mansion on the property along with some other historical sites, or just take a stroll along the shoreline of the gorgeous, sprawling James River. My son, furbaby, and I camped in their RV/tent site with easy access to their bathrooms which were spotless (and maintained multiple times a day) and warm! We bought firewood (there is a drop where you can just deposit money and grab a bundle) next to the bathrooms along with a locked ice bin so you can buy ice from the campground host. Everything we saw was well-maintained. We navigated our way to a mile-hike to the river so we could fish off a kayak dock. I was surprised when we arrived that they don’t rent kayaks (though it appears they have the capability to, perhaps they only do it for special occasions or times of year). All the staff we encountered were super friendly and helpful. You can even buy ice cream at the visitors center! This was a big plus for my son. We’ll definitely be returning!

This is an amazing recreational campground for military families and retirees that is located right on the York River between Williamsburg and Yorktown. It is immediately adjacent to the Colonial Parkway for easy access to historic Jamestown as well, making for a great base for exploring the historic sites and state and national parks of the area. There are several Navy Bases in the area, so this is an easy retreat for active duty folks, but also open to uniformed service personnel or retirees and families from all over the country.

The campground is multi-faceted. There is everything for everyone—camper cabins (some dog friendly and some handicapped accessible) as well as an RV park with hookups as needed, and also standard tent sites as well as primitive tent cents. The various camping areas surround a central recreational area that includes golf course, playground and swimming pool, but there are also wooded hiking trails, two lakes with rowboats and kayaks and fishing, as well as shoreline and piers on the York River itself. The RV campground has a nice central bath house with showers snd toilets as well as laundry facilities. There is a small convenience store as well as a cafe if needed, but you are so close to Williamsburg and its myriad cafes and shops that you have amazing options! We have stayed here several times now, in fall and spring, and it was a great home base for exploring the whole “historic triangle

For 6 nights in late August 2018, my boyfriend and I stayed at a tent campsite with our 4 girls, ages 10-16. We needed a budget friendly option and shopped online to compare reviews. We had 3 day passes to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg and Water Country USA, so we needed to be within a short drive from the parks. Chickahominy Riverfront Park was the answer to our prayers! We had a beautiful spot along the river, so two of the girls spent every moment at the camp swimming and talking girl talk. The campsites were spacious and we had no immediate neighbors, so we spread out. The park rangers drove by every few hours and seemed very friendly and helpful, not invasive. They never complained about my boyfriend's car parked a campsite over, or about our game tent that was completely in the next site.

One secret goal was to experiment with different campfire food. We may campfire chili, biscuits and gravy, layered nachos, bacon egg and cheese English muffins, and omelettes. We also had the traditional s'mores and hotdogs, (covered in campfire chili!)

I was prepared for the passing thunderstorms. We picked up tarps and ropes and strung them up over our cooking area and the entrance to our tents. Most of the time, we were not at the campsite during the rain, but it did help while the trees drained afterwards. We were camping next to the "Jones's," so we got touches of tent envy, but then laughed to ourselves when it took them all morning to pack up thier Castle and small village.

The swimming pool was incredibly large and CLEAN!!! I was surprised! It felt very refreshing and even had a adult swim time and attentive life guards.

The bathrooms and showers were good enough, typical camp showers. Bring your own soap and wear flip flops and you'll be fine. There's a utility sink outside the bathhouse to scrub things off as well. We didn't see the dumpster the first couple days, it is across the street from the bathhouse. Use it whenever you leave or sleep, or all the beautiful wild animals will snack on it! We saw a fat raccoon, daring squirrels, a turtle, and vultures. There are gorgeous, HARMLESS, garden spiders that are shockingly large and bright yellow. My boyfriend also saw a harmless black snake on a trail.

This campground caters to fishermen. The camp store has very limited food. They do have fishing gear and ice.

I do have one regret. I opted to leave the bikes at home, not knowing this campground also caters to people riding the Virginia Creeper bike trail!!! it went for miles and was beautiful!!! Next time!

We camp a lot, and loved this gem. Check it out!

Part of the VA State Park system, BCL is exceptionally well-maintained. Most of the site are RV accessible, but there are a few tent-only sites along the lake, which is where we stayed. These sites are absolutely beautiful--great lake views, and while the only swimming allowed is at the roped off beach area, there is a canoe launch and fishing opportunities right at the campsites.

The tent pads are filled with shredded tires instead of gravel or dirt, which provides a little extra cushion, but can be uncomfortable on bare feet.

All sites have fire rings, lantern hooks, and extra long picnic tables. Tent pads are of varying sizes--we stayed in site A12 and our 6 person tent fit easily, and we could have fit a second one-many of our camp neighbors had 10 person tents set up.

The water view loop was not heavily trafficked, though the water does provide a hazard if you have small children as it is not roped off in any way. Our kids loved having the water right there and we loved watching them, it just requires extra vigilance. Loops B and C have more sites that are very shady but closer together, and there is more vehicle and bicycle traffic going past campsites.

Bathrooms are clean, and have showers and electrical outlets to charge devices if needed.

The park has lots of hiking, including trails that go directly from the camp sites to the swimming area, boat/canoe rentals, cabins, fishing, and a lakeside diner that sells concessions. Campsites allegedly have Wifi though we did not test this to see how reliable it is.

Cumberland County is only at 455' elevation, so the heat and humidity in the summer is intense--we were very uncomfortable our first night because of this, so fall would probably be the best time to go as it is when central Virginia has the best weather.

This is the largest state campground in VA. It is very pretty and clean. Nice facilities modern but not new, clean. Lots of tents and good level tent areas at each camp site. You have a little bit of room and the sites are tucked back in the trees. It was a quite night, I slept right through. North Star Truck Camper GMC 2500HD. One more in my quest for 1state park in every state, 4/50!

I gave this campground a 3 out of 5, mostly because it wasn't very memorable. I had a good time there with my family, but there wasn't anything that really stood out to me.

Also, I really love to hike and get out into nature when I camp. Powhatan, Virginia isn't the best place for that compared to all of the amazing wilderness you can find in other parts of Virginia.

The sites were a little close together for my liking, but they were still very nice.

The staff was very helpful and friendly.