8 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area accommodates pets in its tranquil setting within Hampton city limits. Tent campers and RV owners appreciate the pet-friendly environment where dogs can accompany visitors throughout the park. Sandy Bottom Nature Park also welcomes pets on leashes throughout its 456-acre wildlife facility, offering primitive tent sites spaced nicely apart with sand bottom platforms. Both parks provide trash receptacles conveniently located near campsites, making cleanup after pets straightforward. The tent sites at Sandy Bottom require a short quarter-mile hike from parking, with pets welcome to join campers along the scenic lake trail. Sites can be reserved first-come, first-served with accessible picnic tables and fire rings at each location.
Trails at Sandy Bottom Nature Park provide excellent dog walking opportunities with multiple path options winding around the lake. Many visitors bring their pets to enjoy kayaking and boating activities, with rental options available at reasonable prices. The mature trees at Bethel Recreation Area create a peaceful camping atmosphere perfect for dogs needing shade during summer months. Pet owners should be prepared for highway noise at Sandy Bottom Park as there is no sound barrier between Interstate 64 and the park grounds. Gosnold's Hope Park offers additional pet-friendly campground options with water and electric hookups, though tent camping isn't permitted. Campers report clean bathroom facilities across all locations, with most sites featuring standard amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and access to flush toilets within walking distance.
"We live on the other side of Virginia, but have enjoyed returning to First Landing whenever we get the chance. We love the fact that we can visit the beach AND camp."
"20 miles of Trails!! Lots of trails to hike and mountain/hybrid bike. We were surprised at the quality and the number of trails available. We were never bored."
Available this weekend
from $32 - $147 / night
"Very pet friendly and they also made a beach side for pets to swim at. Wild animals usually pass by often later in the evening, horses, deer, rabbits etc; sites are nice and big."
"It has 2 beautiful beaches ‘ one that allows pets and the other does not . There are wooden boardwalk trails in the park and a few of them leads to different areas on the beach ."
Available this weekend
from $32 - $413 / night
"Lovely small campground located inside a National Park land. Full hookup sites are named after the original 13 colonies. Nicely situated between Williamsburg, Hampton, Norfolk and Virginia Beach."
"You are surrounded by water. The rate was 30 a night for a tent site. No water or electric. Which is very reasonable compared to other places I looked at. The store prices were reasonable."
from $25 - $59 / night
"They do have a heated indoor pool, laundry, numerous restrooms, and a great dog park. There is yard/tiki art and paintings around the park."
"We stayed for the weekend with our 4 kids and dog. There were lots of other pups there and tons of activities for the kids."
from $25 - $92 / night
"There are miles of trails around the lake and through the woods you can follow. It is extremely dog friendly with a fenced in dog park as well."
"Lots of hiking trails to walk & turtles in the lake!! Plus you can rent boats for a cheap price which we will probably go back to do. It was so pretty & so fun."
from $11 - $42 / night
"The Virginia Beach KOA is a nice place to stay. Plenty of things to do every day. This is a newly renovated KOA, and they added a lot of new sites. Also a new pool with a lazy River."
"Definitely plenty to do and a short Uber distance to the World Famous Virginia Beach."
"Nice dog park and dog beach."
"There are four fishing piers, miniature golf, basketball court, baseball diamond, five pools (including one that is adult only), a large dog park, and much, much more."
"757-888-3333 or 800-203-8322 Fees: $33.00-$50.00
24 hour security
Store, heated showers, toilets, picnic table, grills, dump station, electric and water hookups, laundry, playground, group sites Pets"
"The sites are quiet, very spacious, nicely spaced, some surprisingly so, but many are deceptively unlevel, particularly on the outside of the loops, and are heavily wooded."
"We were able to bring our dog and our canoe. Everything was very clean."
"There is a small playground in the campground area, but right next to the campground is a large play area that has a rock wall that our kids really loved playing at. "
from $15 - $30 / night
"Nice spots, a little close, no campfire rings, friendly staff, close to amenities, nice bathrooms."
from $32 / night
GuideThere are not a lot of spaces available but still a decent amount. They spread out amongst several roads leading down to the water. The trees surrounding are gorgeous. There is a shooting range nearby but we didn’t mind the sound.
TravelerDO NOT WAIST YOUR MONEY! THIS IS A SCAM!! Our 3 campsites flooded with 6 inches of water within an hour of arriving before high tide. Very difficult to get ahold of staff due to limited hours of business. I have requested a refund for failure to render services due to unusable campsites. I have left several voicemails and sent emails with attached pictures. Management has been avoiding my phone calls, will not call back. Very unprofessional. I received one call from"management" at 7:20 pm to tell me that he received a message to call me, but he hasn't looked into why he needs to call me and he will call back the next day. I never heard back from him and that was a week ago. I have followed up daily with phone calls without a return phone call. My family makes several camping trips through the year, will never return here.
TravelerGenerous sized sites but only semi-private. Excellent facilities
ScoutThis campground was very enjoyable. I spent a lot of time at the fishing pier, learning to ID birds I had never identified before. Brown pelicans were everywhere near the sunken ships. I also talked to the Hawkwatch people for a bit.
My campsite was far enough from the bathroom I couldn't hear the door slam, but since I was the only one in the F loop, that wouldn't have mattered. Since the loop was so empty, it was an absolute pleasure.
Had the campground been full, I would have felt too close to the people in tents in the sites next to me.
One great thing was that there weren't tent pads so we didn't have to worry about how to fit two tents on to one tent pad.
GuideEnjoying this campground. Close to all the attractions. Incredible staff, super friendly. Pool and game room are wonderful.
TravelerNote to Self: No Primitive Site reservations...EVER. I love this park. It's situated far enough from the busy traffic noise...beautiful Virginia city of Hayes. When I arrived, it was such a scorching day and there wasn't nearly enough tree cover to shield my tent from the "son of Hades". Suffered heat exhaustion almost to the point of death...Literally. Night was my only respite. If it hadn't been for the wonderful camp attendants who came to my rescue, it would've been an utterly failed experience. Bless their hearts. Other than that, this was a great training experience for an old Novice camper. Now that I'm a bit more practiced, I'm going back 😁, armed with knowledge and more confidence.
TravelerThe good: super clean and new restrooms / showers. The entire parking immaculate. Stayed at site 12. Offers water views and shade. Site 13 is similar and is probably the most ideal site.
Cons: zero privacy. The sites are basically scattered around an open grassy area and fairly close together.
Be aware: sites are not vehicle accessible. Need to carry your kit 50-75 yards.
GuideOur stay is going to be the 21 days that are allowed. In that time, I have been on many nature walks with my dog. Very enjoyable, very well maintained. The only thing I did not like is the bathrooms. I have seen a cleaning lady come through, but I think it is primarily for the sinks and toilets. The shower curtains are moldy, lots of spiders. The shower pressure and temp are great. All in all, it is affordable and very peaceful.
TravelerThis is a long one! Here we go. My partner and I travel for work, we went out of our way to move to this location based on reviews saying this is a great place. We have paid in full for the whole stay which is about little over 2 months. We have been here approx 2 weeks give or take. We work night shift. No activity during the day. Simple easy. Not our first campground by any means. At first, we were excited to experience the amenities and such. Now we’re uncomfortable to try anything out. Why you ask? Situation: first day we move in, we end up next to what seems like the literal only other long term or possibly even permanent resident on the grounds. My service animal alerted me to a trigger, which she left the front door of the camper before we walked out. Recalled her to me once we saw that the perm resident (our neighbor) had what presented as an aggressive dog. (Husky maybe?). Within not EVEN 5 minutes of this event, someone was at our door- instead of asking what is going on we were immediately accused of her running around off leash I guess? We had just woken up from sleeping and it was evening time, time to go to work. Instead of arguing or even offering up ANY facts related to the situation I simply said got it thanks and the interaction ended. I’m thinking to myself well damn. Okay. A week or so maybe goes by? Leash in hand VISIBLE -at the door my dog steps out, I step out behind her- same time same situation. She walks ahead of me to where she will relieve herself, I ask for her to come back next to me, she recalls- neighbors dog loses its mind again. I look up at neighbor and say “just go ahead and call man, I get it”. She calls. This time THREE employees are driving on carts to our site, at this point we’re already leaving for work. I knew it was coming, figured they would for sure ask what’s going on this time. They don’t. The older woman accompanied by two men behind her- simply says “you have been told before you need to leash your dog”. We reply yes we understand. Nobody asks for a description of the events, what’s going on, or if this even happened. The female voice is raised and hostile presenting towards both of us. The man behind her approaches our car and peers into the vehicle I’m not sure if to intimidate or what, but that action was also very ineffective in diffusing the situation and instead very intimidating. And now making us both VERY late to work as this is an extra 15 minute drive to the hospital in which we work at. Seemingly, the word of this permanent resident is all they needed to full on accuse the two of us… of what? I am not sure. My animal has resided all over the country in countless locations, all while working and we have had no issues to date. At this point I am still remaining silent as the female worker continues to educate us on our alleged actions. My concern is that there has been ZERO questioning, only full on accusations. We’re highly uncomfortable at this point. They say “we will be speaking with the general manager tomorrow”, Which also felt threatening. I’d like to add that given the whole situation this wouldn’t matter but since this is happening: earlier that morning after work I had stopped by the front desk, to ask about a package I thought that I sent to the wrong place, but didn’t. The same female was there. I remember thinking wow she’s actually so rude. But I brushed it off. Now looking back she must have some kind of prejudice toward myself and my dog. I’ve never been threatened / accused so one-sidedly in my entire career such as what has been happening at this campground. Our resolution was to request moving sites, however nothing was asked of us WHATSOEVER. As stated we were not given any opportunity to speak on the situation. Will attempt to update review whenever we speak with management of this location. Warning is to be wary of implicit bias in staff, potential favoritism, and inconsistent / unfair conflict resolution, aggressive long term campers, and lack of communication from staff.
Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area offers full hookup sites positioned around mature trees, providing natural shade during summer months. Located near Saunders Road, this campground accommodates both RVs and tent campers with sites that include grills, picnic tables, and fire rings. Campers should expect some noise from the busy road, with cars and occasional emergency vehicles audible throughout the night.
Fishing and boating: Sandy Bottom Nature Park has a lake where visitors can fish or rent boats at affordable rates. "Lots of hiking trails to walk & turtles in the lake!! Plus you can rent boats for a cheap price which we will probably go back to do," notes Gracie B., who visited Sandy Bottom Nature Park with her dogs.
Kayaking and canoeing: Gosnold's Hope Park provides water access for paddlers with a dedicated launch area. "There is a great kayak/canoe and boat launch. Campground is at the back of the park and is covered with mature trees," according to N I., who appreciated the peaceful setting.
Hiking on boardwalks: First Landing State Park features wooden boardwalk trails that connect different areas of the park. "There are wooden boardwalk trails in the park and a few of them leads to different areas on the beach. We used 2 of them that were wheel chair accessible," reports Annemarie R. about her stay at Kiptopeke State Park.
Beach access: The Colonies RV and Travel Park provides direct access to a secluded beach area. "This place was relaxing and peaceful. It's located on a peninsula with beautiful bay and creek views. You can enjoy both the sunrise and sunset. There is a little beach down from our site and our dogs enjoyed their first dip in the bay," shares Jaime W. about The Colonies RV and Travel Park.
Multiple swimming options: Virginia Beach KOA offers two pools and a lazy river, providing alternatives to ocean swimming. "Nice, large sites, 2 pool, 1 lazy river. 1 stocked store. Planned activities," says angie S., highlighting the amenities at Virginia Beach KOA.
Natural shade: Newport News Park features heavily wooded sites that provide cooler temperatures. "Peaceful park filled with plenty of tall trees to stay cool during the summer months. Stayed 21 days (max limit) in June and temps at our site (B46) averaged about 5-10 degrees cooler than out side the park," reports Geored1 who stayed at Newport News Park.
Highway noise: Sandy Bottom Nature Park sites experience noise from Interstate 64. "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."
Military presence: Some campgrounds are located near military installations with occasional activity. "Be warned if you go to the southern side of the park near the beach that you will be very close to a US military base called Fort Story. You may hear occasional machine guns and artillery. You will also hear reveille in the morning," explains Nita D. about First Landing State Park.
Reservation requirements: Several parks have specific booking windows and stay limits. "You can only book up to 90 days, and for a total of 180 days in a year," explains Maria K. about Bethel Park's reservation policy, while Sandy Bottom Nature Park requires in-person reservations with the visitor center open 9-6 daily.
Playground access: Newport News Park has multiple play areas for children. "There is a small playground in the campground area, but right next to the campground is a large play area that has a rock wall that our kids really loved playing at," shares The B. about their family experience.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Sandy Bottom Nature Park offers educational wildlife encounters. "This is a beautiful 456 acre education and wildlife facility. Born from garbage dumps and it is great example of what can be achieved," notes N I. about Sandy Bottom Nature Park.
Tent camping with kids: Some parks offer primitive tent sites with basic amenities. "We tent camped here over Labor Day weekend as our first family camping trip, and we all had such a good time! Our boys (8, 6, & 4) had so much fun on the big playground and paddle boating," shares Kimberly F. about Bethel Park, mentioning the helpful staff and clean sites.
Site selection for shade: At Kiptopeke State Park, RV sites vary significantly in sun exposure. "1st two rows of sites have almost ZERO tree cover. 1st row not very level sites. Not quite as spacious/spread out sites as other state parks, but it's on the bay! Tent sites are wooded, no rvs allowed," advises Ashley I.
Leveling challenges: Some parks have uneven terrain that may require additional equipment. "Make sure you have leveling chalks as some of the sites are too uneven for auto leveling to work. We had a 32' class c rig and had no problems other than the auto leveling not working which caused us to move sites 3 times," warns Tanya R. about Newport News Park.
Winter camping options: Several parks remain open year-round with reduced rates. "Prices come way down during the off season. Much of the facilities are closed but they keep open one of their bathhouses. Otherwise it's a peaceful stay in the winter months," shares Leo S. about Holiday Trav-L-Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Hampton, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Hampton, VA is First Landing State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 124 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Hampton, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 69 dog-friendly camping locations near Hampton, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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