Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Portsmouth? Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Virginia horse camping excursion.
$30 - $47 / night
Just across the James River from historic Jamestown in beautiful Surry County, Chippokes Plantation is one of the oldest continually farmed plantations in the country. A working farm since 1619, the park offers modern recreational activities and a glimpse of life in a bygone era. Visitors tour the historic area with its antebellum mansion and outbuildings, stroll through formal gardens, and view antique equipment at the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum.
A campground and four overnight cabins allow visitors to stay on the historic grounds. The park has an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a visitor center with a gift shop. It also provides opportunities to bike, hike, ride horseback and picnic. Chippokes Plantation also offers wedding packages and meeting facilities.
Cabins, yurts and camping. For information on the availability of overnight accommodations, particular park amenities or to make a reservation, you can reserve online or call 800-933-PARK. Rental rates for cabins and camping vary by season, dwelling and park. First, determine the appropriate season, which can vary by park, then the relevant rate. You also may want to learn about the cancelation and transfer policies. A fee is charged per pet per night for cabin stays.
Located in Gates County 10 miles south of North Carolina's northeastern border with Virginia, Merchants Millpond State Park centers on a 760-acre millpond more than 190 years old. Hiking the surrounding trails or paddling the placid, shallow waters of the pond offer a great way to explore this wetland environment. Old-growth cypress trees adorned with Spanish moss create an "enchanted forest," particularly at Lassiter Swamp. Visitors have even spotted the American alligator here, at the northernmost point of its range.
$15 - $110 / night
Traveler
Plenty of room..showers/bathrooms huge..water NOT at all sites but easy to fill tanks. Some sites close to main road but not a lot of traffic.
Legend
Chippokes State Park is located on the grounds of an old historic plantation, actually one if the original plantations in the area dating back to the 1600’s. The land grant was huge, and as a state park now it provides a rich opportunity to learn about the James River, the natural and indigenous history of the region, the settlement history and role of this plantation in Virginia History, and more. Visiting here provides hiking opportunities to learn about fossils along the river shore, the temperate forest in the woods, and history around the old plantation. Taking the ferry across the river from Jamestown to get here was part of the adventure too. There is a nature center and visitor center that provides lots of info and programs near the river , a network of easy park roads for biking, and the plantation itself, set back further away from the river, provides a wealth of learning, including about the history of crops and trade in this area, and about the lives of the slaves who worked the plantation. The grounds right around the plantation are, in fact, a memorial to the hundreds of souls who lived and worked the land here. It was an amazing learning experience to come to the park, and the options to stay over in the park include standard campsites in a wooded campground, or cabins. The campground has all the usual state park amenities, and was very quiet when we were there in November—so late fall is a great time to come, as the fall weather was amazing
Ranger
We went for Valentine's Day weekend. Only a couple of other people were there, and we hardly saw them. We used site 11. I still think it's the best one, it's the largest, right next to the main trail head, & bath house trail right ahead of the site. The bath house was real nice. They had heaters running and they were so toasty, also very clean. Trails were nice too, we used our ebikes on the bike trail.
TravelerOverall amazed at the cleanliness of the campground. The staff is very friendly. The park was very quiet going into the night.
TravelerPersonally, I spent my Birthday week 09-13 October there. I had a wonderful experience for my first time car camping. I would've preferred not having noisy camp neighbors but I guess it was to be expected. So happy that I invested in a tent that survived a rainy night with flying colors. It was a training run to get myself accustomed to the many insects that frayed my nerves. I would return though and the next time should be a lot easier on this old woman and her old husband. 😁
ScoutStayed on Friday and Sat nights at family campground. Bathrooms ok but in need of maintenance. Park clean and well maintained. Biggest issue is the noise. Neighbors played music and were loud until well after midnight. Other neighbor had dog barking all night. Not a great campground for people with young kids like we have. We will be looking for campgrounds with onsite hosts in the future.
Guide
Great little beach area with separate dog beach Tight camping Great fishing Few full hook ups Short walk to beach Decent hiking trails Bring bug spray Very hot in camp ground
ScoutThis campground had beautiful beach access but the tent campsites are too close to other campers which I found awkward. Usually when I think of camping I think of some peaceful time in the woods but I felt like I was in a crowded restaurant. One thing I did appreciate was that the beach and campground were dog friendly and the bathrooms/showers were clean.
LegendIn the middle of nowhere, but it was peaceful and everyone was friendly. The trail system was magical. We hiked early in the am and it was such a therapeutic hike through the forest and swamp. Stayed in our Tepui tent and had a great time.
Traveler
The website tells a much different story than the camp itself. Mostly long term here and they don’t do a great job of making sure the sites aren’t full of junk. Can tell it used to be pretty nice but seems very run down now. A storm hit right after I got here and now I’m sitting in about 8 inches of water! Good for a night if you just need a stop over, but can’t say I’d like to be here any longer than that.
GuideStayed a few nights leading up to Memorial day. Our site was a good size, and tent pad was nice. Lovely shaded site, and large picnic table. Did not have to use our popup shade. Downside were the large gravel throughout the site - tough for small dogs and crawlers. Nice 0.7 walk from the campsite to the visitor center to rent canoes! Just a short drive to some other trails. Enjoyed the Cyprus Point trail which you access at the boat ramp section of the park. If you canoe long enough, you'll come across two alligators who live in the pond.
TravelerThe campsites are great with ample room for privacy, and easily accessible to the restrooms and trails around the pond. The visitor center is fantastic and offers canoe rentals as well as a spot to unload your own canoe or kayak.
I would recommend visiting in the cooler months of spring or fall. In April, the site was probably only 25% occupied and it’s still cool enough not to be bothered by mosquitoes.
Taking a canoe or kayak out to explore the pond and swamps is a must and total unique experience. Turtles, birds, cypress trees, and alligators.
GuideWe tented here and really liked the campground. We stayed in the family campground since we had a vehicle. There are float-in and hike in spots we did not investigate. Our site was clean and separated well. The bathhouse was nice and warm and clean. The rangers were very nice. This has a much better swamp experience than the Great Dismal Swamp.
TravelerWe visited for a bit and fell in love with the peace and serenity. The kids enjoyed the playground for a bit and then watched the sky to observe the hawks. The old ships are a true sight to see!
TravelerWe camped at Kiptopeke State Park in a Super C Dynamax DX3. We enjoyed this park a lot because we had a great site. The majority of the sites in the Kiptopeke State park are on the open space. All sites are spacious, clean and green, but there is nowhere to hide from the sun. There are very few shaded ones and we were lucky to get one of those. Kiptopeke State park has two unguarded beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. Kiptopekes northern swim beach is nearly half a mile long. The south beach, which is even longer is open to swimming, fishing, boating and dogs are allowed on leash. And its absolutely beautiful! We have a video about this park in our YouTube channel- Summertime RV Rovers- RV Campgrounds in Maryland and Virginia: Kiptopeke State Park and Outstanding Dreams Alpaca Farm. Please check for yourself.
ScoutGreat staff. Very helpful and keep the park clean. They have firewood at $6.00 a bundle. We went on a sellout weekend but was still pretty quiet
ScoutMy friends and I love to come and chill here every year. Love falling asleep to the sounds of waves and watching the stars. Great place for fishing too.
ScoutGreat campground. Very quiet and each tent site is very far from one another. You could have music or a generator going and not disturb your neighbor
GuidePlenty of space at the site and plenty to do. Really enjoyed the beach!
Legend
Arrived shortly after 8 pm after a long day's drive. The sun was going down but it wasn't dark yet. The campground office was locked and deserted. No posted instructions about after hours registration, no pay box. Ran into a park ranger who informed me the campground was closed for the evening; as in, would not take my money. Seriously? The campground is behind a gate with a keypad, so no chance of driving in and talking to the camp host. The ranger was kind and apologetic at least.
Drove a little further south and found a nice site at Bells Island Campground. The host there was happy to take my money.
ScoutLove camping and fishing
ScoutBath houses were clean & the trails were awesome!
Legend
Great little site right on the river! Short walk to other great river put-in sites for kayaking and swimming. The campground has loaner kayaks 🛶
Cute little bathhouse with flushing toilets. Slightly tricky getting to the site in the dark - just follow the host’s directions really well. We had a great time and bought some homemade wine from the farm store. They also left us drinking water on the picnic table at the site. Beautiful wildflowers all around the property! Want to return in the spring.
ScoutSuch a peaceful place! Hardly anyone there when we went. Sites well spaced, grounds well kept. The hiking is outstanding. A gem of a place. Just be prepared for no Wi-Fi.
ScoutWent for 1 overnight. It was great. The campground was quiet, we were able to fish, and even got out on the kayaks. The host was super friendly and was always there if we needed anything. Definitely coming back, and with more people
GuideFirst time here and will definitely be going back. Many trails, beautiful beach and well maintained campground. Trails were marked well and taken care of. Beach was clean and water was gorgeous. (F Section) Campsites are decent sized. Bathhouse was aged but clean and kept stocked. Camp staff and patrons were very friendly. Also there is Cape Charles, which is about 10-15 mins away. Awesome little town with many things to see, do and try. From good food to distillery to local art gallery. Highly recommend this place.
TravelerPine forests, wild beaches and nice bathrooms
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Portsmouth, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Portsmouth, VA is Kiptopeke State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 52 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Portsmouth, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Portsmouth, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
