Looking for the best Portsmouth tent camping? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Portsmouth, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Portsmouth, Virginia's most popular destinations.
$11 - $42 / night
Primitive camping year-round. No cabins. The park does not offer same-day reservations. For information on the availability of overnight accommodations and particular amenities or to make a reservation, call (800) 933-PARK.
All campers must receive their confirmation letter and information packet before camping at this park. Carefully and thoroughly read the information you receive. False Cape is unusual and can be unpleasant for those who are unprepared. The packet is generally sent via email, but if you need it sent by postal mail, be sure to allow enough time to receive it. No exceptions. All overnight guests must bring two copies of their confirmation letter. One must be placed on the dashboard of their vehicle; the other clipped to the site marker.
Because False Cape is very primitive and has unusually restrictive access, reservations are not available online. For safety's sake, please take the time to carefully read and follow the information below.
Parking is never available at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge for overnight guests. Campers must instead park at the Little Island City Park, leave a copy of their confirmation letter on the dashboard, and walk from five to nine miles through Back Bay Refuge to the park’s campsites. Pets are not allowed access to the park through the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See below for more information. Beach camping is subject to tides. During significant high tide events, the park may close the campsites. All park guests are subject to Back Bay Refuge and Little Island City Park's rules and regulations. Campers must be out of the refuge before sunset when arriving and departing False Cape State Park. Be prepared for biting insects during summer. They are very common. Little Island City Park in Virginia Beach - the place from which most visitors depart to False Cape - is closed on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, at noon the day prior to Thanksgiving Day, on Thanksgiving Day, at noon on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. On days when the lot is closed, False Cape staff will meet incoming and outgoing campers at 1 p.m. sharp to let current campers depart and incoming campers enter with enough time to hike, bike and set up camp before nightfall (about 5 p.m.)
$20 / night
$30 - $100 / night
Private secluded site only 1 mile from 2 separate remote beaches. This privative site is nestled in a grove of wisteria covered trees. Plenty of room for larger groups with access to close to 20 acres to walk.
$35 - $50 / 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.
ScoutVery clean and peacefully. Rigjt by the river.
Scout
I was visiting the Yorktown battlefield the next morning so I chose to camp here for the first time. The facilities are nice and modern, and the environment is quiet. Just what I was looking for.
Traveler
Great spot for families. A lot of activities for everyone. The adult pool was very nice and clean. My son and his wife kayaked and had a great time. Cape Charles is a quaint town for shopping and is only 10 min away. Only issue we had were the kids on bikes riding in front of the golf cart and cars. No parental supervision. Very scary and unsafe. Other than that it was a great trip and we will be back.
Scout
I arrived at the location and, within 10 minutes, police officers showed up to monitor me, despite my behavior being no different from that of others around me. The next morning, I returned and, once again, within 10 minutes, the police were called to watch me. I plan to document these incidents and file a formal complaint, but I want to warn other Black individuals to exercise caution when visiting this place. I'm unsure whether the issue lies with the organization itself or if it's the Bethel campers falsely reporting my actions, but it’s striking that simply walking to decompress has led to repeated police presence. I plan to document each experience, timing my arrival and the police arrival and then look into why I believe I'm being racially profiled. While this isn't blatant racism, it sure aligns with interpersonal racism is much harder to detect if there isn't a pattern and you know how it operates.
Guide
Good campground as usual. bathrooms well maintained and cleaned twice a day when we were there. Campsite is right next to the bathroom and has a good amount of shade. Bathrooms had two sinks to clean dishes. Boardwalk nearby to the beach was very convenient, however quite a few boards look like they need replacement. One highlight was watching the school of dolphins from our kayaks, not far from the beach. Never saw that before.
RangerThere were a lot of events and options for the family. Cape Charles is also a nice place nearby.
GuideMost of the sites have shade a few do not have any shade. If you do not like traffic noise, stay far away from the main road that the park is located off.
You can not see the water from any campsite and all sites are a little walk to get to the beach of the bay.
Light waves on the bay. It has beautiful sunsets with dolphins playing there in the evening.
We stayed in site 5 which is literally in the bathroom front yard with NO SHADE.
Traveler
We stayed here for two nights during our trip along the Outer Banks. We had a great time and enjoyed our stop here. Our site had a great view of the water and we could see the Currituck lighthouse at night. Our boys enjoyed kayaking around the sound and riding their bikes to the playground. It seemed like they are working to add more amenities and upgrades so I’d stay again next time we make it that way. Also, Diggers Dungeon is only a few miles away so if you have kids make sure to stop and let them see the monster trucks.
GuideWe had a very hot stay. We stayed at campsite 13 which had wonderful shade in the late afternoon. Be prepared with a wagon to transport items from your car to your campsite if choosing the no water/electric sites. Short walk from parking to sites.
The interpretive area was really fun to explore in the evening during golden hour and beyond. Great view of the sunset over the river.
Traveler
Great pad sites but sparse vegetation and zero privacy. Road noise was constant and lots of traffic on the beach access highway.
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
Legend
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
Scout
This is a wonderful spot if you want to avoid the high dollar hotel stays in Virginia Beach. There are a lot of amenities at this place, however you have to pay for some of the activities. This should be included in the price. The RV spots are not even 20 to 25 ft apart from each other. If that. It seems that this park is more in it for the money than the camping experience. That being said, there are a ton of things to do if you have a young family or just want to be rowdy. Lol. I went during memorial weekend, but I was told it's like this all of the time. The site that I had was very uneven. I had to put a 5-in lift on one side of my travel trailer and drop the tongue nearly to the ground due to the uneven pad to park on. Only room enough for one car. Overall it was a good experience, and you can't help but get to know your neighbors. Lol maybe that's what their plan was. Know your neighbors.
Traveler
That was a great experience! Go there only if Greg says it's ok. He knows how demanding it can be to get to his ground if you're not used to driving off-road. You need a 4x4 car. Wonderful five star primitive campground. No water, no toilet. Bring your own. Explore the property, the sound and the sea. We saw deer, wild horses, coyotes, eagles, turtles, dolphins but also mosquitos and ticks. Bring repellent. I will never forget the two days camping. Greg is a great host! Thank you for this incredible experience!
ScoutI am so thankful to Greg and Mary for humbly allowing me to stay on their beautiful property. What a unique and incredible place. The wild horses came to visit me daily, bald eagles, osprey...kayaked on the calm waters of the sound..hiked the beach and biked the trails up through false cape state park. Just an incredible opportunity I am so thankful that I was given, and by the nicest of people you can find. And I'll be back one day for those tires Dave! Haha, thanks to everyone that showed me around, a memory to be cherished.
Ranger
Overall, this campground is utilitarian at best. We stayed for five nights in April in a 25' Airstream. It is on a military installation so you need to have access.
- RV office does not open; if you have any issue, you have to call the reservation line or see the camp host...but there was nothing to mark who the camp host was and they never stopped by.
- Roads are decrepit with major potholes and in need of repair. The roads and some sites flood when raining. There are two one way roads in, but without a map of the campground available, you don't know which one to turn down in advance.
- Bathrooms are dated but clean.
- Dumpster not emptied in timely fashion. It was overflowing the first two days here and people were piling trash around it until it was emptied on a Wed.
- Full hook up (electric/water/sewer) on sites; some have fire pits, some don't. Also the connection boxes are set back pretty far on the sites, so you need longer hoses/cords. We had a long electric cord that reached and had to add a second water hose and second section of sewer hose to connect. Water pressure was good.
- Concrete pads and free laundry were nice. Ground around the concrete pads were rutted where folks either parked off the pad or didn't know how to park on it.
- Free wifi if you sign up for MWR's, but we used our T-Mobile home internet with good connection (4 bars). AT&T on our phones was 1 bar at best.
- Several small hiking trails nearby on base that were good for walking the dog.
- Traffic getting off base starting around 1500-1600 is bad, so plan accordingly.
- Expect to hear aircraft all the time. You get used to it quickly, but can be loud.
- Seemed like some active duty personnel were staying here, as we saw them leaving in the mornings and coming back at the end of the day in uniform.
- We didn't find firewood for sale on base and bought some out in town near another campground.
- Follow the signs on base to the golf course and keep driving past the driving range to find a small beach on base.
Not the best look for a military campground, but if you just need a place to park to access the other amenities of the base and area cheaply, this is it.
ScoutGood: Beautiful campground. Very clean facilities and close by. Easy access to water. Close proximity to beach and hiking. 120 - was able to get two RTT on one site.
Bad: close proximity to other sites. Busy campground in general. Kids running around. Lots of standing water, once bugs start coming out would be a ton of mosquito.
TravelerGreat campground with nicely shaded sites. If you want quiet and peaceful stick to the spots on the beach side.
RangerLove coming to this spot for camping so close to the beach! Campground fills up fast and sites are kinda close together though. 1-2 bars Verizon.
TravelerI had the privilege of getting to stay on this property for a week while camping and exploring the outdoors in the obx. It was not only beautiful, but felt very safe as well! Greg and his wife Mary were extremely kind! They made an effort to help familiarize myself with the area while checking in and giving tips! I was also lucky enough to see the wild horses at camp & at the beach 3 out of 4 days i was there. This was truly one of the best camping experiences i’ve ever had. If you are ever in the area and craving a unique experience, I recommend reaching out to Greg and considering staying here.
TravelerFirst, Greg is an amazing communicator. He gave great instructions for finding the camp site. Plus, checked in to make sure everything was going ok and gave tips.
It was such a peaceful location and I even had the privilege of seeing a horse on the grounds on 2 different nights.
I’m so glad I had a chance to stay here and hope to have the opportunity to visit in warmer weather.
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.
Traveler
What could be better than camping and kayaking on a beautiful river? Maybe try fishing off the new pier or taking a bike ride on a nice long trail after visiting Jamestown or Colonial Williamsburg or Busch Gardens which are all within a very short driving distance! Or even a Ferry Ride across the river to a lovely waterside restaurant where you can experience delicious food and the most amazing sunsets! And no worries if you don’t have a tent or camper, because they have cozy yet roomy glamping tents available!We love camping at CRP! Everyone is always friendly and helpful! Facilities are always clean and well maintained. We have stayed in the spring as well as late summer without any problems. There is a camp store, two bath houses, and a convenient dump station. Playground and fenced pool. A boat ramp for motorized boats as well as a launch site for kayaks. Bring your own or rentals available. Looking forward to our next visit this Spring!
TravelerOverall amazed at the cleanliness of the campground. The staff is very friendly. The park was very quiet going into the night.
Legend
I will admit I was a little hesitant about coming to an RV park located within a Christian Retreat Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we came anyway because the price through the Passport America discount was right ($20/night for a FHU site with the discount on off-season rates, so, $40 without the discount). I was happy we came, the office staff person was so friendly and so nice and welcoming, and the campground was just great. There’s plenty of activities here- there’s a playground, a gaga ball pit, basketball court, frisbee golf course, pool, soccer field, baseball field, and some really nice walking trails in the woods (some of these might be restricted to use by retreat guests, not sure). Some basic snacks and knick knacks and clothing available for sale in the office.
There’s laundry here, but the set up was a little awkward- there’s one washer/ dryer in the hallway of the lodge, which is a hotel-like building. It’s kind of a far walk from the campground, and there’s no place to hang out and wait for your laundry. It’s $5 for a load (wash& dry) and you can pay by credit card in the office or drop $5 in the box by the machines. Firewood available for sale here for $5, pay by venmo, at the office, or in the honor box. No alcohol allowed in the park.
Cell service for Verizon and ATT was pretty decent, and they have great free wifi. Showers are good and clean and free, continuous water running (no button to push).
RangerIts a nice park right on the river, sites are a little close but not bad with mostly full hookups. Easy access to bike trail that runs from Richmond to williamsburg, passing many plantations and farms,forrest, etc along the way. The bike path runs seperate from the roads, but is blacktoped for easy riding. They also have canoe, kayak rentals, a nice pool in summer, beautiful views off the bluff of the river as well as a trailered boat launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Portsmouth, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Portsmouth, VA is Sandy Bottom Nature Park with a 4.8-star rating from 5 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Portsmouth, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
