Best Tent Camping near Tangier, VA

First time camping in a long time. Oceanside walk in requires a good amount of work. You’re carrying your gear in to your site, setting up in howling wind (potentially), no water at site. Cold showers. Pit toilets. But man oh man. The rewards are high. Wild horses every day. Beach was right over the dune. Campsite is set behind one dune so there’s a little wind protection. We had one wild thunderstorm night. Survived with our good tent and screen house (do not come without some kind of screen house). But the next morning the mosquitoes were wild. Everyone had bites from our morning packing up. It was hot (camped at end of July/beginning of August), but water was a good escape. We escaped into the town of Berlin on some of the hotter hours of the day for ice cream to beat the heat (and charge our electronics in the car). Great spot. I’d come back, but maybe later in the year when it’s not so hot!

I definitely had the best site on the block! Caddy corner from the bath house, but not so close to be disturbing, & it was very clean w/ nice hot water showers & spacious adjacent changing area with bench & lots of hooks to hang towel, clothes, etc. Well kept site with built up flat tent pad, (down side is limit 2 tents & must be on pad when there was plenty of room for several tents without an RV. ). Nice long picnic table with benches, fire ring is a safe distance from tent pad. There is a fish cleaning station w/ hook & all, for any who want to fish in the park lake. Can rent canoes/kayaks & there is a pool that I think has a lifeguard. Friends had a much smaller site next to mine & on the other side of them were our friends with a huge RV w/ pull outs, where we had plenty of room for twenty to cook breakfast & dinner, gather round the fire for s'mores & lounge in camp chairs & still had room for most of the tour bikes in "the driveway". Other friends had sites peppered around the loop and all said they were comfortable. A little spooky Thurs. night for this woman to camp alone before more campers arrived Fri, but all-in-all a nice place to camp in a forest with a lake that is far enough away , but not too far, from Berlin, Assateague Island, & Ocean City, MD. Best to have what you need before you get there because the camp store was closed & stores are not close enough to run out for toothpaste.

There may be a bit of confusion about camping opportunities at Cheatham Annex Bass. It used to be that there was only one campground for the whole base, with a combo of RV sites and tent sites. The options have expanded and changed: a brand new RV park was built several miles away on the northside of the base, and it has its own brand new Rec Center and bath facilities etc. The Kings Creek Campground is on the south side where the old RV park used to be, but is now for tent camping only. There are still the remnant water and electric hookups available, and each site has plenty of grass for setting up tents, or you can set up on the cement pad. Each site has a picnic table, only some have fire rings. Sites 11 through 18 are in a loop around a nice kids playground, with trees surrounding the sites and glimmers of Kings Creek in the background. Sites 1-10 in the adjacent loop are right on the water where Kings Creek enters the York River, and the sites circle round a nice picnic area. Sites 6-7 are currently not being rented out as it has been discovered that the gravesite of a Revolutionary War soldier is located right there. Both tent loops have close access to a nice clean bathhouse, and there is good proximity to the base golf course and a really nice outdoor swimming pool. A great fishing pier nearby extends out into the York River. The MWR office rents kayaks and other equipment and has a coffee shop if you want hot breakfast

Visited in late October on a last minute weekend trip. Had no issues finding a campsite upon arrival, luckily. The staff was super friendly and helpful in picking a site for us. We decided to stay ocean side and was just over the summer dune from the water. Lot had fire ring and table. Set up our tent in the flattest spot we could find. Neighbors next to us had five tents and seven people. There also were quite a few RVs that ran their generators long into the evening. We brought our dogs, and rangers said they were allowed at any campsites but told us where they were restricted. It was really awesome to be able to camp that close to the ocean. The quiet hours were pretty well followed, which allowed us to hear the Sika dear bugle late in the night. The showers and bathroom had much to be desired, but for being on the coast it was nice to have them. No sink near them but there was two faucets (one was locked off, not sure if the other). It got super windy over night, which caused issues to some of the campers at other sites. The check out time was pretty strictly checked up on. Overall we would love to go back and take our bikes to ride the trail. Neat experience and would completely recommend to others.

Campground Review

How first impressions don't always hold true...

My first impressions of this campground were less than stellar. We arrived from VT, after driving 14 hours in traffic, at 9:30 pm. We arrived in the tent camping area, and were dismayed to find that the campground was PACKED. Not only was it packed, but there was zero privacy from other campers, as only a split rail fence separated each "site".  To make things worse, it turned out the campground staff had directed us to the wrong site....and shortly after we began setting up, another group came in and told us it was there site (it was). However, the office staff was VERY helpful and kind, even though it was late, and they were obviously very busy. It was the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, which apparently is one of their busiest weekends.

Finally we got sorted out which site to set up it. At this point, it is 10 pm, and our 5 children our bouncing off the walls, full of excitement. The campground is loud, as everyone else arrived that night as well. My husband and I brace for a terrible night of sleep, stoically putting earplug in and hoping for the best. The campground quiet hours were supposed to start at 11 pm, however, there was noise later than that. People driving around in golf carts cheering, people playing board games at the campsite next door...sleep was difficult.

The next day, we did the normal campground stuff--the kids took off on their bikes with their new radios from Midland Radio. Eventually, we motivated our sleep deprived selves to go off on the planned adventures at Assateague Island. Assateague is a magical place for those of us who like their beaches wild--there is zero development on the island. Most people drive to the regular, car access beach where there is parking for many car, rinse off showers, and primitive bathrooms. Tom's Cove Visitor's Center is also at the beach, and has a great touch tank with horseshoe crabs, whelks, and clams for folks to investigate.

Inside Tip if you like QUIET beaches:

Assateague Island also has TWO bike/hike access beaches, and those are our favorite. You can drive to Assateague from Chincoteague with your bikes, and then park. One bike beach is off of the Wildlife Loop, and is on pavement the whole way. It is less than a 2 mile bike ride to get there, and there are far less people.  The other hike/bike beach is a bit further off of the Wildlife Loop, and requires biking down the gravel Forest Service Road. However, this beach is framed by magnificent sand dunes, and has even less people than the first bike beach. We loved it there. It also has more shells, if beach combing is your thing. Get a map from the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center (free) and ask one of the rangers there to mark the beach locations.

So, back to the campground sleep saga. The second night was better---the campground was quiet by 10:30 pm, and we all slept fine. Well, we did get woken up by terrible thunderstorms, but that is not the campground's fault.  By Sunday night, many campers had left to go home, and we spread out into the empty sites around us.  By Monday night, we nearly had the tent camping area to ourselves. 

The tent camping area is in a beautiful grove of well trimmed Loblolly Pines. The trees were great for hanging hammocks, and also provided the perfect amount of partial shade. Our site was very close to the bathroom/shower houses, and across from the pool as well. The tent camping area also has some of the closest sites to the waterfront/boat launch, and crabbing piers. We loved be able to walk right over to the pier early in the morning and enjoy the sunrise.

Inside Tip:

The campground staff told me that the tent camping area is nearly always quiet during the week. The campground is filled to max capacity on only the holiday weekends and Pony Penning. This campground has quality amenities, and its location is fantastic enough that we would stay there again--just not on a holiday weekend.

Summary:

Restrooms were cleaned at least twice a day, but the high volume of campers meant they got dirty relatively quickly. The showers were not as clean as the restrooms, and were dark, and the water tended to pool at your feet, which was unpleasant. 

The campsites themselves were grassy, and mostly level. We were able to set up both of our tents, including the 17 foot long one. Each site has its own picnic table, but they do not have fire pits, although you are allowed to dig/build your own.

As I mentioned previously, the sites are very close to eachother, but on a less busy week, this is less of a problem as the camping area isn't full.

The campground is large--it caters to tenters and RVers, including seasonal RV renters. There is a laundromat (prices are reasonable); well-stocked camp store with wood, ice, and many essentials; a club house with small arcade, pool, and air hockey; additionally, there is a spot to rent bikes, scooters, and golf carts within the campground.  There is also a play ground that my kids enjoyed biking to. The pool is fairly large (bigger than most hotel pools, but smaller than a competition swimming pool). The employees of the campground are friendly and helpful.

Inside tip: If you like kayaking, this is a great campground to stay at. My husband and son kayaked from the campground over to a lovely sand bar  off of Assateague Island. They got within very close range of a herd of ponies grazing at low tide, hung out, and enjoyed their private slice of nature.  It is great that this campground has water access so close to Assateague.

Cons:

1. Late quiet hours on busy weekends.  

2. Shower houses were not particularly sanitary. 

3. Sea gulls like to start screaming at 6 am. 

4. Lack of campsite privacy. 

5. Loud neighbors.

Pros:

1. Access to water from campground. 

2. Beautiful views. 

3. Crabbing pier. 

4. Pool. 

5. Safe place for kids to bike.

6.  Level campsites. 

7. Chincoteague location. 

8. Helpful staff.

9. Well-drained campsites (didn't flood during severe thunderstorms!)

Midland Radio Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I am periodically given products to test out.  This trip, I was thrilled to receive products from Midland Radio. We tested out the X-Talker T7-1VP3

and the X-Talker T20X4 Walkie-Talkie Four-Pack.  We had been talking about getting radios for a while for camping. We have 5 kids, and 4 of them are all on bikes now, and love to bike around the campgrounds exploring. Radios are nice because they allow us to find out where they are, without having to hunt them down or holler to find them.  Additionally, we are a hiking, biking, active family, so having a decent radio for my husband and I helps with family management when out in the wild. 

The Walkie-Talkie four pack was awesome for the kids. 

1. Each one was a different color, which helped with the kids knowing whose was whose. 
2. They clipped them on to their bikes, after making sure everyone was on the same channel. 
3. The Walkie-Talkie four-pack was cheap enough that if they HAPPENED to lose it, or destroy it, it wouldn't be a massive loss.    
4. We liked that they worked with our radios, and that they could be set to a private station so that we could use them as a family without interference. 
5. The radios take AAA batteries, so make sure you stock up. 

Minor cons:

1. Being that they are cheaper radios, the build quality isn't super robust.

2.  Their range is less than half a mile in normal settings, however, for kids' use in a campground or hike, they were perfect.

3. No charger

The X-Talker T7-1VP3 2-Radio set was perfect for the parents to use.  I took the radio on a hike, and it was great to touch base with my husband who was still at the beach, in addition to keeping track of the kids on bike rides in the Refuge and at the campground.

1. Their buttons and switches were easy to figure out.   
2. We found their range to be excellent. My husband kayaked at least a mile away, and I was still able to communicate with him without interference or fuzziness. 
3. We like that it has Weather band alerts, as camping relies on knowledge of weather.
4.  The radio charging base has a wall plug, and a USB charging plug which is great on trips. 
5. The battery life seemed decent--a few times the radios were left on overnight, which I think killed the batteries sooner than they should have been. 
6.  Build quality seemed sturdy--one of the radios got left out in a surprise thunderstorm and did not seem worse for wear. 
7.  We liked that the radios can be set up with a password channel for privacy We also really appreciated that the radios work great with the Walkie-Talkies that we had for the kids. It promoted peace of mind for all of us whether biking, hiking, or boating on this trip. 

Minor Cons:

1. To improve the radios, I would add some weather-sealing, and perhaps slightly more tough plastic as the shells on these seem like they could crack if dropped hard on pavement.

Open from April to September (except Waters Edge and Robins Nest loops which are open year round) the tent sites here can be a little close together. Particularly the sites at Waters Edge. The camp sites , which are up to 200 or so are just large enough for a 6 person tent. Larger sites at the Fox Den loop can accommodate larger tents for larger families. Each site has a fire ring and table. Most have a lantern pole.all sites have access to water and all but Waters Edge have shower and bathrooms. ( Waters Edge bathrooms are under the camp store which is next door, but can be a long walk in the middle of the night). Shad landing offers good fishing, boat rental, and in season a well maintained pool. The camp store is not only well stocked, it offers a lunch and dinner menu, which the kids love as they’ll eat pizza whenever. Firewood is available for purchase. What is truly great about Shad Landing is it’s location. Want to go to the beach? Assateague Island is 30 minutes away, Ocean City 40 minutes. Chincoteague just shy of an hour. Wanna try local food? Pokomoke City, Berlin, OC, and several other place can help out. Just outside of Chincoteague is Wallops Island- a NASA launch and testing center. The science center is a huge hit with the kids. Assateague and Chincoteague both offer National Park activities. Chincoteague also has a wildlife area that is astounding to view ( as well as lighthouse tours and another science center. ) We’ve come here regularly for years and have never had what would be considered even a mediocre day.

My family of six stayed at Cherrystone this past weekend. It was our first family camping trip so a lot of extra care went into selecting a campground. I read a ton of reviews both on here and other places. They didn’t quite answer all of my questions so here comes the review that I wish I had found.

First, how you will feel about Cherrystone is going to depend on what type of camp experience you are looking for. My wife and I prefer quiet places with a lot of relaxation. My kids (ages 4 to 11) prefer lots of activities. My kids got more of what they wanted than my wife and I did. The activities and amenities were absolutely fantastic for my kids. They loved the pools, mini gold, jumping pillows, paddle boats and every other activity that they did. The campground has a safe feeling to it so we didn’t worry about giving the older ones more freedom to explore. They made friends and did whatever they wanted. They loved it. My wife and I had a good time as well but Cherrystone is a little noisier than would be ideal for us. Quiet hours don’t start until 11pm and quiet time isn’t really enforced by the employees. It wasn’t terrible but we would have preferred a little less noise. Some parts of the campground were louder than others. We were on a no hook-up tent site that seemed to be in the quieter part of the campground. Some of the RV sections had a lot of music playing and more of a party vibe.

The employees that we met were all very friendly and helpful. The bathhouses were well kept. This was a big concern for my wife and she was happy. if you knew my wife you would understand how huge that it. The tent sites were of a decent size. We had tow large tents, an EZ Up and the picnic table and didn’t feel cramped. You will be very close to your neighbors so don’t expect any seclusion. The prices in the camp store, snack shack and cafe were mostly fair and the quality of the food items was good. Pretty much every review mentions the sunsets and they are amazing. The natural beauty of Cherrystone is amazing.

Cherrystone offers a lot of value and if you are ok with a little noise and close neighbors you will not be disappointed. If you want more privacy you may want to look elsewhere. I’m pretty sure we will be back someday.

Pocomoke river state park offers two campgrounds smaller of these is Milburn landing which is significantly farther from the coastal attractions then the larger Shad Landing. It offers level sites with gravel pads, picnic table, and lantern stand, and fire ring nestled beneath tall pines; some also offer electric, but not sewer connections. A centrally located bathroom is clean with showers and includes a dishwashing sink. Verizon cell coverage was poor.  There are also a few rustic cabins if you don't have a tent iorwould rather have a more secure place to sleep.

There's a soft launch spot for canoes and kayaks near the cabins, but no swimming due to water hazards. An official boat ramp is down a road across from the campground entrance.

There's no camp store on location, but Pocomoke City, with it's big box stores, is nearby if you've forgotten anything.

It's a quieter experience here with fewer amenities, but nice if you want to get away and boat, fish, or explore. If you're looking to explore Assateague or Chincoteague, you will find the Shad Landing section of Pocomoke River is more convenient.

I was really looking forward to this trip. We stayed on the Bayside of the campground. Our site was close to the bathhouse, which was modest with cold water and vault toilets. Fresh water pump was nearby, as well.

Based on the reviews, I was expecting a beach camp out with the ambience of wild horses running along the shore. Sand between our toes. Fire cooked meals. Idyllic... Sadly, that’s not at all what we got.

We arrived late to meet some friends before setting up camp. We were supposed to have dinner with the them. But dinner was delayed — VERY delayed — because of horses. A small herd of them (around 8) decided to hangout in our campsite waiting for their meal. This meant we couldn’t get ours. As soon as any food would come into ‘nose-shot,’ they would start advancing on us. We waited over an hour for them to lose interest and move on to the next site. We went through this for every meal. It became a real hassle.

It’s obvious other campers have not been so responsible with their food in this area. The standard is to hide all food as soon as you see the horses. This mean storing anything with a scent in your closed vehicle or in the “horse box” under the picnic table. With the way they would wait for us to pull food out, it was very apparent other campers allowed them to have a free-for-all previously. And no amount of noise shooed them off. If anything, it made them more aggressive and we had to watch them closely.

A little while later, we finally settled in and set up camp after having our “dinner” in the confines of our car. Dinner was snacks since we couldn’t cook anything. Placing anything on the fire or stove was like a beacon to the horses.

The next problem we encountered was the mosquitoes — they were everywhere and in hoards. No matter how hard you tried, there’s no keeping them out of the tent. We left a day later covered in bumps, most from throughout the night.

One good thing was the cooler temps meant no horseflies. On a previous beach trip, we were swarmed and covered in bites within minutes of exiting our car. Be prepared because bug spray does very little.

Let’s also not forget the “stickers” — little burr-like plant pods that are all on the ground and stuck to anything and everything, especially skin. These stung bad.

Once settled in for the night, we dealt with the wind flapping the tent pretty wildly at times, horses neighing almost constantly and coming awfully close, and two raccoons fighting on the edge of our tent. A restful night was not in the cards there.

The only good thing was the location. We were a short walk away from the beach. The kids and I at least enjoyed that part.

I was beyond disappointed and cancelled my upcoming trip for the following month as soon as I got home. I don’t know if the experience was different Oceanside, but i will never be staying Bayside again.