Top Tent Camping near Virginia Beach, VA

Looking for tent camping near Virginia Beach? Find the best information on tent camping near Virginia Beach, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Virginia Beach campsites are perfect for tent campers.

Best Tent Sites Near Virginia Beach, VA (5)


Recent Tent Reviews In Virginia Beach

537 Reviews of 5 Virginia Beach Campgrounds


  • Frank B.
    Camper-submitted photo from Machicomoco State Park
    Sep. 16, 2024

    Machicomoco State Park

    Great Camping Experience at Machicomoco!

    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.

  • pThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cherrystone Family Camping Resort
    Sep. 6, 2024

    Cherrystone Family Camping Resort

    Labor Day weekend camping

    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.

  • Valenica A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area - Park and FamCamp
    Sep. 5, 2024

    Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area - Park and FamCamp

    Frequent Policing for Black People

    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.

  • L
    Camper-submitted photo from First Landing State Park
    Sep. 2, 2024

    First Landing State Park

    Good campground, boardwalk to beach needs maintenance.

    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.

  • Christine The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from First Landing State Park
    Aug. 10, 2024

    First Landing State Park

    Right on Chesapeake Bay with Sunset!

    Most 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.

  • Stephen B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA
    Jul. 30, 2024

    Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA

    Nice site by the water

    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.

  • Kaylee G.
    Camper-submitted photo from Machicomoco State Park
    Jul. 23, 2024

    Machicomoco State Park

    Very Sunny

    We 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.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Virginia Beach KOA
    Jun. 24, 2024

    Virginia Beach KOA

    Amenities but…Traffic Noise!!!

    Great pad sites but sparse vegetation and zero privacy. Road noise was constant and lots of traffic on the beach access highway.

  • Janet R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chippokes Plantation State Park
    Jun. 20, 2024

    Chippokes Plantation State Park

    Great park for cultural and natural history

    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

  • Janet R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Military Park Cheatham Annex / Yorktown Naval Weapons Station RV Campground
    Jun. 19, 2024

    Military Park Cheatham Annex / Yorktown Naval Weapons Station RV Campground

    Camping in the middle if “The Historic Triangle”

    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

  • Clinton R.
    Camper-submitted photo from Holiday Trav-L-Park
    May. 28, 2024

    Holiday Trav-L-Park

    It's what you make of it.

    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.

  • Bjoern The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Carova sands
    May. 28, 2024

    Carova sands

    Fantastic adventure

    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!

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Carova sands
    Apr. 24, 2024

    Carova sands

    Incredible beautiful place

    I 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.

  • Eleanor the Airstream R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Little Creek MWR RV Park
    Apr. 4, 2024

    Little Creek MWR RV Park

    Utilitarian

    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.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from First Landing State Park
    Mar. 30, 2024

    First Landing State Park

    Very nice facilities

    Good: 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.

  • Taylor P.
    Camper-submitted photo from Carova sands
    Mar. 17, 2024

    Carova sands

    The best and most unique camping spot!

    I 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.

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Carova sands
    Feb. 25, 2024

    Carova sands

    Perfect Getaway

    First, 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.

  • Charli R.
    Camper-submitted photo from Merchants Millpond State Park
    Feb. 21, 2024

    Merchants Millpond State Park

    Peaceful and quiet

    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.

  • Connor D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Carova sands
    Nov. 5, 2023

    Carova sands

    First camper

    This is a must see spot. It is located right on the sound and the beach. It is located on private property that requires 4 wheel drive capable vehicle to access. You have to drive down the beach to reach this spot. Greg and his wife were extremely friendly and wanted to share the amazing property that they own. They have a dock with access to the sound which I used to explore the sound on my kayak. I recommend giving Greg a call if you want to experience a very unique and amazing camping experience.

  • Diane R.
    Camper-submitted photo from Chippokes Plantation State Park
    Oct. 15, 2023

    Chippokes Plantation State Park

    Old Ameture

    Personally, 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. 😁

  • Tyler C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Merchants Millpond State Park
    Oct. 10, 2023

    Merchants Millpond State Park

    Ok campground, needs hosts

    Stayed 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.

  • K
    Camper-submitted photo from Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area - Park and FamCamp
    Sep. 11, 2023

    Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area - Park and FamCamp

    Great for Families

    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. Ask for Bill! He’s awesome and treats everyone like they’re special :)

    The tent sites are clean, closely grouped, and the lights from the bathroom shine on them all night (so bring a sleep mask). But for $10/night with full bathrooms, sink to wash dishes in, and laundry? Worth the lights! Will definitely stay here again.

  • L
    Camper-submitted photo from First Landing State Park
    Sep. 9, 2023

    First Landing State Park

    Enjoyed camping here

    Went for Labor Day weekend. Great campsite with good shade. Beach was nice and bay water was good temperature. Plus while Virginia Beach had red flag conditions, we could still swim. Had my crocs stolen at the beach though. Bathrooms next to us were completely renovated and are very nice.



Guide to Virginia Beach

Camping near Virginia Beach offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds in the area, you can enjoy everything from beach access to hiking trails.

What to do:

  • Kayaking and Fishing: Many campgrounds, like Chickahominy Riverfront Park, provide easy access to the river for kayaking and fishing. One camper mentioned, "What could be better than camping and kayaking on a beautiful river?"
  • Beach Access: Campgrounds such as First Landing State Park Campground are close to the beach. A visitor shared, "Watching the school of dolphins from our kayaks, not far from the beach, was a highlight."
  • Hiking Trails: Explore the trails at Kiptopeke State Park Campground. One reviewer noted, "Decent hiking trails and a short walk to the beach make this a great spot."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained bathrooms and showers. A visitor at Holiday Trav-L-Park said, "The showers/restrooms were excellent."
  • Family-Friendly Activities: Many campgrounds offer activities for kids. One family at Virginia Beach KOA enjoyed, "They had live music most nights, which is always a hit or miss, but still fun."
  • Natural Beauty: Campers love the scenic views. A reviewer at Chippokes State Park Campground mentioned, "Beautiful trails and a peaceful atmosphere make it feel like you're a million miles away."

What you should know:

  • Noise Levels: Some campgrounds can be noisy. A camper at Anvil Campground noted, "The train that passes by is great for kids, but it can be loud."
  • Site Proximity: Many sites are close together. A visitor at Virginia Beach KOA mentioned, "The RV spots are not even 20 to 25 ft apart from each other."
  • Limited Shade: Some campgrounds have few shaded areas. A camper at Kiptopeke State Park Campground said, "The majority of the sites are on open space, and there are very few shaded ones."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Plan for Activities: Look for campgrounds with family-friendly amenities. A parent at Cherrystone Family Camping Resort shared, "There were a lot of events and options for the family."
  • Check for Kid-Friendly Facilities: Ensure the campground has playgrounds or pools. A visitor at Williamsburg Campground mentioned, "The jumping pillows are awesome for the kids."
  • Bring Bug Spray: Some campgrounds have standing water, which can attract mosquitoes. A camper at First Landing State Park Campground advised, "Once bugs start coming out, there would be a ton of mosquitoes."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Size: Make sure your RV fits the site. A visitor at Holiday Trav-L-Park noted, "The site that I had was very uneven."
  • Look for Full Hookups: Many RVers prefer campgrounds with full hookups. A camper at Chickahominy Riverfront Park appreciated, "Full hookup 30 amp 50 amp fresh water dump station sewage hookup."
  • Be Prepared for Dust: Some campgrounds have dirt roads. A visitor at Virginia Beach KOA mentioned, "The only downside was the dust kicking up from the vehicles going by."

Whether you're looking for a beach getaway or a quiet spot in the woods, the Virginia Beach campgrounds, VA, area has something for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Virginia Beach, VA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Virginia Beach, VA is False Cape State Park with a 4.8-star rating from 11 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Virginia Beach, VA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Virginia Beach, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.