Chippokes Plantation State Park is located in Surry County, Virginia, on the eastern edge of the state. It is midway between the Hampton Roads area in southeastern Virginia and the state capital in Richmond. With a 90-minute drive separating the big city and a camping area, it's no wonder that Chippokes Plantation is a popular site for overnight and day-use recreation.
Chippokes Plantation State Park offers a historical look at a by-gone era. The plantation that is the center of focus for the park, Chippokes Plantation, is one of the oldest continuously farmed estates in the United States. Explore the buildings and artifacts at Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum while you enjoy camping at this well-maintained historic attraction.
There's plenty to see and do when you come to Chippokes Plantation State Park, in addition to visiting the historic buildings. The park is right across the water from Jamestown and near Williamsburg, providing plenty of entertainment for the whole family. There are also activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and swimming.
This park offers camping in several forms. It has rentable cabins and an RV campground. Swimming in the Olympic-sized pool is included as an amenity for overnight guests. There are no designated places to launch boats, but you can bring your canoe or kayak and enjoy the water. There are also plenty of hiking trails for you to enjoy while staying at Chippokes Plantation State Park.
Chippokes Plantation State Park is located in Surry County, Virginia. It is accessible via VA-10, with easy access to I-95 and I-295. The main entrance is down SR-634. It is important to note that there are weight restrictions on Highgate Road off VA-10, prohibiting vehicles over three tons.
When you get to Chippokes Plantation State Park, you can check-in at the office. If the office is closed upon arrival, you can check-in at the entrance's contact station. In addition to the cabins, there are two camping loops, so you'll want to get directions to your campsite. The Left Loop can accommodate larger RVs, up to 50 feet in length. The Right Loop can only hold RVs up to 30 feet in length. Two vehicles are allowed at each camping site, in addition to the RV or camping trailer. If you have more than two vehicles, you can park in the overflow parking lot.
Williamsburg, VA bills itself as the place where America began. Fittingly, you'll be within a 20-minute drive to Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens Theme Park when you stay at pet-friendly Williamsburg/Busch Gardens Area KOA. Leafy deluxe KOA patio sites with patio furniture, fire ring, and up to 50-amp service await. Get propane and firewood on-site. Shaded, water and electric sites are available too. Keep updated with Wi-Fi and cable TV, stay fit at the pool or with bike rentals, and well-fed at the snack bar. Big rigs are welcome at sites up to 90 feet.
And if that isn’t enough, your dog can be happy here too at the fantastic Kamp K9 dog park where your pooch can run free without a leash for a while. Play like a kid on the gravity rail, jumping pillows, and splash pad. You can even watch outdoor movies under the stars and do some gem mining. There is just so much to do at the Williamsburg/Busch Gardens Area KOA that you may never want to leave.
This spacious campground has 18 large campsites that offer picnic tables and campfire rings with grills for cooking. All the parking pads are paved, six are pull-throughs, and the rest are back-ins. The pads range in size from 30 to 50 feet in length, so you should have no trouble finding a spot large enough for your RV or trailer if you reserve a spot well in advance. Each site also has water and 30 and 50 amp electrical hookups. The campground is open from March through November, and the Left Loop welcomes pets as long as they are supervised and adequately restrained at all times. There are hot showers and modern restrooms with running water on the western side of the campground by the parking lot close to campsite 16. The Left Loop is close to the pool, visitor center, playgrounds, James River, and the Farm and Forestry Museum.
The Right Loop Campground is also open from March through November. Each of the 31 shaded sites has a campfire grill, picnic table, water, and 30-amp electric hookups. These sites tend to be smaller than the Left Loop sites with the maximum size gravel back-in parking pad being 30 feet. Most of the sites will require you to level your rig. There are hot showers and modern restrooms with running water by the parking lot next to the Information Center close to campsite 48. If you have visitors or additional vehicles, you can park them in the overflow parking lot by the swimming pool for a small fee.
If you have more than six people in your camping group, you can reserve one of the four group camping areas. Group sites have a maximum capacity of 24 and do not have electricity. However, they do have fire rings, picnic tables, and a potable water spigot. The amphitheater in the middle of the Right Loop Campground hosts special activities during the busy season, May through August. Pets are allowed, but you need to keep them adequately restrained and supervised at all times.
You can explore the historic buildings around Chippokes Plantation State Park, which includes the antebellum mansion and outbuildings. There is also the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum, which contains relics of Virginia's farming history, and the tools that were used at the plantation. The exhibits illustrate how different people worked, such as blacksmiths and cobblers, and programs run that discuss crops and plantation life. You can even see several livestock animals, including donkeys, goats, and a rabbit, which are cared for by museum staff.
At Chippokes Plantation State Park, there are over 12 miles of trails for RV visitors to enjoy. Most of these paths are grass-covered and maintained for the use of hikers, bikers, and horseback riders, so you may find yourself sharing the trail. After a rain, the trails may get muddy, so come prepared to get a little dirty. You can also experience the College Run Trail, which is 1.3-miles long and paved. It runs from the Visitor Center, which is located near the James River, out to the historic area.
You can bring your horses and go horseback riding in Chippokes Plantation State Park. There are a variety of bridle trails available for riding. Horses are allowed on most of the trails around the park. These 10 miles of trails are shared between bikers and hikers as well, and they tend to be grass-covered. You can park at the horse trailer parking area. Make sure to bring a copy of your horse's negative Coggins test, which is needed to ride in the park.
Pack the family into the RV and head to the Chippokes Plantation State Park for a picnic or BBQ when the weather cools off. The off-season is the perfect time because the park is less crowded, and you can practically have the place to yourselves. There are two picnic shelters available at the park for large groups. Picnic Shelter One can accommodate up to 35 people, has grills, picnic tables, and a restroom. You will also have an amazing view of the James River from this shelter. The second shelter holds up to 65 people, has electricity, grills, tables, and a restroom. From this shelter, you can see the James River, and you are close to the visitor center as well.
Don’t forget to pack your swimming suits and floaties in the RV because Chippokes Plantation State Park has an excellent Olympic-sized swimming pool for RV guests to use. There is also a kiddie pool in the park that children can use. The pools are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Swimming is included as part of your reservation fees when you're staying at the campground. However, the swimming pool may not be open every day, such as early in the summer, when the pool is only open on weekends.
There is limited boating available at Chippokes Plantation State Park. No motorized boats are allowed, and there is not a distinct boat launch for you to use. However, you can bring kayaks and canoes into the park and launch them from the banks of the James River, as well as College Run Creek. You must park your vehicles in designated parking locations, such as at the Farm and Forestry Museum visitor center. You'll need to bring your own watercraft since there are no boat rentals available within the park.
Make sure you put your fishing gear in the motorhome before you head out to the park. Fishing is available at Chippokes Plantation State Park. It is freshwater rather than saltwater fishing, and you can fish from the banks of the James River, as well as College Run Creek. There is a bridge over College Run Creek that you can fish from as well. You will need a Virginia fishing license to fish at Chippokes Plantation State Park. You can obtain this license from the Virginia Departments of Game and Inland Fisheries Department.
Pack the bikes in the rig so you can enjoy some of the great trails at Chippokes Plantation State Park. The 0.9-mile Lower Chippokes Creek Trail is a fun trek that is pretty tame and easy for just about any rider. You may also enjoy the 0.7-mile James River Trail, which takes you up to the overlook where you can see the river, creek, and the surrounding forest. If you want a longer ride, hit the 8.2-mile Chippokes Creek Equestrian Trail, which takes you up and down some gnarly hills and curves while enjoying the views of the tobacco and cotton fields, working farms, and even an old car or two.
