State Parks near Virginia Beach, VA

Young girls and boys, former and current, with their noses in horse books, may be familiar with the infamous tale of Misty of Chincoteague. The well-known pony was rounded up from the wild of Assateague Island, MD, and brought to Chincoteague Island, VA. Of course, this is a fictional account of a true story, but the magical allure of these ponies and Assateague Island is very much real. Consider booking an RV rental to Assateague Island National Seashore, where sea salt coats the breeze and wild ponies roam with ocean water bloated bellies.

Assateague Island, located within Berlin, MD boundaries, was actually connected to Fenwick Island before a fateful storm in August 1933 ripped an inlet between the southern …

Of all of Maryland's state parks, there's only one that's located right on the oceanfront — Assateague State Park. Located at the northern end of Assateague Island, roughly 10 miles southeast of Berlin, the park offers excellent swimming, surfing, fishing, and sunbathing, as well as easy access to the Assateague Island National Seashore.

Best of all, it boasts an RV-friendly campground right next to the beach, so you'll never have to go far to feel the sand between your toes and watch the waves breaking on the shore. If this sounds like your idea of RV camping heaven, search for an RV in Worcester County and get ready to go exploring.

Southeastern Virginia is one of the most scenic areas of the state, being home to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge is located within the independent city of Virginia Beach on the Currituck Banks Peninsula and is spread over 9000-acres of land and water. Ideal for a motorhome camping trip, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge offers a range of outdoor recreation for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. 

Set up in 1938 as a refuge to provide a habitat for feeding and resting of migratory birds, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge grew to its current size in the 1980s, when more land was added to the refuge to expand the critical habitat …

Calvert Cliffs State Park is situated in southern Maryland and overlooks the Chesapeake Bay. The state park is best known for its towering cliffs that have fossils hidden within them. Its beach also features numerous shark teeth from prehistoric species such as Megalodon and Carcharocles. During the early 1600s, the park was also visited by Captain John Smith, who named the impressive cliffs after his family before it was later renamed.

The area has a continental climate, with summers being hot and winters being somewhat frigid. Calvert Cliffs State Park is about an hour away from Washington, D.C., and Annapolis.

Cape Hatteras and the other neighboring islands are considered “barrier” islands, protecting North Carolina’s shores from bad storms and hurricanes. Recognizing that the islands needed protection from mining, fishing, and other commercial enterprises, Cape Hatteras was established as a National Seashore Recreational Area in 1937. This designation allowed people to continue hunting turtles and other wildlife on the islands. Cape Hatteras was recategorized as a National Seashore in 1953, which made it illegal to engage in hunting activities.

One of the main draws to Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a portion of the beaches are open to street-legal vehicles. Around 28 out of 67 miles of seashore can be driven on. Bear in mind, though, permits are required.

The closest …

Legend has it the famous original Chincoteague ponies escaped a shipwreck in the 17th century and swam ashore onto Assateague Island where they have lived ever since. Since the 1830s, the ponies have made an annual swim to the Virginia mainland, where they are rounded up for auction. The event has turned into a popular one for tourists to witness, perhaps in part thanks to Marguerite Henry, who authored the Misty of Chincoteague book series. The event usually occurs on the last Wednesday of July, and as of 2010, it regularly draws over 50,000 spectators.

The closest town is Chincoteague, VA, which has a couple of small grocery stores, a wide variety of gift shops and artists’ galleries, and …

The site of one of the oldest continually farmed plantations anywhere in the country, Chippokes Plantation State Park is a historic and beautiful destination for a motorhome camping vacation. Located in Surry, Virginia, this 1,947-acre park sits on the banks of the James River.

Enjoy a glimpse of what life was like in the 17th century and make the most of the excellent hiking, fishing, and boating opportunities on offer. When you're ready to set up camp for the night, you can park your campervan rental in the Chippokes Plantation State Park Campground.

It's a scenic, shaded, and peaceful place to spend a few nights or more, so let's take a closer look at how to plan the perfect …

When the first English settlers landed in Virginia in 1607, they came ashore on the site now known as First Landing State Park. Located in the beautiful coastal surroundings of Virginia Beach, this 2,888-acre park is an important historic site — but it boasts great camping and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation as well.

When you camp in an RV at First Landing State Park, you can swim in Chesapeake Bay, hike 20 miles of trails, enjoy excellent fishing, or just relax amid beautiful natural scenery. It's a park with plenty to offer for campers young and old, so let's take a closer look at the activities and attractions you can enjoy when you visit this iconic site.

Janes Island State Park is split into two sections. The first section is the mainland portion of the park, which is mostly dedicated to the campgrounds, cabins to rent, picnic areas, pavilions, boat ramp, and marina. The island part of the park is the part that is actually called Janes Island and is made up of over 2900 acres of saltmarsh and pristine beaches.

Despite being easy reaching distance to a number of towns, and the fact that people have harvested the resources of the island for thousands of years, the beaches remain isolated and untouched, making it one of the best places to search for an RV rental in Somerset County. Outdoor lovers can experience a truly rural …

If you're searching for a pretty campground right on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, Kiptopeke State Park is well worth a visit. Located near Cape Charles in the Eastern Shore of Virginia, this 562-acre park boasts beautiful coastal scenery, easy access, and an impressive list of recreational activities.

Best of all, the park's grassy campground offers more than 80 full-hookup sites, so it's a wonderful spot to set up camp in an RV for a few nights or more. Keep reading to find out what there is to do in the park, where to camp, and how to get the most out of your visit.

Medoc Mountain State Park is located in North Carolina, just over an hour northeast of Raleigh the state capital. Despite the name, it’s not actually a mountain, and the highest point is only 325 feet. Medoc Mountain is the remains of a once-massive mountain range that has eroded over millions of years.

The mountain was named Medoc after the wine region in Bordeaux, by the landowner Sidney Weller, and there were vineyards on the land until the early 1900s. In the early 1970s, the land was acquired by the state, and Medoc Mountain State Park was created.

Less than an hour south of Medoc Mountain State Park is the nearest large city of, Rocky Mount, which could make a …

Merchants Millpond State Park lies in northeastern North Carolina, close to the towns of Gatesville, Sunbury, and Murfreesboro. The state park strokes the shorelines of a millpond and the Lassiter Swamp, making it an aquatic dream for fishing, boating, and nature watching. Set in the sparsely populated region of northeast North Carolina, Merchants Millpond State Park is surrounded by some of the most picturesque landscapes in the entire state. The land surrounding Merchants Millpond State Park is adorned with cypress trees, Spanish moss, and beech groves. Alongside this magical natural setting, there is an abundance of wildlife to set your eyes on.

This idyllic setting makes Merchants Millpond State Park one of the best places to take …

Oak Grove Lake Park is located in southeast Virginia close to the towns and cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. Surrounded by the metropolitan area of Chesapeake, Oak Grove Lake Park acts as the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Visitors can delight in the lakeside recreation Oak Grove Lake Park has to offer and not drive for hundreds of miles to do so. Alongside the great fishing, Oak Grove Lake Park also provides its visitors with ample opportunity for hiking, nature watching, and birding.

This endless list of recreational activities, combined with its closeness to many Virginian cities, makes Oak Grove Lake Park the ideal place to take an RV rental. …