Chippokes Plantation State Park

I love this park!
At the end of the beach there is a trail that goes through the forest. It leads you to the top of the hill. There are some benches at the top. Really neat spot.
This place has a lot of pretty shells.
Good place to go camping.

Enjoyed myself at this park! I went at late morning so it was very warm but we (my kids and I) walked the trail past the water to the house and gardens. Met by a very nice lady that directed my exhausted children to a drinking fountain. We stopped in the gift shop, took a tour of the house and gardens. Saw great views of the water and fields. A few farm animals were out to include a pig, goats and donkeys. There area a few trails for biking, hiking and horses. An Olympic size pool for an additional charge is available as well. There is a lot to see on the area as well to make a great day trip.

We camped here before going to Jamestown — very nice, quiet park that is convenient to a free ferry to Jamestown that runs 3 times an hour (ask a park ranger for the shortcut). My only regret is that we did not plan to stay longer.

This is a really neat spot, with a nice-​sized museum and still active plantation and farm. The views of the river from the plantation are absolutely stunning.
I came here this past weekend because it was the home base for the Virginia Duathlon. The two running legs were all within the park which had a couple of steep hills. I’d like to come back to explore a little more and go for a run on the 8 mile equestrian trail (which from what I can tell is mostly double track logging roads). Open pastures and a small beach along the river make for idyllic picture-​taking. If you’re visiting the Williamsburg this is a nice short side trip as you can ride the free ferry from Jamestown, stroll around the park and have lunch in the TINY town of Surry. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time once you reach the south side of the James.

Lovely park along the James River. They do a great job of showing what farm life was like back in the day along the James. Lots and lots of quiet beach to explore and a few walking trails. Try to get a tour of the mansion too while you’re there. Oh and during the summer be sure to check out the GIANT swimming pool.

The is a Great State Park hidden just a Ferry Ride across The James from Williamsburg.
It is the longest and oldest continuously farmed land in the United States of America. There is a farm equipment museum on site.
There is a Plantation House, a farm house, and many animals.
There are trails, a pool, camping, and beaches on the James.
Hwy 10 is the historic Colonial Trail that Stage Coaches used to go from Tidewater to Richmond.
There are a number of interesting tidbits around Chippokes.

Camped for a week with our Pop Up Camper. A lot of the sites in the A loop were very unlevel but doable. The staff was great. Make sure to go by the vistors center to get a line up of all the activities.

A nice park with lots to do. Picnic tables with a beautiful view of the river. Never did find the hiking trails but still had a good time. There was a spot with farm animals and a barn with farm equipment. We got to grind corn the old fashioned way.

This was the best vacation idea! We stayed here for a week in cabin #2. With easy access to the ferry to go explore Williamson, Jamestown, and Busch Gardens. The grounds were gorgeous, loved seeing the animals, deer, birds, crabs, goats, mules, pigs etc. Everyone was so nice. We took a tour of the mansion and learned a lot. Our family went for bike rides almost everyday. The kitchen was stocked with everything we could need to cook at home. The beds were nice, comfortable amount of space. There were journals in the front hall filled with experiences from those who stayed before us (very helpful). We couldn’t have been more happy to have made the choice to stay here. The water was hot in the shower… beautiful claw-​foot tub. The house was built in the 1850’s and it was just beautiful. We did have a friend named Mikey (a mouse) that must live there all year long. We choose not to do anything about him, it just added to the experience. So we made sure to keep all food in tubs away from him. He loved sharing our bagels… we found him scurrying around several times. He was not shy. We can’t wait to go back again!

This is a really nice campground not too far from VB; about an hour and a half or less and not in horrible 64W traffic (we take 64E to ¹⁰⁄₃₂).
We generally tent camp but happened to stay with my parents in their pop up this trip. If you do have a tent though, they have great tent pads that are very flat and cleared. Actually, we could have put up our huge tent alongside my parents pop up and still had plenty of room to spare. Their sites are among the biggest I’ve seen in the area, and in loop B they are very shaded and woody. We made sure to get a site on the inside of the loop so it had a direct path to the restroom; if you are on the outer loop you have to walk all the way around. The new loop they made is great for bigger campers (pull through), but a little too «new» for what I would want as a tent camper; it just doesn’t have the same woodsy feel as our loop did.
The bathrooms are one of the best aspects; or at least the showers. They aren’t situated in the bathrooms like most showers, but rather on the outside. There were 3 or 4 and you just access them right from the side of the building; open the individual door and there is your individual bathroom. This is nice for campers because I always find it annoying to have to shower at a different time than my husband because we only pack one toiletry bag to cut down on luggage, so only one at a time can go. At Chippokes, we just shower together, and this time I was even able to bring our 2 year old in with me and use a handicapped stall with a detachable shower head so she could sit and not be scared of the whole shower process (up until now she has only been in a tub). She actually had a blast.
They have a nice HUGE pool, and while we were swimming the first day, we saw deer walking by in the meadow behind the pool. There is also access to the James River if you drive down to the visitor center; if you take a short path down to the water its like a little beach, although make sure you bring water shoes because its a shell beach and not good for bare feet once you wade in.
Definitely a great trip, we will be back for sure!

Did I mention that we love to camp?
Last year, our family tried to camp in as many Virginia State parks as work and school/​activity schedules would allow. Chippokes Plantation was on our list for many reasons: proximity to great attractions, beautiful scenery and the great events that they host. Because my men (ten and forty-​something going on ten) are obsessed with machinery, we camped here for the Antique Steam and Gas Engine Show. It was a gear-head’s dream. «B» loop has paved roads and several pull-​throughs. The older loop was better suited to small rigs and tent sites, however the entire campground was well maintained and clean. The campground was within easy walking distance of the camp store and the pool, but it also has ample parking, if you don’t want to walk. As with any summer camping by a large body of water, bring your bug repellent, because they are vicious! Try to bring everything you need, because while you do feel close to the cities, you really aren’t. So much to do but we also went over to Bacon’s Castle for a tour. The docents there are very knowledgeable and the site is a little known gem of local history. This Virginia State Park is great for families and I can’t wait to camp there again in the fall. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.