If you’re in the Virginia/Delaware area and looking for some time at the beach, here are two campgrounds you might want to consider.
Table of Contents
Getting to Delaware
The Route
Through Norfolk, the GPS wanted to take us through the middle. On a previous trip, we discovered that taking I-64 around Norfolk, instead of straight through the middle, lets us skip the tunnel (and propane check). It is a minute or two longer, but $2.00 less in tolls.
For a more detailed description of the situation, see this blog post from a previous trip to Maryland. (That post also talks about one of our favorite dog-friendly rest stops.)
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is always a great place to look for osprey. Watch the top of the light poles. Chances are it’s a seagull or an osprey, and osprey are pretty distinctive.
We saw 15 osprey on our first trip across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel! On the way home, I only saw a handful of them. I don’t know if the difference had something to do with the time of day. Going north, we crossed the bridge in the afternoon; on the way home, we crossed the bridge around 7:45 a.m.
If You Need a Place to Stop
After you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, while heading north on US-13, you’ll pass through many small towns and agricultural areas. These areas can be tricky when towing because there aren’t a lot of truck stops or places with large parking lots. We noticed a few places along the way where we could have stopped and thought we’d take notes for next time.
- The first thing on the right after crossing the bridge-tunnel. Enormous parking lot and access to some hiking opportunities if you want to make a longer stop. We talk more about it in this blog post.
- Hardee’s on US-13 in Cape Charles, VA has trailer parking! (See screenshot below)
- There’s also a Hardee’s in Onley, VA in a large shopping center. There’s plenty of parking and space to turn around. There’s also a Food Lion, Pizza Hut, and more.
Where We Stayed
Jellystone Park–Delaware Beaches
The Campground
With about 271 sites (including cabins as well as RV and tent sites), this campground isn’t small. Somehow it felt smaller, or maybe less crazy, than the KOA mentioned later in this post.
This campground has it all. There’s a pool, a small splash pad, and water slides.
The playground was pretty impressive.
The dog park left something to be desired. It was a little on the small side and an inconvenient shape…like a skinny rectangle. That shape doesn’t really lend itself to dogs playing or running around.
This is the first campground in 5 years of camping to ever ask at check-in for copies of the dogs’ rabies certificates (which we have electronically and sent via email). Many campgrounds say you need to have it, but no one has ever asked to see it until this one.
Sadly, we saw several spotted lantern flies. They’re an invasive insect native to China, India, and Vietnam that damages many native plant species. You can read all about them on the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s website.
| Campground Name | Jellystone Park–Delaware Beaches |
| Location | Lincoln, DE |
| Dates | July 31-August 2, 2025 |
| Site Number | Site 39 |
| Site Surface | gravel; really needed red leveling blocks |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups |
| Cost | $152.33 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | 40 psi |
| Voltage | 120 V |
Our Site
Our site was a little tricky to get in because of the angle, but the privacy it gave us made it well worth the trouble! We had one neighbor on the RV’s business side, but only trees on the fun side and behind us.
There was one RV site in front of us, but it was empty while we were there, so we had a nice buffer before the cabins started. We also got lovely afternoon shade.
We definitely needed our red levelers, as the site wasn’t level from side to side.
Our site had another one of those big trees (bushes?) with giant leaves and long, skinny pods. Still no idea what they are, but they’re cool.
Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay KOA
The Campground
Between RV sites and cabins, the campground has at least 288 sites. There’s also a building that looks like a hotel, but it isn’t mentioned on the campground map or included in lodging options on their website.
This was a really busy campground! When I took the dogs out for their before-bed walk, there were kids riding bikes, adults gathered around campfires, and groups of kids hanging out near the playground.
Sidenote: I’m really tired of people who don’t keep their dogs on leash! While we were out walking, someone’s dog ran up to us while the owner cheerfully called, “He’s friendly!”
We have worked so hard with Aiken on his leash reactivity, and having random dogs run up to us doesn’t help. I don’t care if your dog is friendly. Aiken is too, with proper introductions, but being rushed by an off-leash dog out of the blue, while he’s on a leash, isn’t a proper introduction. Ok, getting off my soapbox now.
We were only here overnight, so we didn’t get to take advantage of the amenities, but it looked like a great place. The dog park was spacious. There’s a full-service restaurant and a dog-friendly beach. The list goes on. I didn’t get enough pictures, so you’ll have to visit their website to learn more.
In addition to all of the campsites, they have what looks like a hotel. However, I couldn’t find anything about it on their website, nor is it mentioned on the campground map. It seems pretty big to be used as lodging for staff. It’s a mystery.
| Campground Name | Cape Charles/Chesapeake Bay KOA |
| Location | Cape Charles, VA |
| Dates | August 2-3, 2025 |
| Site Number | Site 607 |
| Site Surface | grass |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups |
| Cost | $130.09 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | Forgot to check! |
| Voltage | Forgot to check! |
Our Campsite
Our site wasn’t my favorite, but it was perfectly reasonable. It was all grass. There weren’t any trees. If we’d stayed longer, I think we would have noticed the lack of shade, but for a night, it wasn’t a big deal. We had neighbors to our left and right as well as behind us. Because of the lack of trees or any illusion of privacy, it felt a little crowded.
Next Time Visiting Delaware
- Barrier Island Center and Museum: This is only 25 minutes north of the Cape Charles KOA, so totally possible to visit after you’ve unhooked at the campground. We haven’t ever been there, so I can’t actually recommend it, but it sounds like it would be interesting.
- Turner Sculpture: The sign out front says Bronze Sculpture Wildlife Art Gallery. It’s on US-13, about 45 minutes north of the Cape Charles KOA and 2 hours south of the Delaware Beaches Jellystone. Every time we pass it, I want to go in, but we’re always towing, and I don’t think we’d fit in the parking lot. But if you’re in a smaller rig, it looks like an interesting place!
- Rehoboth Beach: About 30 minutes from the Delaware Beaches Jellystone. On the boardwalk, you’ll find restaurants and all kinds of shops. Personally, I recommend Thrasher’s Fries and the creamy mint sticks at Candy Kitchen.
More Photos
I only noticed while editing photos for this blog post, but I believe this osprey has a fish!
Happy travels!
