First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park is located on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

First Landing State Park was originally named Seashore State Park. The name was changed in 1997 to First Landing State Park to commemorate the first landing of the Virginia Company of colonists.

First Landing State Park is Virginia’s most popular state park welcoming over one million visitors a year. It boasts 19 miles (31km) of hiking/biking trails; over 200 campsites; and access to miles of beach along the Chesapeake Bay.

Site Review:

First Landing State Park offers a variety of camping sites. There are unserviced tent sites, as well as water/electric sites that can accommodate equipment up to 50 ft.

Reserving Sites:

“Site-Specific”

Some of the camping sites are referred to as “site-specific”. What this means is that you can reserve one of these sites in advance. There is a variety to choose from.

For my money, I would choose one of the water/electric sites closest to the water. The campground is located behind the dunes and is not visible from the beach.

Site #175 is probably the best site in the park.

It is one of the only pull-thru sites; has beach access; is close to the boardwalk and is relatively close to the comfort station.

“Non-specific sites”

There are also about 30 reservable, non-specific sites with water and electric hook-ups.

What this means is that you reserve a site based on how large of a site you need for your equipment. You are not reserving a specific site -just the specific size of site you need. You then select whatever site is available in your size category when you arrive. The site number signs are colour coded to help you determine what site you can choose. Ex: if you needed a 30ft site you would be assigned a “pink” site. When you arrive at First Landing you would drive around the campground to view all the available “pink” sites. You would then be able to pick whatever “pink” site you want. The earlier you arrive the more selection you would have.

I have absolutely no idea why they have these 2 different site reserving approaches. The reservable non-specific site method makes no sense to me but its an option at First Landing State Park.

Our Site:

I would generally reserve a site-specific site. This, however, was a last-minute trip for us, and all that was available was the reservable non-specific sites. Our site ended up being pretty good. It was spacious and shaded. Nothing here is really that far from anything else. 

Site Quality:

The sites in the non-specific site section were generally okay. They were in a treed section and there was reasonable privacy between the sites. The main problem with some of the sites in the non-specific section, however, is that several sites back directly onto Shore Drive. This is also true for some of the unserviced sites in the tent section. Shore Drive is a busy traffic artery leading directly to the main beach area of Virginia Beach. Traffic noise is an issue.

All the sites at First Landing State Park are an easy walking distance to the Chesapeake Bay Beach.

There are numerous comfort stations throughout the park. All are basic and fairly clean. 

There is a camp store,

and the Visitor Centre near the entrance to the park.

The dump station is easy to access even with the largest of equipment.

Activities:

There are 2 main activities at First Landing State Park:

Hiking: 

There are approximately 10 different trails that you can access.

They range in difficulty from easy to moderate. Two of the trails are suitable for biking as well.

The trails are wide and well maintained and meander through a marsh forest. The Trail Visitor Centre can give you specific information about each trail.

Beach:

The Chesapeake Bay Beach is long and natural. There are no amenities i.e no washrooms, no equipment rental, no snack shacks, or picnic facilities- just beach!

You will see the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier in the distance, from where you access the beach via one of the campground boardwalks. It will take you a minimum of 30 minutes to walk to it (probably more like 45min). There you will find a small restaurant and a public washroom. There is a $12USD charge to access the pier.

The Lynnhaven Fishing Pier is a popular spot for crabbing-especially for the Chesapeake Bay Blue crab. The pier is licensed so you don’t need a separate fishing licence to fish from there. If you choose to fish elsewhere along the shore, a Virginia fishing licence would be required.

Virginia Beach:

The famous beach area of Virginia Beach is about 10km away from First Landing State Park. You would turn left and take Shore Drive as you exit the campground.

I rode my bike there, the road is flat and well marked with a separate bike lane. I got to the beach in less than 30 minutes.

Virginia Beach is the world’s longest beach with more than 35 miles of ocean and bay beaches.

More than 3 million people visit this resort town every year. There is a 3-mile long boardwalk along the main beach area and a separate bike path.

Attractions in the Area:

Within an hour travelling distance from Virginia Beach, you will find the colonial towns of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown; the Busch Gardens amusement park; as well as top restaurants,  golf courses, and boat tours. When we visited Virginia Beach some of the activities that we enjoyed were:

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Centre:

This was a nice aquarium that featured a 6 storey high National Geographic 3D theatre. Wildlife that you could view there included; Sea turtles, sharks, seals, otters and a touch tank where you could interact with stingrays.

Also from the Virginia Aquarium, you can (for an additional fee) take a boat trip to view dolphins. You can also participate in rope climbing and zip line adventures at their outdoor Adventure Park. 

Dolphin Watching Cruise:

We went to a small marine area across Pacific Avenue near 5th St. at the Rudee inlet. There you will find all manner of boating and fishing charters. We went with Rudee Tours for a Dolphin Cruise, but I have no opinion as to whether one cruise is better than another.  Our selection of tours and times was limited due to the time of year that we visited. 

The cruise itself was pretty uneventful. It did offer some excellent views of the beach and resort area. The seabirds were fun to watch as they flew and dove for fish.

And we did see dolphins!

The cruise was about 1.5 hours long and it delivered what it advertised.

We also went on a couple of day trips from First Landing State Park during our stay:

 Colonial Williamsburg:

Colonial Williamsburg is about an hour’s drive from First Landing State Park. Williamsburg was the capital of the Virginia Colony from 1699 to 1780. The area has been restored to depict that era. It occupies over 300 acres, contains more than 500 buildings, and includes more than 40 trade and historic sites.

“Must-sees” include:

The Capitol:

The Courthouse:

The Governors Palace:

The Art Museum:

A nice place to stop for lunch was the Cheese Shop in the Merchant Square where you could custom order sandwiches that are served on freshly baked bread.

Eastern Shore of Virginia:

This day trip was a bit longer. We drove our tow vehicle and crossed the Chesapeake Bay using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. 

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel:

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is the largest bridge-tunnel complex in the world. In 2000 the Bridge-Tunnel was recognized as one of the “7 Structural Engineering Wonders of America for the 20th Century.” The bridge measures 17.6 miles from shore to shore, has 12 miles of trestled roadway and 2 tunnels each a mile long. The tunnels protect 2 of the world’s most important shipping channels. The bridge-tunnel can be seen from the beach at First Landing State Park. The cost of a car to go one way over the bridge is $13USD.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a 70-mile peninsula on the mid-Atlantic seaboard- with the Chesapeake Bay on one coast and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel allows access to the southern tip.

There are many worthy day trip destinations once on the peninsula- we chose to go to Chincoteague Island.

Chincoteague Island:

Chincoteague Island is a picturesque beach village. The main claim to fame besides the “Chincoteague Salt” oysters is the Chincoteague Ponies (or the Assateague Horse as they are known as in  Maryland). The ponies actually live on the uninhabited Assateague Island and have evolved over hundreds of years. Several legends are told regarding the origins of the ponies, the most popular holds that they descend from survivors of wrecked Spanish galleons off the Virginia coast.  The island is divided between Virginia and Maryland and is one of only a handful of places in the US where you can find wild horses.

We went on a small 2-hour cruise to view them with Chincoteague Island Adventures. There were only 6 of us on a pontoon boat. We cruised around Assateague Island where we saw several groups of them. The captain was informative and entertaining. It is also possible to view dolphins while on this tour but it wasn’t our luck that day.

NASA/Wallops Facility:

We stopped at the NASA/ Wallops Visitor Center on our way back along the peninsula to  First Landing State Park. This is a case of stumbling upon something we didn’t even know was there.

This NASA facility launches rockets to take supplies to the International Space Station, as well as periodically launching satellites. A check ahead to the NASA website would tell you when upcoming launches would be. It should be noted that most happen in the wee morning hours. It is an interesting stop if Space is your thing.

Monticello:

I am including our stop to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson’s estate) even though it was a 3 hr drive from First Landing State Park. It was part of our road trip and may be of interest to some who are travelling a similar route.

After arriving at Monticello, you purchase your ticket at the visitor area.

It is a timed ticket and tells you exactly when your tour will commence. A shuttle bus takes you up to the estate.

(You could walk there is a path)

The tour consists of the main floor of the Jefferson home. The guide was informative and pointed out some interesting features of the house. There was also a “Garden” tour and a “Slavery at Monticello” tour. We chose to walk these areas at our pace.

I, however, was less than awed. The more you learn about Jefferson the man- the more unlikable he actually became. 

Monticello is a nice house and the grounds are lovely, but I regret spending the money to go there and wouldn’t go again, nor would I recommend anyone else to go.

Things to Know:

1.  Pets are allowed in Virginia State Parks but you must have proof of rabies vaccination.
2. Fort Story Military Base is located directly beside First Landing State Park. There is often the sound of aircraft, as well as other training noises that can be heard in the campground. Typically all is quiet by 10 pm.  The Cape Henry Lighthouse is located on the base. You are able to visit the lighthouse, however, be prepared to show a government ID, have valid insurance for your vehicle and expect to have your car searched.
3. It should be noted that road signage is virtually non-existent as you approach First Landing State Park from the highway. It is best to know your route in advance or trust your GPS.
4. Take care when choosing a campsite location. Avoid sites that are closest to Shore Drive. All that separates these spots from the road is a chain-link fence. Vehicle noise would be an issue.

IMO:

I really enjoyed First Landing State Park and the easy access to the Chesapeake Bay beach. The campground is conveniently located to many other attractions in the general area. Virginia Beach was a pleasant surprise. I think I expected a tired, dated tourist trap town, but it wasn’t that at all. It was very fresh, tidy, and clean. I really enjoyed the Boardwalk and strolling on the Fishing Pier.

Big fan of First Landing State Park and Virginia Beach!