So you want to go to Chincoteague Island and you need a place to camp. Campground choices on Chincoteague Island are somewhat limited. If you’re like me, you research all your options to find the best fit for you. However, there is only one type of camping on the island no matter which one you chose.
The campgrounds here are all privately owned and offer resort type camping. Campsites are close together. I also found them to be on the expensive side of what I would usually spend for a campsite, which I wasn’t expecting from this small town beach community. The following are all your campground options.
Tom’s Cove Park Campground
With over 460 RV/trailer sites and 55 tent site, in addition to the 399 seasonal sites, Tom’s Cove is the biggest campground on the island located at 8128 Beebe Road. Sites are right next to each other so if you’re looking for spacious wooded camping this is not it. They have no hookup sites, water, and electric sites, full hookup sites and some 50 amp full hook up sites. Most are back-in with very few pull-thru available.
The campground is located right on the Assateague Channel so you can see beautiful sunrises right from your campsite. There is a pool, three fishing piers, boat launch, large camp store, laundry, playground, and clubhouse. Although they have a tent only section, you can tent on any site. There are three dump stations available for dumping and several restrooms throughout the campground.
Rates for 2019 are $36 for tents, $48 electric and water, $50 electric, water and sewer ($54 with 50 amp service) and waterfront $58 with electric and water. If you want cable it’s an additional $5 a day, for more information visit http://www.tomscovepark.com/.
Reservations are made through the mail or in person only as this campground doesn’t accept credit cards, only cash and checks. Specific sites are not guaranteed and either is full hook up. Holiday weekend, as well as Pony Swim, has a three-night minimum stay.
All sites have picnic tables and a place to have a fire but not necessary a fire ring (ours was just a place on the dirt). During select weekends they have activities in their pavilion including games, crafts, bands, and movies.
Our Experience at Tom’s Cove
We stayed at Tom’s Cove Park Campground offseason (the end of April) so the campground wasn’t crowded. We had a beautiful waterfront spot with water and electric hookup. Although it was windy one day and buggy another, the view from our site was breathtaking. We were able to see the Assateague Lighthouse with its bright twin light at night.
The staff here was very friendly and helpful. However, it rained heavy one night, although our campsite was fine, many sites were flooded to the point that you couldn’t get out of your camper without stepping in large puddles.
The campground looks rundown and could use some improvements. We didn’t use the restrooms so I couldn’t tell you how they were. The main reason we picked this campground over the KOA was the price as we just could not justify spending over $100 a night off-season at the KOA. At the same time, Tom’s Cove cost us $63 a night and for what was there, was way too much. We’ve been to nicer campgrounds for way less.
Chincoteague Island KOA Resort
Chincoteague KOA Campground is located on Maddox Blvd and is the closest campground to Assateague Island. With over 400 sites, this 200-acre campground, with a view of Assateague Channel, has something for everyone. They offer themed weekends during the season, playground for the kids, pool, fishing pier, and kayak launch area.
The campground runs Maui Jack’s Waterpark and offers exclusive discounts for anyone staying there. Read more about the waterpark and the Chincoteague area here https://ourusaadventures.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-chincoteague-island-va/.
As in most KOA campground, sites are close together and have everything from no hookup tents to deluxe patio sites with 50 amp full hook up and cable. There are also 15 bungalows (no bathrooms), 11 deluxe cabins, 13 glamping tents (no bathroom) and 10 RV rentals to choose from if you don’t have your own RV or tent.
Prices for this campground are high and vary depending on the season. During season tent sites start at $50 a night and RV sites start at $65 and go up to over $130 per night. You can find more details here at https://koa.com/campgrounds/chincoteague/.
Pine Grove Campground
Pine Grove Harbor Campground is located at the end of Deephole Road on 37 acres with 6 ponds in addition to a wildlife sanctuary with ducks, swans and other species of waterfowl. They also have llamas, goats, ponies, and peacocks. They have a newly renovated pool.
Pine Grove has tent and RV sites and offers full hookup and water and electric sites but no cable or Wi-Fi. Tent sites have a hookup. Their website really doesn’t give you much information about the campground, few pictures and doesn’t include a camp map or pricing.
Campground reviews are very mixed on the internet with several bad reviews from campers. Because of this, we decided not to stay here. To learn more about this campground visit http://www.pinegrovecampground.com/.
Tall Pine Harbor Waterfront Campground
Although not in Chincoteague, Tall Pines Harbor Waterfront Campground is located on Tall Pines Lane in Temperceville, VA, which is 20 miles (around 30 minutes with no traffic) away. It’s located on Pocomoke Sound and is a full-service resort style campground offering many amenities and activities.
They have all types of sites available from tents to full hook motorhome pull thru, 50 amp sites with patios. Prices range from $39 to $79 depending on site and time of year. They also have cabins (maximum 4 people) for $99 to $129 as well as RV rentals ranging from $79 to $179.
Amenities include a pool with a splash park, covered pavilion, new bathhouses, sandy beach, snack bar, playground, laundry, and arcade. Ice, propane, dump station, honey wagon service, and insect control are available for your convenience.
They rent golf carts, kayaks, paddle boats, and pedal karts. They sponsor theme weekends and events throughout the season check here for information http://tallpinesharbor.com/.
I hope the above has made your campground choices on Chincoteague Island easier. This area is beautiful, and despite the higher cost of the campgrounds here, you should discover all that Chincoteague has to offer for yourself.
Great information. Thanks for helping me choose what campground to stay at.
Your welcome. Enjoy your trip!
First I noticed that you didnt include the Bunker Hill Campground, very wise move. I have stayed at Tom’s Cove several years dating back to 2001, anyhow when the thunderstorms come in during the summer, mainly during the week of the pony swim this campground floods in several different places, also the septic system overflows and if you are camping in a tent one dump station is on the other side of the fence and I can tell you horrible smell. As for the shower house across from the pool 90% of them do not work or have broken locks or simply no hot water, the restroom across from the pool no locks on a couple of the ladies stalls and busy weeks septic overflows. This past summer when the septic overflowed I had to go to management and complain they were shocked that the septic was coming up through the ground and sent a couple workers back to check it out, well the one worker said he didnt have time for this brought a backhoe back with a load of sand and dumped it on the sewage. Sure didnt take long for the sand to become saturated, but I can tell you one thing for sure they stay on top of the trash pick up coming around several times a day picking up your trash right at your sight and they give campers trash bags. Security is on top of things here, it’s a safe place to stay.
It’s a shame because the campground is right on the water. At night we looked at the light on the lighthouse and such beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
All they want is your money. Camped there for yrs and spent 3 yrs with a trailer on a rented space. It was a ton of money, poor service, and management who didn’t give a sh*t. We left and won’t ever return.
I’m sorry you had this experience. We like Chincoteague and we were glad that we went but I wasn’t happy with the campgrounds. I’ve camped in many other nicer campgrounds for a lot less money.