Kiptopeke State Park is a state park located in the southern end of the

Eastern Shore of Virginia The Eastern Shore of Virginia is the easternmost region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It consists of two counties (Accomack County, Virginia, Accomack and Northampton County, Virginia, Northam ...

and the

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Eastern Shore of Virginia. The peninsula is l ...

in Northampton County, near Cape Charles. The park offers recreational access to the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay with its shoreline, beach, boat ramps and piers, as well as unique migratory bird habitat along the East Coast flyway. It is also known for the concrete ships sunk to protect the former ferry port from erosion during severe storms.

History

Native Americans lived on the Eastern Shore before English colonists arrived in the 17th century. Captain John Smith, who made several historic voyages around Chesapeake Bay, visited this area in 1608 and in 1612 published a book in which he mentioned two major indigenous villages on what became known as Virginia's Eastern Shore. One was ruled by Kiptopeke, and the other by his younger brother, Esmy Shichans, sometimes known as the "Laughing King", who lived somewhat to the north at Occohannock (Aquohanock). The Virginia Company's secretary,

John Pory John Pory (–) was an English politician, administrator, traveller, and author during the Jacobean and Caroline eras; the skilled linguist may have been the first news correspondent in English-language journalism. As the first Speaker of t ...

wrote that Kiptopeke preferred to serve as his younger brother's lieutenant, as well as on the tribal council. Ferries to the Hampton Roads area traveled from Cape Charles since the colonial era. By 1949, the Virginia Ferry Corporation owned the property, which it continued to use through 1964 as the northern terminus for the

Little Creek-Cape Charles Ferry The Little Creek-Cape Charles Ferry was a passenger ferry service operating across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay from the 1930s until 1964. Known also as the ''Princess Anne-Kiptopeke Beach Ferry'' or ''Little Creek-Kiptopeke Beach Ferry'', t ...

service which crossed the lower

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

from the Eastern Shore / Delmarva to

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

and

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

harbor on the Western Shore. In 1964, the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Chesapeake most often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian *Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated places In Virginia * ...

replaced the ferry, as a more convenient (although expensive) method for automobile traffic between the Eastern Shore (and the Delmarva peninsula) and urban centers, including the Hampton Roads region in Virginia (especially Norfolk and Virginia Beach), as well as

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

Amenities

The 562 acre park offers 5.1 miles of biking and hiking trails, as well as water access via several boat launching ramps. The beach is not lifeguard protected, and open with additional fees and services Memorial Day through Labor Day. The lighted fishing pier is open year round (24 hours April through December), and requires a state fishing license. Although visitor center programs vary by season, and kayak rentals and the camp store and bathhouse are only open seasonally, the campground is open nearly year round (except for posted wildlife control events). Modern recreational amenities include " yurts" which are half tent, half cabin. Five new cabins sleep up to 16 people;, group camping and camping trailers are also reserveable. However, potable water supplies are limited, and the campground's recreational vehicle sites only now offer electric and water service (not sewer). While the camp store is closed, access to shopping and supplies is in the commercial district of the nearby town of Cape Charles, or across the toll bridge.

References

Park website
State parks of Virginia Parks in Northampton County, Virginia Protected areas established in 1992 1992 establishments in Virginia Beaches of Virginia {{NorthamptonCountyVA-geo-stub

History

Amenities

See also

References