Bald cypress knees stick out of the swamp water at First Landing State Park, and the boardwalk through them is the first walk of a Virginia Beach week. The boards stay above the water through shade and moss in the maritime forest, then the trees open onto a Chesapeake Bay beach in the same park. The campground is in those trees, close enough that you walk the swamp and the bay beach without moving the van. You can swim the bay in the morning and drive to the Atlantic in the afternoon without changing campgrounds.
The state calls First Landing Virginia's most-visited state park and warns that weekends bring delays, with arriving cars turned away once parking fills. Summer beach weeks and those weekends are the same dates, so book the campsite first, then the van.
Virginia State Parks take reservations up to 11 months in advance, as of September 2026. First Landing campsites are length-tiered at 20, 30, and 50 feet, so match the van to the pad. If you need more sleeping space than a campervan, look at RVs for rent in Virginia Beach.
False Cape State Park
South of the refuge, six miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach at False Cape State Park have no road in. You get there on foot, by bike, by boat, or on the tram that runs out through Back Bay. The park does not allow public vehicles at any time, and that tram takes a reservation, so the campervan stays at First Landing.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Dike trails at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge cut through freshwater marsh and dune pools between First Landing and False Cape, and waterfowl pack those pools in winter. When the dikes are open, you hike or bike them through the marsh. The refuge is open sunrise to sunset and charges a seasonal vehicle fee, so plan the day around those hours. In the winter months the East Dike and West Dike close for wildlife management, so the way on to False Cape is the beach, on foot, by bike, or by boat.
The oceanfront and the boardwalk
The boardwalk from 2nd Street to 40th Street puts the swimming beach on one side and the King Neptune statue on the sand, with free stages in summer. You leave the van in a day lot, walk the boards, and sleep at First Landing, because overnight camping is not allowed on the strip.
Sandbridge, south of the resort strip, is the quieter beach. Naval Air Station Oceana is the Navy jet base in town.
Kiptopeke State Park and the bridge-tunnel drive are a Norfolk trip. Keep driving south and the coast becomes North Carolina's Outer Banks. Hurricane season is a real factor on this stretch of coast.
