Each of Virginia's beautiful state park offers something that any visitor can enjoy. Sometimes, it can be difficult to decide which to visit. If you consider yourself to be a bit of an outdoor adventurer, history buff, and you happen to have a knack for finding things, you might consider a trip to Chippokes Plantation State Park. In addition to offering visitors the opportunity to learn about the history of Chippokes Plantation, the park also offers unique yurt camping accommodations. And perhaps most incredibly of all, there's the opportunity to search for fossils on the beach. Curious to learn more about this state park in Surry, Virginia? Read on!
Located across the James River from Jamestown awaits a breathtaking state park thats natural beauty, extensive history, and unique activities are hard to beat.
Chippokes Plantation State Park is located on a working farm, which has been continuously operating since 1619. The park offers visitors the unique chance to engage in the history of the land.
On site is a stately antebellum building as well as some slavery outbuildings which have been preserved for their history. In fact, it is because of the tireless efforts of the slaves that the farm was able to operate at all.
If you’re looking to spend more than just an afternoon at the state park, you might consider renting a cabin or yurt. Yurts are essentially a cross between a tent and a cabin, and provide all the necessary shelter.
The cabins, one of which is photographed above, are equally as cozy and provide the perfect base point for exploring the park.
Throughout the day, you’ll find endless opportunities to explore all that this park has to offer. Beyond the traditional realm of kayaking and hiking, there’s another activity that could impress just about anyone: fossil searching.
Walking along the shores of the James River, you’ll want to look closely and see if you can spot any fossils. The kinds that you might see are giant shark teeth from the Megalodon, although the Chesapecten jeffersonius are more common.
This specific kind of fossil are all that remains of an extinct species that existed between 4 and 5 million years ago.
Walking along the beautiful James, you’ll marvel at the fact that the shoreline was once part of an ancient seabed.
Have you visited Chippokes Plantation State Park before? If so, we'd love to hear about your experience there! For more information, be sure to visit the official Virginia State Park website by clicking here.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
