Chippokes Plantation State Park

IF YOU GO

Chippokes Plantation State Park 695 Chippokes Park Road Surry, VA 23883 Phone: 757-294-3728 Web: dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/chippokes-plantation Email: chippokes@dcr.virginia.gov The park grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk daily. The park office, visitor center and gift shop are open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some interpretive programs are being offered. Check the online program schedule for information and note that reservations may be required.

Acres of riverfront beauty and fun

By Nate Delesline III Staff Writer

For more than 50 years, Chippokes Plantation State Park has offered visitors nearly 2,000 acres of fun.

The Surry County-based park actually saw attendance on par with previous years despite months of quarantine and social distancing. In 2020, more than 156,000 people visited the park — 25,989 for camping, 3,368 stayed in a cabin and 127,019 visited just for the day.

Park manager Ben Richard said months of mandatory quarantines and social distancing likely inspired people to come out and play in a place where they can enjoy fresh air, waterfront fun and open space.

Last spring, when the pandemic took hold, state parks didn’t close. “The governor was encouraging folks to try and get outdoors for their health and wellness and we really saw a large influx of day use visitors,” Richard said. “So even though our cabins were closed for a couple months and our campground was closed for a few months, our day use visitation really skyrocketed.”

And when the campgrounds opened, it “pretty much stayed full the rest of the season, because people maybe weren’t able to go and travel to other places,” Richard continued. “And what we realized was we were getting a lot of folks here, in Surry County, that maybe typically would have gone to Williamsburg and gone to Busch Gardens or maybe some other venues that weren’t open.”

In addition to camping, the park offers 12 miles of trails, fishing and boating, picnic facilities and horseback areas and historic sites just across the James River from Historic Jamestown and Williamsburg and about a 20-minute drive from downtown Smithfield.

The history of the land that is now the park goes back more than 400 years. It was private property until being gifted to the state in 1967. It’s been a working farm since 1619 and the park’s historic area, featuring an antebellum mansion and farm outbuildings, are open to the public, as is the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum.

“We’re trying to look forward and plan some events as though we’re going to be able to hold them like usual,” Richard said. “Time will tell whether we’ll be able to bring those to fruition.” Some recurring annual events include an Easter egg hunt, a steam and gas engine show, a harvest festival and a holiday open house.

Even if the park isn’t able to bring back a full schedule of events and formal programs, “there’s still a lot to do here. People can come out to the park and lead their own adventure and explore on their own.” The park grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. The park office, visitor center and gift shop are also open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Check online for the latest information on park facilities and programs.