Trip: 56
Nights: 187-188

And the 2026 camping season has started. We spent the weekend at Machicomoco State Park near Gloucester, VA. It's only a 70-minute drive from home. Until a few weeks ago it was Virginia's newest state park, as it opened in 2021. It is dedicated to the history of the native people who lived there for centuries before any Europeans showed up.

The park features the Timberland mansion, which was built in 1793. It was open for tours, but we had the dog with us, so we did not take the tour. It also features an open-air pavilion that highlights the history of the land and the people inhabiting it, starting with the end of the last ice age. Furthermore, it is waterfront, so there is also a car-top boat launch.

The campground has a total of 27 campsites: 13 with electric and water hookups for various equipment—tents, pop-ups, and RVs up to 60 feet long—and 14 walk-in tent-only sites. The RV sites are mostly open with very limited shade. We had a beautiful weekend, but I don't think I'd want to camp there in July and August. The bathhouse is immaculate, featuring 10 or so private, large bathrooms, a few of which also have showers. The campsites are only mowed in a 3 or 4 foot perimeter around the camping pad. The rest of the area is managed in a natural state for pollinators.

Outside the campground, the grounds are a mix of York River and tributary shoreline, large, expansive meadows, and some forest. It's fabulous birding habitat. We got 53 species on Saturday and 50 on Sunday. On Saturday afternoon we ventured into town to kick back at the Gloucester Brewing Company, where I had fine examples of a red ale and a brown ale. Our evenings were passed as they usually are, with us playing cards or board games.

It was a fabulous start to the camping season. Machicomoco State Park is a wonderful addition to the Virginia State Park system, and we will likely return in the fall.