Kiptopeke State Park Beach
Cape Charles, VA
Kiptopeke State Park's two Chesapeake Bay beaches sit just north of the Bay Bridge Tunnel on the Eastern Shore, protected from the open bay's chop by rows of concrete ships scuttled offshore in the 1940s. The north beach is swimming only, while the south beach welcomes leashed dogs, fishing, and small boats alongside swimmers.
The sunken ship breakwater and the split north and south beach setup make this a distinctive Eastern Shore stop, though the unguarded water means swimmers are on their own.
How we score beachesWalk out toward the sunken ships at low tide for a closer look. They're one of the odder sights on the whole Chesapeake, half shipwreck and half breakwater.
A state park parking fee applies at the entrance gate, three miles from the northern end of the Bay Bridge Tunnel toll.
A beach bathhouse and paved paths lead from the main lot to both swimming beaches.
Leashed dogs (6 feet or shorter) are welcome on the south beach and throughout most of the park, but banned entirely from the north swimming beach.
Both beaches are unguarded and open Memorial Day through Labor Day, sunrise to dusk, with water in the mid to upper 70s by August same as the rest of the bay.
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