Top things to Do - 15 minutes from Cape Charles
The Southern tip of the Eastern Shore is full of adventures - awesome things to see and do! Don’t miss the Top 8 Things to do 15 minutes from Cape Charles.
The Cape Charles Museum
814 Randolph Ave, Cape Charles
The Cape Charles Museum is located on Randolph Avenue right as you come into town and is housed in an old electric generator building. This engine and generator supplied power to the town and local area during periods of peak demand from 1947 until the mid-1980s. When you visit, you can explore the inside to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay, streamliners, and the history before and after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The grounds around the museum have retired trains and train related outbuildings. The museum website has a wealth of information about Cape Charles history.
Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve
Explore the Magothy Bay trails! This off the beaten path nature preserve is perfect for those looking for beautiful lower Eastern Shore scenery.
"There are two walking trails. One loops through restored migratory songbird habitat. The other goes through songbird habitat, into a coastal pine forest and out to a dike overlooking the tidal salt marsh along Magothy Bay." DCR Virginia Website
The Barrier Island Center
7295 Young Street, Machipongo
Located at the historic Almshouse Farm, the Barrier Island Center Museum is housed inside a beautiful historic building. Learn about the history of the Barrier Islands and explore the many rooms that contain Eastern Shore treasures. While you visit the museum and learn about the rich Eastern Shore History, be sure to ask questions of the museum guides-they are a wealth of knowledge. You can also take a cooking or art class held in the restored buildings on the property. The third floor of the main house is a dedicated space for kids full of animal pelts, arrow head collections, and toys. It makes a great place to spend a rainy day!
Savage Neck Dunes
2101 Savage Neck Road, Eastville
Located near Eastville, Virginia, this 298-acre preserve contains outstanding Chesapeake Bay beach, dune, maritime forest communities, and migratory songbird habitat. Explore the trails and walk on the pristine beach on the Chesapeake Bay. Make sure you plan your visit for low tide to make walking on the beach easier.
Eyre Hall Plantation
3215 Eyrehall Dr, Cape Charles
Eyre Hall Plantation is a privately owned historic colonial home frequently featured on the Eastern Shore Historic Garten Tour. Originally given as a land grant in 1668, it has been in the same family for 12 generations. The centuries old English gardens are open to the public and are kept beautifully manicured year round. Sit and relax on benches throughout the garden or walk to the creek down a tree lined path. It is a popular spot for family photography with many beautiful vignettes. This is a must visit location on your trip to Cape Charles!
Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve
Benders Lane, Cape Charles
A long boardwalk takes you through several forested natural communities, including a globally-rare Maritime Dune Woodland, that ends at a low bluff overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Not far from town, Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is easy to explore on bike.
Kiptopeake State Park
3540 Kiptopeke Dr Cape Charles
Kiptopeake State Park is a great place to fish, hike, and play! Just a short drive from Cape Charles, it has beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay, a public fishing pier, hiking trails, camping spots, and a playground. There are sunken concrete ships right off the shore used to protect the shoreline. There is a minimal fee for entry when you visit.
Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge
32205 Seaside Road, Cape Charles
Located at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge has great hiking trails, views of the Atlantic Ocean, and abandoned World War II bunkers, and a WW II gun barrel from the USS Missouri. There are several trails, one that takes you to the WW II sites and to the Atlantic scenic look-outs and another leads to a butterfly sanctuary that ends at the Welcome Center at the end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
