Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA Holiday Blog
2026 Season: March 12 - November 30!
Driving Directions from the North
Six sites at Tall Pines sit directly on Pocomoke Sound, and they fill up months in advance for a reason. Whether you're backing a travel trailer into a full hookup pad for the first time or you've towed a fifth-wheel for years, a solid rv camping checklist keeps you from a mid-trip run to the hardware store in Onley. These first-time RV camping tips focus on what Tall Pines actually has on site, what to pack for camping here that you won't find in a generic list, and how the season, running March 12 through November 30, changes your packing list by month. Here's exactly what to load before you turn onto Tall Pines Lane.
Tall Pines tops out at 50-amp service, so bring a cord rated for it even if your rig only pulls 30 amps. An adapter costs little and saves an argument with a breaker at nine o'clock at night. Sites range from central Back-In Water/Electric to full hookup pull-thrus, so confirm which one you booked before assuming sewer is included. A short list covers most of what a first-time RV camper needs at the pedestal.
Hook up in a fixed order once you're parked: chocks first, then power, then water, then sewer if your site includes it. Running the surge protector before anything else catches a bad pedestal connection before it reaches your electronics.
If you booked a Water/Electric site instead of full hookup, plan a stop at the on-site dump station before checkout. It's open to registered guests and saves a stop on the drive home.
Tall Pines offers seven site configurations, and what belongs in your bay depends on which one shows up on your confirmation email. The six Waterfront Back-In Full Hookup sites on Pocomoke Sound book out first, sometimes months ahead, since they're the only sites combining water views with full hookups. A Central Back-In Water/Electric site skips sewer, so plan for gray and black tanks without a midnight drive to the dump station.
Whatever site type lands on your reservation, the property max is 65 feet. That number matters most on the Extra-Long Pull-Thru, since it's the only site built to handle it. Check the Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA amenities page to confirm what's included at each site type before you finalize your list.
You don't need to haul a week of ice or three bundles of firewood to Tall Pines. The camp store sells both, along with coffee, s'mores kits, and basic groceries, so pack the kitchen for cooking, not stockpiling. A tighter list leaves more room in the bay for chairs and bikes.
The camp store also stocks basic RV supplies and snack bar treats, so a forgotten sewer connector or a dead lantern battery isn't a drive into town. Treat it as a backup pantry, not a last resort, and your kitchen bin stays lighter for the whole trip down the Eastern Shore.
Skip the second grocery run before you even leave home. Pick up firewood, ice, and s'mores supplies at the camp store once you've set up camp instead of packing a duplicate cooler.
Pocomoke Sound sits low and marshy, and humidity climbs fast between June and August. Biting flies and mosquitoes show up most at dusk, right when the pier and fire ring get busy. Packing for bugs isn't about avoiding the outdoors. It's about staying out there longer.
Pack a small moisture absorber for the RV interior too, since parked humidity fogs windows and dampens bedding by morning. Rinse salt-air gear in the bathhouse sink before it goes back in a bin, or it carries a musty smell all the way home from the Sound.
Time crabbing or fishing pier trips for mid-morning or late afternoon if biting flies bother your group. Dusk brings the best sunsets over the Sound and the most bugs, in that order.
Tall Pines packs in a 3-story playground, a jumping pillow, gaga ball, and a zero-entry pool with splash pad that typically runs May through September. Pack for the amenities already on site instead of bringing a backyard's worth of toys.
Pack the paperwork with the same care as the gear. Keep these in the tow vehicle instead of buried in a storage bin.
Season runs March 12 through November 30, so pack differently by month. March and November call for warmer layers and fewer bugs. July and August mean the pool and splash pad are both open, and repellent matters more than a jacket. If you're arriving before Memorial Day, pair this list with our guide to planning a spring trip to Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA for what else changes early in the season.
A 50-amp power cord and a water pressure regulator top the list, since Tall Pines' sites max out at 50-amp service and municipal water pressure varies by site. Bring a sewer hose too if you booked a full hookup site. Everything else, from firewood to ice, is available at the on-site camp store after you arrive.
No. The camp store sells firewood, ice, and s'mores supplies on site, so you don't need to pack a cooler full of ice or bundles of wood for the drive. Save that space in your RV bay for chairs, bikes, or fishing gear instead.
Biting flies and mosquitoes are most active at dusk, especially June through August when Eastern Shore humidity peaks. Pack an EPA-registered repellent, a mesh screen room for the picnic table, and long sleeves for evening trips to the pier or fire ring.
Spring, starting March 12, and fall, through November 30, call for warmer layers and rain gear, with far fewer bugs to plan around. Summer packing should prioritize sun protection, insect repellent, and swimwear for the seasonal pool and splash pad, which typically run May through September.
It depends on what you book. The Waterfront Back-In Full Hookup, Pull-Thru Full Hookup, Buddy Pull-Thru, Extra-Long Pull-Thru, and central Back-In Full Hookup sites all include sewer. The central Back-In Water/Electric sites don't, so plan for a dump station visit before checkout.
Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA sits directly on Pocomoke Sound in Temperanceville, Virginia, with waterfront full hookup sites, a private beach, and easy access to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.
That doesn't mean this area has to always be empty. When you start reviewing camping options, your history will display here to help compare sites and find the best stay. You will be able to share your stay information with friends or family and save it for a later time if you have a KOA Account.
Make checkout easy by booking all your reservations at once. Add your sites from different campgrounds into your shopping cart* and then choose checkout.
