Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA Holiday Blog
2026 Season: March 12 - November 30!
Driving Directions from the North
Pull up to Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA Holiday in a 40-foot fifth wheel or a compact travel trailer, and you'll find a site built for it. The campground sits on Pocomoke Sound, part of the Chesapeake Bay, and offers seven separate RV site types across its Eastern Shore of Virginia property.
Some Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA RV sites put you steps from the water. Others tuck you into the shade near the pool and playground, or stretch long enough for a 65-foot rig running 50-amp service. One site type even holds two RVs side by side. This guide walks through all seven, plus the cottages, cabins, and safari tents for guests without a rig, so you can book the right spot before your trip.
Six sites at Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA sit directly on Pocomoke Sound, and that number isn't padding. It's the entire waterfront inventory. Each Waterfront Back-In Full Hookup site backs up close enough to the water that guests wake up to Chesapeake Bay sunrises without leaving the doormat.
Full hookup means water, sewer, and electric are all at the site, up to 50-amp service. Guests don't need to break camp to dump tanks mid-stay. The location also puts you within a short walk of the private beach, the fishing and crabbing pier, and the small boat ramp, so gear stays close if you brought a kayak.
Because there are only six of these sites, they're the first to book out for peak weekends and holiday weeks, including a Fourth of July trip or a fall weekend during Chincoteague pony season. For a closer look at what these six sites include, down to beach access and sightlines, see our full guide to the waterfront sites on Pocomoke Sound.
For anyone weighing whether the premium is worth it, the answer depends on the trip. A family planning to spend most of the day at the pool may not need it. A couple who wants morning coffee looking out at the Sound probably will.
KOA Patio Deluxe Back-In sites trade waterfront proximity for extra room to spread out. Each site includes a paved or gravel patio area alongside the RV pad, wide enough for a full outdoor setup: camp chairs, a folding table, a grill, and still room to walk around without stepping over gear.
These back-in sites carry full hookups, so water, sewer, and electric connections are all at the site. The patio space suits guests planning to spend real time outside the rig rather than just sleeping in it. A family running a weeklong stay with kids in and out of the RV all day tends to get more use out of the patio than a guest passing through for one night.
Patio Deluxe sites sit in the central part of the campground, closer to the camp store, the 3-story playground, and the gaga ball court than the waterfront row is. That's the tradeoff: less water view, more walking-distance convenience to the amenities kids ask for most. Guests torn between the two should think about how their days will actually be spent, at the site or out at the pool, before booking one over the other.
Pull-thru sites solve one problem better than any back-in site can. Nobody has to back a 35-foot trailer into a narrow space after an eight-hour drive. Drive in, drive out, done. Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA's Pull-Thru Full Hookup sites carry that same convenience, with the added draw of sitting just steps from a tidal lagoon that isn't part of the main Sound but still puts water views within easy reach.
Full hookups mean water, sewer, and electric are on site, so there's no need to move the rig mid-stay for tank service. The tidal lagoon itself rises and falls with the tide and draws wading birds, so guests who like to sit outside with coffee in the morning tend to name this row as a favorite.
These sites work well for guests towing anything long or awkward to maneuver, first-time RVers still building confidence backing up, or anyone who'd rather spend an extra five minutes of setup enjoying the lagoon than fighting a hitch angle. Compared to the six Waterfront Back-In sites, pull-thru lagoon sites are easier to book on shorter notice.
Buddy Pull-Thru sites are built for two rigs, not one. Each site holds two RVs side by side in a shared space, which makes it the natural pick for two families traveling together, a parent and adult child camping as a pair, or friends who coordinate road trips and want to park within talking distance rather than across the campground from each other.
Sharing a site also means splitting the cost between two parties, which can make a Chesapeake Bay trip more affordable for both groups without losing the pull-thru convenience of driving straight in. Coordination matters here. Both parties should confirm rig lengths and hookup needs before booking, since a Buddy site is one reservation covering one shared space, not two separate site numbers.
This site type shows up often in group trip planning, but it works just as well for two smaller rigs on a weekend getaway who'd simply rather camp next to friends than split up across the property. Anyone planning a trip with another RV household should ask about Buddy Pull-Thru availability directly when booking, since it's a limited category compared to the standard pull-thru and back-in inventory.
Two site types sit in the central part of the campground, away from the waterfront row and away from the lagoon, and the difference between them comes down to one hookup. Central Back-In Full Hookup sites include water, sewer, and electric at the site. Central Back-In Water/Electric sites include water and electric but skip sewer, so guests use the campground's dump station instead of hooking up on site.
That single difference makes Water/Electric sites the more budget-friendly option for guests running a shorter stay, since a one- or two-night trip rarely fills a holding tank enough to need a mid-stay dump anyway. Guests planning a full week or longer, or traveling with a larger group that runs more water through the rig, tend to prefer the Full Hookup version for convenience.
Both central back-in types put guests within walking distance of the pool and splash pad, the camp store, and the pavilion, which matters for families with younger kids who don't want a long walk back to the site for forgotten sunscreen. Neither type carries a water view, and that's the honest tradeoff for the lower price point and central location.
Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA sets its maximum RV length at 65 feet, and the Extra-Long Pull-Thru sites are the ones actually built to fit a rig that size. A 65-foot combination, a large Class A motorhome, or a fifth wheel paired with a long dually truck needs more than a standard pull-thru length, and this site type is sized around that math instead of forcing a big rig to squeeze into standard space.
Extra-long sites include full hookups and 50-amp service, matching the maximum electrical service available anywhere on the property. Guests towing a toy hauler, traveling with a boat on a trailer, or running a big rig with slide-outs on both sides tend to need the extra length just to open everything up without crowding a neighbor's site line.
Anyone unsure whether their rig qualifies as extra-long should measure the full combination, tow vehicle included if towing, before booking a standard pull-thru and finding out at check-in that it doesn't fit. Campground staff can confirm sizing against a specific rig length and hookup needs before you reserve, which beats guessing from a site map and shows up at check-in with a rig that's a tighter fit than expected.
Choosing between seven site types is easier side by side than one at a time. The table below lines up hookups, who each site type suits best, and the one feature that sets it apart from the rest. Use it as a starting point, then narrow down based on rig length, budget, and how much time you plan to spend at the site itself versus out at the pool, the beach, or exploring Assateague Island and Chincoteague nearby.
Not every guest at Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA arrives towing a trailer. The property also runs deluxe cottages, including an ADA-accessible unit, standard cabins, and safari tents for guests who want the Chesapeake Bay setting without owning or renting an RV.
Cottages come with more built-in comfort than a cabin, closer to a small vacation rental than a campsite. Cabins split the difference, offering a roof and walls with camping-style basics inside. Safari tents lean further into the outdoor experience while still skipping the work of pitching your own tent and hauling in a sleeping pad.
Lodging check-in runs at 3:00 PM, an hour later than the 2:00 PM RV check-in, and each lodging type has its own bed configuration, occupancy limit, and amenity list that's easier to compare directly on the booking page than to guess from a blog post. Families deciding between a Waterfront Back-In site and a cottage should book direct and review the specific unit details before choosing, since availability and layout vary by lodging type and by week. The ADA-accessible cottage in particular has its own layout worth checking ahead of time if step-free access matters for your group.
Seven options is a lot to sort through at once. Narrowing it down usually comes down to five questions, asked in this order.
1. Measure your rig first. The 65-foot maximum is a hard limit, not a suggestion, so know your full combination length, tow vehicle included, before you search availability.
2. Decide how much the water view is worth. The six Waterfront Back-In sites sell out first for a reason, but a Patio Deluxe or central site costs less and still puts you a short walk from the beach and pier.
3. Check whether you're traveling with another RV. Two families traveling together should look at a Buddy Pull-Thru site before booking two separate spots across the campground.
4. Match your stay length to your hookup needs. A one- or two-night trip rarely needs a full sewer hookup, making a Central Back-In Water/Electric site a reasonable way to save money.
5. Confirm your dates early for peak weeks. Summer weekends and fall weekends during pony swim season at nearby Chincoteague fill the most popular site types first.
None of these questions has a wrong answer, only the one that fits how your group actually travels and camps.
A pull-thru site lets you drive straight in and out without backing up, which suits longer rigs or newer drivers. A back-in site requires backing into the space, but includes the Waterfront and Patio Deluxe types that pull-thrus don't offer.
Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA sits on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, within reach of Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge for a day trip. Drive time varies by route, so check current conditions before you go.
The campground accepts RVs up to 65 feet, with the Extra-Long Pull-Thru sites built for rigs at that limit. Maximum electrical service is 50-amp, available at select site types.
No. Full hookup sites include water, sewer, and electric, while Central Back-In Water/Electric sites skip sewer and rely on the on-site dump station instead.
Yes, through the Buddy Pull-Thru site type, built for two rigs parked side by side in one shared space. It suits families or friends who want to camp next to each other instead of splitting up.
Tall Pines / Chesapeake Bay KOA Holiday sits on Pocomoke Sound on Virginia's Eastern Shore, with seven RV site types, cottages, cabins, and safari tents, and easy access to Chincoteague and Assateague Island.
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.
