The False Cape area could’ve gone in a completely different direction if it weren’t for foresight from the General Assembly in the mid-60’s. Now, this beautiful area is available for everyone to enjoy. We recently spoke with Kyle Barber, who’s the Park Manager at False Cape State Park. He shared with us the history of the park, what you can expect to do there, and where he’d choose to spend the night. Listen to our full interview here:
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False Cape State Park Camping
Camp Virginia: I’m talking with Kyle Barber this morning. He’s the Park Manager at False Cape State Park in Virginia. How’s it going this morning, Kyle?
Kyle Barber: It’s going real good.
CV: So, False Cape State Park has kind of an interesting history. Why don’t you tell us how long it’s been there and how it got started?
Kyle Barber: Right, it sure does. Well, it started back in the 1960s, when people started to recognize that there was some potential for the outer banks to be heavily developed, and they didn’t want that to occur. And so, the General Assembly, in 1966, actually passed legislation that allowed the development of False Cape. And they began to purchase the land, and this is actually the last Park created by the Right Amendment Domain in Virginia for State Park.
CV: Oh, okay, interesting.
Kyle Barber: And so, they started in 1967, purchasing the property from about 118 or so landholders that were out here. The first group was about 2,000 acres; came from the Barber State. No relation to me that I know of. No relation. And then they just added, you know, people that had two, three, and four acres. That type of thing to get to the total acreage of 4,321 acres that were purchased.
CV: Wow.
Kyle Barber: And then they opened the Park in 1980.
CV: Oh, okay. And what are the most popular activities at the Park?
Kyle Barber: Here, of course, beach combing. You know, going to the beach. That type of thing. Not like going to the oceanfront beach. You know, beach combing-type activities. Fishing activities. We have a lot of people who ride the bike on the beach. That type of thing, but any type of strolling. Not so much swimming – that type of thing – here. So, that’s what they do on the beach. As far as the interior part of the Park, biking and hiking, and even kayaking on Back Bay to get our various campsites is extremely popular.
CV: Okay. And what types of camping do you offer there?
Kyle Barber: It’s all primitive. You can’t drive in here, so you have to park about five and a half miles away.
CV: Ooh, I love that.
Kyle Barber: Yeah, that’s the northern most parking camping areas. And then, as you move south, it’s about seven and a half miles. And they are primitive, so you don’t get anything except – I tell everybody you get a place in the sand. That’s where you get the camp. We do have it a little bit developed. You get a picnic table. And Barber Hill sites, there’s water.
CV: Okay. Do you have pit toilets, or how does the bathroom work?
Kyle Barber: Yeah, there are pit toilets. Yeah.
CV: Okay. Yeah.
Kyle Barber: Yeah, they sure are. The only flush toilets we really have in the Park are here at the Visitor Center, and at our Barber Hills Boat Launch area, there are restrooms there. But other than that, it’s all outhouse, with the old fashioned outhouse.
CV: Okay. Do you guys offer any cabin camping there?
Kyle Barber: We do not have cabins.
CV: Oh, okay.
Kyle Barber: That’s something I wish. Don’t have them yet.
CV: I like that. You know, that’s that five-mile hike in to do some camping offers a pretty specific type of camper. Now, are they reservable or is it first come, first served?
Kyle Barber: You have to get a reservation. We call that your permit. And so, because there’s so many little rules that you have to follow to get in here, because of parking at Little Island City Park, you have to come through a National Wildlife Refuge, so you don’t want to cross any rules there before you get to the Park. So, we do everything at least a day in advance. We don’t do same-day. And you get all your information. You’ll get a pretty good packet that will have the information about Back Bay and the rules, and entrance and so forth through there.
CV: Oh, okay. That’s the kind of thing that I like to go for; is a little bit more secluded.
Kyle Barber: Yeah, and on the east coast, that’s kind of hard to get.
CV: Yeah, you bet. So, two more questions for you, Kyle.
Kyle Barber: Okay.
CV: If you were going to spend just one hour in False Cape State Park, how would you like to spend your time there?
Kyle Barber: One hour in the Park. For me, I would be either on the beach, probably fishing.
CV: Okay.
Kyle Barber: Or if I could do it, kayak on Back Bay. Canoeing or kayaking on Back Bay, again, probably with a fishing pole in my hand.
CV: Nice. And if you could spend just one night in False Cape State Park, which specific campsite would you choose, Kyle, and why?
Kyle Barber: I would go to 7, 8, and 9. And the reason I’d go there – they’re the most remote for that seven miles out. And you get a choice. When you reserve 7, 8, or 9, you get a choice of camping behind the Primary Dunes and the Maritime Forest, so you get a shaded experience, where you’re a little bit from the weather, but you also get the choice of camping on the beach.
CV: Awesome, that sounds fantastic. Well, hey, thank you so much for taking some time out of your day, Kyle, to talk with us today about False Cape State Park in Virginia.
Kyle Barber: Oh, thank you.
