Itinerary

*Choose to spend the first night after your flight at a hotel at your leisure or pick up your motorhome on arrival and start your journey. We highly recommend spending a few days exploring the iconic sites and attractions of America’s capital, Washington DC before starting your road trip. From the awe-inspiring monuments and memorials lining the National Mall to the renowned Smithsonian Institution’s 19 museums and galleries and the dozens of unique neighbourhoods that make up the city – you won’t want to miss all there is to see and do.

When you are ready to start your road trip, pick up your motorhome from the Cruise America depot in Manassas, Virginia – it’s an hour metro ride from DC. Start your journey west toward the Shenandoah Valley and then north into Maryland to Rocky Gap State Park, where you’ll also find your campground for the night. Surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and home to the tranquil Lake Habeeb, the park’s 3,000 acres of public lands are an outdoor lover’s haven, and we highly recommend you rent a bike there to cycle portions of the stunning Great Alleghany Passage rail trail during your time there.

• 196km from Washington DC – Manassas, Virginia to Rocky Gap State Park, Maryland

Get on the Historic National Road scenic byway today to travel to your next stop, Gambrill State Park. Located on the ridge of the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick County, you’ll get to enjoy breathtaking mountain views from three overlooks, and discover miles of hiking, biking and horse riding trails. Your overnights will be at the Rock Run Area Campground.

Visit the nearby historic district of Frederick, the Antietam National Battlefield and the Gettysburg National Battlefield if you’re interested in American Civil War history.

• 120km to Gambrill State Park

After enjoying fresh mountain air for a few days, it’s time for a change of scenery. Today, travel east through Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, to Elk Neck State Park in Eastern Shore, a picturesque peninsula situated between Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

You’ll find the park on the Chesapeake Bay side of the peninsula, and find your overnight campsite there as well. Highlights of the park include the tranquil North East Beach and the lone Turkey Point Lighthouse where you can catch a beautiful sunset.

• 183km to Elk Neck State Park

Continue exploring Maryland’s Eastern Shore as you travel along the Chesapeake Country scenic byway. The region is filled with charming coastal towns, maritime villages, beaches and miles of unspoiled nature, and you can enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, from boating, swimming and fishing to bird watching, biking and golfing.

Arrive at the idyllic Assateague Island National Seashore – a 37-mile long barrier island famous for its beautiful beaches, wild horses and indigenous bird habitat. Assateague State Park and Campground can be found at the north end. Make sure to spend a day on its pristine shores and follow a nature trail. While you’re on this Atlantic side of the Eastern Shore, make sure to also stop in Ocean City. A classic beach town with one of the USA’s cleanest beaches and most celebrated boardwalks, you won’t want to miss spending a day here.

• 255km to Assateague State Park

You’ll start today travelling the last length of the Eastern Shore into the state of Virigina. The drive will include passing through the awe-inspiring Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a 28.3km bridge-tunnel crossing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

You’ll be spending the next two nights at the campground at First Landing State Park, the spot where the first English colonists landed in 1607, earning the park National Natural Landmark and National Register of Historic Places designations. Situated within Virginia Beach, you’ll be in one of the East Coast’s prime coastal locations. Enjoy the Oceanfront with its 3-mile boardwalk stretching across 40 city blocks, and packed with hotels, restaurants and entertainment.

• 213km to First Landing State Park

Head today to the heart of Virginia’s tidewater region, Chickahominy Riverfront Park, which offers ample opportunities to enjoy the park’s namesake river with a 290-foot lighted fishing pier, boat ramp and equipment rentals.

The park is situated along the Virginia Capital Trail, an 83.6km-long cycling and pedestrian trail between Richmond, Viriginia’s capital city and Williamsburg, the state’s former capital. Spend the afternoon visiting the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown to learn about America’s early colonial history.

• 96km to Chickahominy Riverfront Park

Travel west today along peaceful rural roads to Douthat State Park. One of Virginia’s original state parks, it was opened in 1936 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Place for the role its design played in the development of state parks nationwide. On your way there, take a quick detour to visit Natural Bridge, a stunning 215-foot tall limestone gorge once billed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.

• 339km to Douthat State Park

End your motorhome tour of the region with a two-night visit to Shenandoah National Park. You’ll follow the famed 168km Skyline Drive into the park, and witness magnificent views of the Shenandoah Valley along the mountain ridge and various overlooks as you enter. You might even glimpse a black bear as you arrive in Front Royal. Within the park, the Mathews Arm, Big Meadows and Loft Mountain campgrounds all have pull through and deep back-in sites for your stay.

Home to over 200,000 acres of protected lands, Shenandoah National Park is an incredible place for hiking, kayaking, listening to songbirds and sitting under a star-filled night sky, and you’ll find the park has a wonderful range of outdoor activities on offer.

• 144km to Shenandoah National Park

The park’s boundaries end in the town of Front Royal and from there, it’s a 64km drive to return your motorhome to the Cruise America depot in Manassas. Afterwards, catch a flight home from Washington DC or spend another night in the Capital Region before leaving.

• 64km to Cruise America depot in Manassas