The best camping near Historic Jamestowne

When three tiny ships landed in Jamestown in 1607, they started the American colonies. This historic park sits on the actual place where the colonists landed and created the first permanent and successful settlement in America.

Take a tour of the restored Jamestown Church, a brownish-gray stone edifice that offered a place of worship for the colonists. Walk among wooden structures that served as houses for the people when they arrived. Just don't huff and puff, because you may blow the houses down. The houses look as if they're made of matchsticks.

Park Rangers and archaeologists can take you on guided tours of the site. Make sure to watch for special events and look for people in period costume that make Jamestown come alive. You might hear that the colonists landed in a swampy area filled with mosquitoes, which was true. They didn't have mosquito spray back then.

A museum showcases 2 million artifacts dug up at Jamestown. This site is still a working archaeological site, and scientists add new pieces to the museum on a regular basis.

At the pier, you get to board reconstructions of the three ships that brought people to this new land. Walk on the deck of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery to see what it was like sailing from England to Virginia over a three-month span. You will be thankful for your landlocked home after seeing what it took to make the journey across the Atlantic.

In New Towne, there are ruins of mansions that cropped up after the colony became more stable. These ruins represent some of the oldest homes in America, though they no longer stand. The Dale House Cafe, sitting right at the water's edge, gives you a picturesque view and a hearty lunch break.