NC Campgrounds

[lbatc]

I am new to the pop up/camper world. I am looking for suggestions of great NC campgrounds. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[kmkeefe]

Hey there....all depends on where you want to go and what your style of camping is. Also are you camping with kids? Some folks want to be quite secluded and lots of privacy while other prefer more amenities.

If your destination is the Triangle (Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill area) Jordan lake is great. My favorite Jordan Lake campground is Crosswinds Campground, Loop B, by the lake.

Further East near Fayetteville / Lumberton, the family and I have stayed at Jones Lake campground. It's small but very charming. The Lake is actually one of thousands of "Carolina Bays" (unknown phenomenon as to how they were formed). However there is only 1 site with power and water, the rest are primitive.

In the mountains (further West than Asheville), we have stayed at Cherokee KOA, the kids had a blast.

If the beach is your destination, Pirate Land (not in NC but Myrtle Beach) is a great place. This is more of an RV resort versus a campground.

Places still on my list to camp are Medoc Mountain, Stone Mountain and trying to find a place on the Outter Banks.

-Mike

[jjdcamper]

Originally Posted by kmkeefe

Hey there....all depends on where you want to go and what your style of camping is. Also are you camping with kids? Some folks want to be quite secluded and lots of privacy while other prefer more amenities.

If your destination is the Triangle (Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill area) Jordan lake is great. My favorite Jordan Lake campground is Crosswinds Campground, Loop B, by the lake.

Further East near Fayetteville / Lumberton, the family and I have stayed at Jones Lake campground. It's small but very charming. The Lake is actually one of thousands of "Carolina Bays" (unknown phenomenon as to how they were formed). However there is only 1 site with power and water, the rest are primitive.

In the mountains (further West than Asheville), we have stayed at Cherokee KOA, the kids had a blast.

If the beach is your destination, Pirate Land (not in NC but Myrtle Beach) is a great place. This is more of an RV resort versus a campground.

Places still on my list to camp are Medoc Mountain, Stone Mountain and trying to find a place on the Outter Banks.

-Mike

Mike:
Do the State Parks in N.C. provide water and electrical hookups and are there any near the South Carolina border, around the coastal areas?
Thanks,
Jim

[kmkeefe]

Jim,
Some NC State parks have electric and water hook ups at the site but many do not. Check out the following web page for a full listing of campgrounds/parks:

N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation: - Welcome to North Carolina State Parks

Regards,
-Mike

[rattleNsmoke]

We've stayed at the Raleigh NC Fairgrounds several times as a 'home base' while we visited with family and friends. There are water, 30 & 50amp and sewer hookups at the on the grounds and unless the Fair is going on, it's pretty empty. I was there two years ago during the gun\knife show and maybe there were 8 other campers on one of the sections. It's cheap to camp there, maybe $25\night but there are NO amenities. No tables, fire rings or anything for kids. It's just a great place to stay if you're out and about traveling the area.

[mjones12]

If you're a dog enthusiast, Four Paws Kingdom Campground in Rutherfordton is great, but no kids allowed. It's a specialty campground.

In the mountains, we love Mama Gertie's Hideaway campground in Swannanoa, between Asheville and Black Mountain. Cleanest campground you'll ever see. They even wipe off the sewer caps after you leave. Beautifully landscaped.

Dan Nicholas Park near Salisbury is a great place for kids. It's a county facility with its own amusement park across the lake from the campground. No sewer hookups. Sites amid lots of woods.

Cross Winds Campground near Lexington is another one we really like. Large wooded sites. Very close to Spencer, where the N.C. Transportation Museum is located. Every train/railroad enthusiast should visit this place.

[unclebo6844]

Just got back from New River Campground on Highway 21 near Sparta. As the name implies, it on the New River near the NC/Virginia line. We love to go there. It's a simple campground where we can fish, kayak, tube, swim and just relax.

Second campground we like is White Oak Shore in Stella near Emerald Isle. Unlike New River, this campground has a number of permanent sites. Therefore, its a much larger campground where I have my 24ft Jayco stored. Again on a river with the beach added.

[RamblerGuy]

Mount Pisgah campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway west of Asheville is my favorite campground. I stayed there a number of times with my popup. The campsites are paved and most are reasonably level. Most are well separated from other campsites by thick rhododendron. There's no electricity or water at the campsites. It’s high enough to be cool in the summer. One additional great thing about it is the restaurant at the Mount Pisgah Motel across the parkway. When you arrive late, it’s nice to just walk across and have dinner. The view is fantastic.

[asquared]

I second Jordan lake. There are several campgrounds at Jordan lake. Poplar point and crosswinds both have water/electric sites. They have some sited that require reservations and some sites that are walk up only. I also second pirateland in myrtle beach, they have mini golf, arcade, pool, lazy river kids pool, paddleboats, and of course the beach.

A favorite of ours is a membership campground called sycamore lodge. Not cheap to buy into unless you buy resale (there are some downsides to resale). For us it was well worth the cost. It has a lake for catch/release fishing, paddleboats, pool, playground, shuffleboard, horseshoes, basketball court, volleyball and weekly activities for kids. Jenny has been really great organizing the activities lately. The have fhu and w/e sites.

I stayed at Hagan stone and was not impressed. We stayed at fort mill koa just south of charlotte. They were nothing to write Home about but a safe place to stay while touring charlotte.

I have heard Kerr lake has some nice sites. We want to stay at Boone koa when we head out that way. For the shore camp hatteras and rodanthe koa tend to be the most popular for the outer banks. I have also heard daddy Joes yogi bear cg and yogi in the smokies are all good.

A couple of websites for you to check out,
CampgroundGallery.com- founded within the last 2 yrs by a nc resident, includes pics of campgrounds.
Reviews of RV Parks and Campgrounds - RV Park Reviews