Free Camping Collection
Dispersed Camping
Great Lake Dispersed Site - Croatan National Forest
About
USDA Forest Service
Croatan National Forest
Welcome to the Croatan National Forest, one of four National Forests in North Carolina and the only true coastal forest in the East. The Croatan National Forest's 160,000 acres have pine forests, saltwater estuaries, bogs and raised swamps called pocosins. Bordered on three sides by tidal rivers and the Bogue Sound, the forest is defined by water. All this water provides a variety of recreation and diversity of wildlife- from deer, black bears and turkeys to wading birds, ospreys and alligators. Canoeing and fishing are popular on blackwater creeks and saltwater marshes. The Croatan is also home to the carnivorous Venus fly-trap, sunder and pitcherplant. The Croatan National Forest has one Ranger District, the Croatan Ranger District. Please contact the District for more information. Camping and Day-use Information Enjoy camping or a picnic at one of the many day-use areas. A list of camping and day-use areas in the Croatan National Forest can be found here. Recreation Maps Croatan National Forest Maps Be Safe The national forests in North Carolina offer a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. From the mountains to the sea, there are many exciting adventures awaiting your visit to these national forests. Please keep in mind that all outdoor recreational activities on the Croatan, Pisgah, Nantahala and Uwharrie national forests, including activities at recreation sites, have inherent risks due to the natural setting in which they occur. Always remember, your safety is your responsibility.
Location
Great Lake Dispersed Site - Croatan National Forest is located in North Carolina
Directions
From Maysville, take NC 58 East, turn left onto SR 110 (turns to gravel). Continue to FR 126 and follow to the lake.
Coordinates
34.86091683 N
77.05327781 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Dispersed
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Phone Service
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
Great lake access
You can access Great lake with an Atv or SXS. There are passable trails past the barricades but you will need a capable 4x4 to get thru. The lake is virtually untouched and the roads were still in good shape.
Path blocked.
The path is blocked at about halfway down by concrete barriers and downed trees. So I pulled my Ford Ranger in the pines beside the path and slept there.
Camp area unacceptable
We tried to camp here but all the access roads were closed due to hurricane damage. They looked have been closed for a long time. In a pinch we found a camp spot nearby at Catfish Lake. The road in was easy but it was extremely trashy with lots of shotgun shells on the ground. Lots of people showed up to trap shoot nearby so we had to keep going over to let them know we were there.