Established Camping
William B. Umstead State Park Campground
About
State Park
Sites are meant for tent/pop-up camping only. No RV or Trailer is accessible.
Located in Wake County 10 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh, William B. Umstead State Park is a cherished retreat from bustling urban life. The park features an extensive network of hiking and multiuse trails, as well as three manmade lakes and their tributaries that are perfect for fishing. Both park entrances offer picnic shelters, and Crabtree Creek offers camping areas. Group camps and the historic Maple Hill Lodge let visitors experience a rustic overnight experience without typical modern camping amenities.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonAvailable
- AT&TAvailable
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- Group
- Cabins
- Equestrian
Features
For Campers
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Showers
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Sewer Hookups
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
Very small
Avoid site 6! There’s so many tree roots, it’s an awful tripping hazard around a fire pit with kids! There are only three spaces out sites, 18,19,21. These sites are 10x10 designate for your tent, and picnic table and fire ring. Some are very very close together. The trails are good, the bathrooms are clean and maintained. Firewood can be purchased for $6/bundle. Be aware this is right next to the airport, you will hear planes all day and most all night landing and taking off.
- (5) View All
Great park but bad info
We live down the road from this park. I noticed it came up when I was looking for camping options in the area for my RV. While it says the park offers RV spots on the Dyrt website, the park actually doesn’t.
State Park Oasis in the Middle of a Metropolis
It’s not often that you see a state park in the heart of a metropolitan area. Although it’s not in the city limits, you are surrounded by cities. Without the noise of the neighboring international airport, it’s like any other natural area. However, camping in a tent means you will be hearing the sounds of jets all day long and throughout the night. Otherwise, it might have been a pleasant experience. This campground is in a state park that has a lot of trails, good areas for bicycling, and water sports such as swimming, canoeing, and fishing. When I was there, however, many of the facilities were closed. I did get a chance to take advantage of the trails, and they are relatively easy. Because of the pandemic, access to the bath house was limited in terms of hours. The sites are level and spacious, and they are not too close to other sites. It didn’t really matter when I went since there were very few campers. I can only imagine what it will be like when peak season starts, but as I said earlier, the sites are not on top of each other. The bath house was clean but only utilitarian. They could use updating. There is a place outside of the bath house to wash dishes, so you are encouraged to wash them there instead of dumping dishwater in the bath house or at your campsite. Overall, this campground is pretty good if you don’t mind the noise of the jets. If you want to experience total immersion into the wilderness and solitude, I would suggest a more remote camping area.
- (16) View All
Location
William B. Umstead State Park Campground is located in North Carolina
Directions
The Crabtree Creek section is located 10 miles northwest of Raleigh off US 70. The park visitors center and camping facilities are located in this section. From I-40, turn northeast on I-540 and take the US 70 exit. Travel southeast on US 70, and turn right on Umstead Parkway, which leads to Visitors center. After entering the park, turn right onto Campground Road.
Address
8801 Glenwood Ave
Cary, NC 27513
Coordinates
35.84200011 N
78.74400097 W