COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground, near Wilkesboro, North Carolina, is a fantastic place for those looking to enjoy lakeside camping with a variety of outdoor activities. The campground offers spacious sites, many with stunning views of the water, making it a great choice for families and friends looking to relax and unwind.

Visitors rave about the swimming area with its sandy beach, perfect for kids and adults alike. You can also dive into activities like kayaking, canoeing, and fishing right from your campsite. One camper noted, “We floated on noodles and relaxed,” highlighting the laid-back vibe you can expect here.

The campground is well-kept, with amenities like picnic tables and fire pits at each site, allowing for cozy evenings around the fire. While some campers mentioned the bathhouse could use a little TLC, the overall cleanliness and maintenance of the area are appreciated. Plus, the absence of alcohol on-site helps maintain a peaceful atmosphere, making it a great retreat for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

With nearby biking trails and the chance to spot wildlife like ospreys and shorebirds, there’s no shortage of ways to connect with nature. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground offers a welcoming environment for all types of campers.

## Overview

 Bandits Roost Campground is located on the south side of W. Kerr Scott Reservoir in western North Carolina. Constructed in the beautiful Yadkin River Valley, the lake offers extensive opportunities for outdoor recreational activities.
## Recreation

 The 1,475-acre reservoir offers excellent boating, canoeing, kayaking and swimming opportunities. Anglers will find channel catfish, large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, threadfin shad, spotted bass, striped bass, and hybrid striped bass. Miles of multi-use trails, that allow hiking and mountain biking, surround the lake, including the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, which has a trailhead at the campground. An additional 25 miles of trails can be found at the Warrior Creek and Dark Mountain areas.
## Natural Features

 The gentle Yadkin River flows through its scenic namesake valley in the foothills of the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains. Forests of mixed hardwoods, including sycamore, poplar, oak and hickory, cover the region. Wildlife is abundant in the valley. White-tailed deer, black bear, eastern cottontails and more can be found among the hills. Birds in the area include wild turkey, woodpeckers, Carolina chickadees, red-eyed vireo, ovenbirds, mallards and wood ducks. 
## Contact Info

 This location has limited staffing. Please call (336) 921-3390 for general information.

COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground

Are you in need of a campground near Wilkesboro, NC? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Wilkesboro is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Wilkesboro, NC. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Wilkesboro

The Best Camping Near Wilkesboro, North Carolina

I really enjoyed my weekend here and will go back soon.   Campground and shower house were clean.  I tent camped on a camper site as they were the only spots available for the weekend. The site had a fire pit, grill, picnic table and a food prep table next to the grill.  The site was 98b and was on the side of a hill. Rather that having one large area, it was divided with an upper and lower section connected by steps.  The upper was wide enough for a camper and the lower part had the grill, etc.  It worked well with a tent, but a camper would take up the upper part and leave no room for hanging out under the awning.  This site, as did most in the B loop, had great tree cover/shade.  There was a pretty constant and comfortable breeze.  There were also some good tree for hanging a couple of hammocks on the end of the lower area.  The only negatives for me...I was hoping for direct access from the site to the reservoir and the shower house only had one toilet (mens).  

Bandits Roost, NC

Excellent campground, clean bathrooms and showers okay. WATER FRONT site hard to beat. Only thing not there is sewer hook up.

Lake Front

Been coming here for 20 years. This park has been my go to place when we need to get away. We have stayed here with a tent n now a camper. Clean sites n most sites r pretty level. Would give 5 stars but this park isn’t full hookup. It’s still a beautiful place.

My favorite home away from home,

ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SPOTS. THE ONLY THING WRONG IS NO SEWER HOOK UPS! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

VERY NICE

Awesome sites very quit and relaxing. I love it Army Core of Engineers. Very well kept up and the host are the best. 

On the water 

This was our first time camping. Overall it was a great experience. Only reason I gave it 4 stars was Bc the bath house and dump station nearest our campsite was out of order. The dogs and kids loved it! 

Great!

Bandits Roost, North Carolina


Bandit’s Roost seems very popular with the RVers, but tent campers should check it out as well.  Spacious sites, with fire pit and picnic table.  Some primo sites are near and/or overlooking Kerr Lake. The sites are also relatively private and well-spaced.  Be sure to chat with Marvin at the gate as well!

Hidden Gem

We love this campground.  The bathrooms are a bit rough, but we have never caught anything from them so they must not be too bad.  

  

I can do all my favorite outdoor activities here without driving anywhere.  There is fishing, canoeing, hiking, and some awesome mountain biking.  The sites are nicely spaced with trees between them.  You need to plan on buying firewood at the campground.  Temps are usually a bit cooler than in the big piedmont cities which is another plus.

One of NC's Best Car Camping Spots

Stayed here for a night. Had a spacious site near the entrance of campground. They provide wood, $6 a bundle. Bathrooms were eh. Dump station on site. Potable water. Good campground. Nice trails on campground also! Would be lots of fun in the summer!

Good views

The location next to the reservoir is awesome. Rode the bike trails and loved it. Did some kayaking too. The actual campsites can be a bit tricky to park but overall great time

Excellent location

Love this campground!  Well maintained and clean bath houses.  Choose a site hidden in the trees with lots of shade and privacy or in the sun with a view of the reservoir.  Hiking trails and water activities.  Warning: prone to flooding and cancellations.

Beautiful and Versatile

We camped here near end of July. This is a COE park and it was well kept, clean and easy to get to. 

We had a back in site with W/E, 94B.  This is a good interior site. There are great sites down on the peninsula that have water views but we were not able to get one on this trip. 

Bike riding in the park is fun and there are plenty of areas to bike. 

Close to Lake, Great Bike Riding in Park

This place has it all! Swimming, kayaking, boat launch, small hiking trail. Sites have a fire pit, picnic table (it’s really heavy!) and a grill. I loved how each site is fairly unique. Many have steps to go down to the fire pit area. Lots of sites on the water. Site 32 was on a little cul-de-sac next to the beach and had a perfect spot for my hammock overlooking the water. 

I stayed on an rv site in a tent. There are tent specific sites. The tent sites are heavily wooded. 

The bathhouse was unremarkable but clean. 

They had movie night on Saturday night (RV) but I didn’t realize it until Sunday morning haha. 

The campground was very quiet all weekend. Appeared to be mostly families. There is no alcohol allowed and I did not notice anyone breaking this rule. 

There is firewood ($5 bundle - must have exact change!) available and ice but no camp store. Walmart is close by though. 

Gorgeous campground!

The campground is beautiful. My wife and I biked/ ran the trails nearby. Our dogs loved walking around the campground. Some nice wooded tent sites that a very large areas. Our spot was a two level site. The upper level was where we parked the trailer and the picnic table and fire ring were down the stairs under a great big oak tree. There was a short path the a little semi-private beach area. Overall it was a great place. Very reasonable price. 

Great place on a lake

We had a lovely campsite by the lake. We went in summer and it was SUPER buggy. 

The swimming area at the lake is nice with white sand. It stays pretty shallow in the roped in part, so great for kids. 

The bathhouse was not great and could use maintenance and an upgrade. 

There’s a super nice big playground for the kids. 

Great Value 

This campground has large sites that are well spaced so you're not right on top of fellow campers. Very quiet and peaceful; we were there in the fall so not many campers.

Quiet and Peaceful

We were in site 23B which is down on the point. Nice lake/waterfront view. There are only 2 sites with some shade on the point 23B and 24. We never had to put the awning out we had shade all day in our site. The sites slope some so you will need to use levelers. All the sites on the point are pull throughs. The swim beach is in front of the sites on the point. We had water &amp; electric and there is a dump station onsite. There is no privacy on the point yet other sites offer some privacy. If you have the Senior lifetime National Park pass it's only $16.00 a night. The park was clean.

  

Only campers are in this part of the park the day use area is down the road. You can drive across the dam too at the day use area. There's a nice view of the campground from the Dam. That's nice you don't have people driving through or hanging out.

  

We had many shorebirds to watch and Ospreys catching fish. We sat in our chairs in the water &amp; enjoyed the quiet beach. We floated on noodles and relaxed. You can boat, Kayak, Canoe and Paddleboard on the lake. 

  

We went to town to Bushy Mountain Smokehouse for some barbecue. Our food was dry and not very good. We enjoy a beer with barbecue they don't serve any liquor there. The place was packed there is a creamery there too the line for ice cream was long.

Photos of COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground

Real photos from real campers