Spacious Skies Sandy Run

Shooting up or down I-95 (exit 44) to make it to your ultimate destination and simply need a spot to layover for a night … but tired of all those nondescript roadside concrete RV parking lots and still want to enjoy a bit of nature? Well then, look no further than Spacious Skies Sandy Run Campground (formerly Lazy Acres) surrounded by an endless amount of native longleaf pines located in the heart of Cumberland County. Here, you’ll almost feel like you’ve exited the concrete jungle for a slice of nature just a smidge off of I-95. Of course, the additional upside here is that you don't have to drive clear out in the wilderness in order to enjoy a small slice of heaven with a good helping of nature.

With 2-3 dozen or so elongated long-leaf pine shaded drive-through parking lanes with packed white sand parking pads (some were concrete) for your parking pleasure, all of the pull-thru sites come equipped with the typical 30 / 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections. While the campground’s website attempts to fool you with generic stock photography that is not representative of their actual site (why don’t sites simply invest in some really great photography when they actually have a fantastic site to showcase is beyond me), this campground really is quite attractive for being a highway roadside RV campground.

That said, while their imagery suggests cabins and tents, there were none while we visited, so do take note. That said, the restroom / shower / laundry facilities are exceptional (albeit a bit on the small side - this campground should definitely invest in a second or even third bathroom / shower facility) and, of course, there’s the standard picnic table, fire ring / grill, garbage receptacles, dog park, basic kid’s playground, WiFi, cable and even a community BBQ that are interspersed throughout the property. I was surprised to discover a pretty amazing pool (opened in the Summer between Memorial and Labor Day weekends) that the kids enjoyed during the day – nothing too over-the-top, but a cool spot to drop into during the midday NC heat is definitely an advantage! Oh, and the laundry facilities, camp store and other amenities like fresh cut wood for fires and s’more roasting was a huge bonus. Cathy at the front desk was very warm and inviting.

The hosts are incredibly nice and offer pricing by the night, week and month. Overall, I found the community to be quite inviting and as nearly everyone there is in-transit, there’s a really nice sojourner vibe to be had, where everyone is welcoming and also curious as to where you’re coming from and where you’re headed to, but in a non-invasive manner. Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to Fayetteville Motor Speedway, Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, Clark Park Nature Center and a good number of state and county parks bursting with outdoors adventures for the family.

Insider’s tips? Here's a few: (1) There’s a great little pathway on this property that encircles a small pond that is perfect for a short meandering through the area that you’re in called Sandy Run. Here, we discovered squirrels, all sorts of endemic birds, a few stray turtles, a couple deer and a group of industrious beavers who had built quite the dam. The pond itself isn’t too well-stocked and so you will note the ‘catch & release’ warning signs around this watering hole; (2) There's a hint of 'Coming Soon' and 'Under Development' signs on both the website as well as on-property that would suggest that the campground is in the midst of some upcoming enhancements. Apparently, from the owners, there’s plans for a dog park and even a camp store, which will add substantially to the bolstering amenities already being provided; (3) If you'd like to get off property and head somewhere nearby to stretch your legs and get a decent hike in, then I would recommend checking out nearby Clark Park & Nature Center, which has some pretty great trailheads and other wonderful nature trails to explore; (4) If you are into outdoor adventure and looking to zip amongst the treelines, then check out Zipquest Waterfall and Treetop Adventure; (5) When you grow tired of roasting franks & beans fireside and are looking for some local fare, then head outside camp, cross I95 and make your way over to Go Chew Grill, which is one part morning cafe with jumbo cinnamon roll and perfectly poured Americano as well as afternoon continental eatery, where this spot serves up some pretty amazing freshly made gourmet sandwiches, which I would recommend the turkey, bacon, creamy brie and orange chutney wrap.

Happy Camping!

We were so excited to find a campground for the weekend, close to our son’s wrestling tournament location. Unfortunately the pictures definitely depict a campground way nicer with more amenities than we seen or were available for use to us. Although we picked a pull through site with a concrete patio, picnic table and nice blocked fire pit (on the website), it had no fire pit at all, not even a fire ring. When brought to the attention of the front office we were told “we don’t run the website” & “if you would have let us know we would have found you a fire ring”. We assumed since check in was 3pm the campsites were checked to make sure they were left clean and had everything mentioned. There was tons of other spots open with the blocked fire pit and other with fire rings only. When you pick and pay for a nicer site that’s what you expect to get. We checked in within the last hour they were open due to the tournament and the next morning we left again for the tournament so we really had no time to bring it to their attention until the day we checked out. There was no dog park that we seen, whatsoever and our “nice view by the wood line” was literally a few scattered trees with a view of “keep out” signs and equipment for upkeep behind it. I will mention this is January so everything is dead but I can’t imagine even in summer with the small amount of trees, fully bloomed, it would hide the equipment back there and make for a nice view. I seen no signs for a walking trail nor a catch and release pond. Maybe there was such but I didn’t notice anything on our walk to or from the jump pillow/camp store. The camp store hardly had any supplies.. again this could have been due to the time of year. This campground is riddled with obvious long timers/year round campers, which is cool but at least put them in separate areas from your short timers. Although they have a small book worth of rules/terms to abide by while there,, the quiet hours are not abided by at least not in the area we were in,, it was football games, drinking and pot smoking until well after quiet hours. We’ll search elsewhere next month/time.

So overall our 2 week stay at Lazy Acres wasn't all bad, but we definitely started on a bad note, and our treatment by the staff was unacceptable. My family and I live in our 44' 5th wheel full time, and we have a system for getting into and setting up at a site: My wife normally follows the staff member in her van and lets me know if there are any issues with clearance on the radio. We've run into multiple instances where we would have sustained damage or gotten into a bad spot if we didn't take that precaution. When my wife got ready to follow the staff person, he insisted that I follow him and she drive behind me, to the point that he refused us entry into the park unless we did it his way. We decided to try and be cooperative, and followed him as he directed. When we got to our site, he insisted on guiding me in. He absolutely would not let me pull in with my wife directing me. This is something that we are very particular about as we've had more than one experience with staff giving us bad directions and/or not knowing how to deal with a rig our size. We tried to explain this, but he refused to let us stay and refused a refund unless he was the one guiding me. His explanation was that he was responsible for any damage to the park so he had to be in control.(Which I don't think is correct at all, given how we carry vehicle and RV insurance.) We had already paid for 2 weeks in advance, so we agreed against our better judgement. The staff member ended up directing us into an awkward place in the site that made it difficult to level the rig, and he literally stood there at the front of the site watching us until we were unhooked and leveled, to be sure we didn't try and move our rig. Fast forward a few days... The weather forecast was calling for temperatures possibly going below freezing later in the week, so we got an email from the staff saying that we needed to disconnect if we weren't using a heated hose(which is totally fine). We were out the day when we got the email, and when we returned to the park that afternoon, we were given a rather rude letter at the camp office demanding that we disconnect on specific dates by 6pm, or else we would have our water disconnected and would be charged$10 for failing to disconnect. The letter was somewhat off-putting, but we shrugged and returned to our site, only to find another copy of the rude letter taped to the door of our rig! Over the next week or so, any time there was a chance of freezing weather in the forecast, staff members would drive around the park shortly after 6, checking everyone's hoses and knocking on doors of anyone still connected, telling them to disconnect. This is very disappointing, especially since there are some nice things about the park, like the new concrete pads, fire rings, fishing pond, and exploring trails. Unfortunately, for us the interaction with the staff member overbalanced any positive experiences we had, so we won't be returning.

I made reservations for this campground by calling the week before. When asked what I’d be camping in, I clearly explained to the person taking the reservation that I had a 1989 VW Vanagon. No problem. Camp site booked! 

When I actually got to the campground the following Monday, I went in to check in. I was happy because the campground looked so nice, and clean. It was back in the woods, very quiet and peaceful. 

Upon check in, I was first told that I “had a boat, and didn’t disclose when I made the reservation”. I explained I did not have a boat, and the one pulling up outside the door was not mine. That taken care of, I was then asked where my van was. I explained it was parked right beside the check in cabin in the driveway. I then found out that the campground “doesn’t take that kind of camper-no tents, pop-ups” or other vehicles of the sort. I immediately started to panic a bit, considering it was getting late, and I wasn’t sure where I was going to go with my husband and two dogs. I explained that I did tell the person (when making the reservation) exactly what type of van I had, I was tersely told “she probably didn’t understand”. Fortunately, I was allowed in for the night, but the anxiety flash made the stay a bit less then perfect. 

So, while the initial encounter was stressful, I am able to say that the campground is very nice. The dogs got a long walk around the area. The other campers were friendly. We had a fire in the evening, and it was very quiet. The campground host (not the same person as the check in person) gave our dogs some treats, and complimented our  van. The bathrooms (shower included) were very nice as clean, but I could see how the campground might not be able to accommodate large groups of pop-up/tent campers due to a limited number of available bathrooms. 

I recommend this campground to anyone with a class A, B, C, trailer or fifth wheel RV that is self contained-meaning you have a bathroom. Otherwise, I’d find somewhere else to stay.

I lived in Fayetteville, NC for over 10 years and just recently stopped by to visit friends as we travelled up north.

We picked this campground because it only 1 mile off I-95 and closest RV park we could find near Fayetteville .

Dirt road to campsite is packed white sand and well maintained (it had rained 2 days prior so it was not dusty)

There were full hookup and lots of big rigs/TT and class A’s in park. The park is well maintained and the owners clearly care about creating a nice atmosphere. The sites themselves are hard packed sand and you have a very nice patio and fire pit.

During the right season Memorial- Labor Day there is a nice size pool. They have a Catch and Release fishing pond and a cute walking trail The campground is close to Walmart and other eating places

⛺️other camping in the area-while I did not visit these locations recently- when I lived here I used to camp at Waldo’s Beach Campground In Fayetteville but it is not near the interstate. There is also a military/gov only campground on Fort Bragg you can check into.

Fun things to do in Fayetteville/Fort Bragg Area:

Fun things to do: 📌Airborne and Special Operations Museum (downtown). You may also enjoy the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum is located on Fort Bragg(call this museum directly for details)

❤️Paraclete XP skydive center (in raeford,N.C. close to Fayetteville) -One of the largest skydive centers in the world! so worth it!!! Just going and watching is pretty awesome 🥾Cape fear river trail 10.6 mile round trip multi use trail 💐 🌳 Cape Fear Botanical Garden 🐶giant dog park (near Botanical Garden) 📌Zip quest waterfall and tree top adventure zip line 🧗‍♀️ The Climbing Place (rock climbing)- downtown.
📌Defy Fayetteville Trampoline park ⚾️ Minor league baseball team Fayetteville Woodpeckers are hosted here in town and a new stadium was built.
🎥 🍿 Cameo Arthouse Theater- Indy theater- sit upstairs in the LOGE!

Cape fear botanical garden (Big dog park near the gardens)

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

I loved the campground itself. It was quiet, small, no activities tho and clean. But the only interaction the male owner had w me, is he yelled at me twice. Once my dog got out of camper by accident and I immediately picked him up and apologized. The woman (Cathy) owner was nice and all was forgiven. But the male owner couldn’t realize it was an accident and my dog was out for less then 2 sec. I immediately got him and put him in rv. Every time the man came around.. he never looked friendly or happy. Always w a frown and grumpy. The next time, my autistic grandson went into the bathroom and he broke the toilet dispenser.. instead of us not saying anything and let them discover it, I felt it was a Christian thing to do is admit he did it and offer to pay for it... even tho the company who supplies that dispenser gives them away free w the toilet paper order (my husband works w same company at his job and knows them well) the man proceeded to yell at me. Then threatened to call the cops to have us removed... I asked Why? Cuz we offered to pay for something our grandchild broke? The man is crazy and would NEVER come here again. Accidents happen, and it was probably something wrong w dispenser in the first place... who knows, but he is not a people person AT ALL!