Established Camping
San Lee Park
About
County
San-Lee Park is a 177+ acre park, located at 572 Pumping Station Road, that offers hiking trails, a mountain bike trail, a Nature Center with a multipurpose room that is available for rent, playground, picnic facilities, campgrounds, and two stocked lakes for fishing. Paddle boat rentals are available seasonally.
Campsite rentals are available during park operational hours. A driver’s license or similar identification is required for registration. Sites are available on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations are not taken. For additional information, please call 919-776-6221 Ext. 4.
Program Date:
April – October Exceptions for weather & burning bans
Fee:
$15.00 per night
Register:
At park office during park hours Must be 18 years or older or accompanied by an adult
Tent Camping
The park provides tent sites, tables, charcoal grills, water, and a shower house. Campsites are located in a private section of the park close to the lake.
Fee Info
$15/night
Reservation Info
Sites are available on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations are not taken. For additional information, please call 919-776-6221 Ext. 4.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Pets
Difficult
We are from out of town. We picked this spot because it was a last minute trip and on their website it advertised they had first come first serve spots open. We drive over there see a completely empty campground and think we won’t have any issue getting a spot. And when I say empty I mean there was quit literally no other campers . So we tried to check in, but there is no place to check in. So we went to the nature center and asked around to try to get some help. We had to wait for some other man to come around because no one else who worked there could help us. After finally tracking this man down at the paddle boats and an hour of back and forth, we were told you have to call and make a reservation but we shouldn’t have a problem getting a spot since it’s empty. After calling and only getting voicemails, we found the man again who called his boss. His boss finally answered and said we can only camp there by making reservations 72 hours ahead of time. Probably the most difficulty I’ve ever had trying to get a camp site.
Decent campground
Not a bad campground. There are maybe 10 or so sites here. They are all contained in one open area. It's almost like one big group site. The sites have fire pits, grills, tables, and there are a couple of water spigots on the site. There are also bathrooms with a showers. There are hiking and biking trails as well as kayaking and other water sports on the lake there.
It's an okay place, great of you are with a large group, as the sites are open but situated somewhat close to each other.
- (4) View All
Excellent Camping Here @ Quaint San-Lee Park
I would like to correct the previous review on San-Lee Park. Anyone who actually visited this quaint park in Lee County (just southwest of Raleigh) would very easily find the park's campground. From the moment you enter the park, there's a number of oversized signs pointing to the actual campgrounds. Once you park your vehicle at the main parking lot, to the right, you'll see the children's playground - just past this and up a slight incline, stay to the left and you'll come to the campground in about 50 yards.
Contrary to what has been written, I would highly recommend San-Lee Park to anyone looking for a short and easy escape from the nearby Raleigh-Durham area. This park has lots of hiking trails, a fantastic park for the kiddos, Nature Center, a gorgeous lake perfect for a day of fishing, mountain bike trails, paddle boat rental and … a pretty impressive campground!
By my count, there's at least 20, if not more spots to choose from. If you would like to confirm the details of the campground for yourself - please, don't take it from me or my photos / videos (which are real photos BTW) - check out the county website (https://leecountync.gov/departments/sanleepark) where they will provide a lot more detail on this excellent respite.
Reservations are not taken, but rather, tent campers (no RV's welcomed here, just tents) can book a campsite on a first-come, first-served basis. While I was there in late September, trust me, the place was somewhat busy, and apparently camping continues here till the end of October (so if you couldn't find the campsite, maybe you can go back and try this weekend before the season formally closes). Insider's tip?
As there are no reservation system per se, I would highly recommend getting there early to locate the campsite that works best for you. I can't say that I saw a bad campsite while I was there, and the location of the restroom facilities are near the front of the campsites, where you first hiked/ drove in. All the sites have the standard fire ring, picnic table and running water. While you'll have to ascend to reach the campground, once you are up there, it's quite flat. There's not a ton of brush between you and your neighbors, which was my only complaint about the place- if there was any complaint to be made in the first place.
Happy Camping!
- (10) View All
Location
San Lee Park is located in North Carolina
Directions
From Greensboro, take 421 S. to Sanford. From Raleigh take US 1 to 421 S. From intersection of US 1 and 421, take 421 S 1.2 miles into town. Go left onto Carthage St. (turns into Charlotte St.). Go about 1.4 miles - veer right at BP station onto San Lee Dr. Go 2.0 miles and turn right onto Pumping Station road. Go 0.6 miles - entrance to San Lee Park on the right.
Address
572 Pumping Station Rd
Sanford, NC 27330
Coordinates
35.48290725 N
79.12637855 W