San-Lee Park

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.

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!