Best Tent Camping near Albemarle, NC

Friendly host, close to lake and well shaded, clean bathrooms, large enough tent sites, great for families.

We have been coming to this campground for seven or eight years. We’ve camped here as tent and rv campers.

The campsites tend to be spacious and wooded- perfect for privacy and hammocks.

Once we were tent camping here, and woke up to a herd of deer on our site! There were seriously 10-15 deer just chilling on our campsite when we exited our tent.

If you’re rv-ing, be aware that while there are electric hookups, there are not water or sewer. There is a water tank filling station and a dump station on site.

The bathhouses are okay. They’re kept clean but they are older.

We have had some issues at this campground with sites being extremely uneven. We even had to just leave once because we couldn’t even begin to get our camper level, and the site was at a purely bizarre angle. I feel that some electric sites are better suited to those tent camping but wanting electricity.

Family of 6. First tent glamping with 4 boys under the age of 12. Fantastic scenery & sunsets. We launched our kayaks from our tent site and enjoyed our neighbors. The facilities are decent for the money and there is plenty to participate in besides camping.

I tent camped at Morrow Mountain state park. As a campsite it is wonderful. Great camp pad to set up your tent on and very nice bathrooms. The only thing i would say negatively about it is that it is quite off the beaten path so does take time to drive all the way through the park to the campground. Other than that it had a very nice atmosphere

I stayed at tent site #10 for 3 nights.   This site along with sites 8 and 9 have electric so I was able to run an extension cord into my tent.  This site has gorgeous views of the lake and seems to share a grill with #11.  There are trees perfect for a hammock.   There is no fire ring but I brought my own raised fire pit.   I was told I’d probably need to drive to the bathrooms but there is a path through the woods into section A.  There is no potable water on tent sites and I had to walk to a vacant rv site to get water for washing dishes.    The wifi is hit or miss at this site but it’s there. My cell coverage was good so I mostly isdd my hot spot. 

I want to emphasize that you so need to check in by 7:30 but after that you get a gate code to use coming in late or leaving early.

It’s not a campground really. it has places for rv’s maybe a tent site. but it is basically by the interstate and just a place to stay. cabins are nice but again they are just beside the rv’s. no scenery at all. the employees are real nice also

Pros: • Most of the B sites are in a nice wooded setting. • There’s plenty of trails to walk during the day. • Very quiet even though the sites are pretty close together. • There’s a Food Lion and Gas Station 10 minutes away if you forget anything. • Clean bathhouses with hot water.

Cons: • Our site (B20) was reaaally uneven but we made it work for 2 tents! • If you tent camp in the B lot, the bathhouse is a bit of a walk. • You have to bring your own firewood or buy it ($5 a bundle) - gathering firewood from the woods is not allowed. • Water is shared between sites.

**Morrow Mountain State Park is a family camping ground for all ages and has an in ground swimming pool plus a boat launch.  I enjoyed tent camping with my family and fishing on the lake.  There is a large public swimming pool and each camping area has toilet and shower facilities.  You can burn fire wood in pits and there are grills for charcoaling BBQs.  The highlight to a early morning wake up are having deer walking through your camping site.  There was a loud whipperwill sounding off with echoes coming from the hillsides.  It is a first come first serve and there is a small fee collected by a Park Ranger.  **

We stayed in the new glamping cabin #2. Very clean, comfortable bed, nice AC, lovely porch to relax on. All cabins are in walking distance to the bathrooms and showers. Those as well were pretty clean for a camp ground, I was pleasantly surprised. The path to the bathrooms light up at night so you can find your way very easy in the dark. Camp ground itself was very clean and I often saw the staff working on cleaning it and interacting with the campers. The designated swimming area was like a piece of heaven. Small not to overly packed, very clean beach. We plan on coming pack to do tent camping with our dog, fantastic family or romantic couple retreat.

Located just outside historic Waxhaw NC, Cane Creek is part of the NC Soil Conservative Sites. They offer day passes,$4.00 per car where you can launch you kayak canoe or fishing boat. If you like Bass Fishing, they rank as one of the best spots around. They have swimming areas for both day users and one for campers. This really is a gem within Union Co NC. The campground is on the other side of the lake. They have camping for RV’s, Cabin Rentals and tent sites for either large groups or individuals. The hiking trail is beautiful and takes you around the whole lake. Watch for horses, as this is a great place for riders too.

If I wasn’t paying for the facilities and was just paying for a gravel pad within walking distance of the lake, five stars. As it is, though, this is not a “cheap” place to boondock. Yes, they do have a bath house in each loop. Our loop, which had 14 campsites, had two toilets. It also had two showers. One shower was broken. The other shower, if you pushed the button for the lower (ADA) shower, would empty the hot water in about two minutes. I had one warm shower and two very cold showers. In the middle of active camping season, this issue with facilities could be a real problem. If I’m going to have to take a cold shower, may as well do that in the lake! It’s also great when you are tent camping near the bath house and the door retractors slam the metal doors whenever someone uses the toilet at 3 am. The only other issue was the 10 barking dogs. Luckily, they all quit about 10:15 pm and didn’t start again until around 8 am. Otherwise, freakin barking all day!!

We had 4 families with children on 1 RV and 3 non-electric tent sites over Memorial Day weekend. Even though the park was at max capacity, it didn’t feel crowded or swarming. The facilities and activities at Morrow Mountain are awesome - a huge, clean pool; canoe rental from a well-maintained boathouse; hikes of various lengths; slightly aged but clean and cared for bath houses; and (our favorite) a gorgeous mountain top picnic shelter (A), which we rented due to a rainy forecast. Great place for family camping. Sites are nicely spaced, but by no means are they private or secluded. Staff were very friendly, but the no alcohol rule is a bummer. If you want to be alone in the woods, Morrow Mountain is not for you. Its also worth noting the climate is much more like south central NC (hot and super humId) and nothIng like the cool mountain air in Western NC. But if your looking for a fun, interactive family or group camping weekend, it’s the perfect spot!

Oak Hollow Campground is located in High Point NC.  It is immediately off the highway and just a couple turns through neighborhoods and you arrive at the campground.  You turn left off the main road, across from the golf course and pass by both the tennis center and the gazebo with the covered picnic tables.  You can hear both the highway and neighborhood traffic from the campground.  

When we pulled up, the first thing we noticed was the campground sign, with the electric gate with a key code.  We also were immediately greeted by a man on a golf-cart - which made us feel like they take care of who is in and out of their campground.  

Pulling in, all registration and fees can be paid in the little brown building on the right.  There were many signs on the door giving us all the info we needed, seeing as the attendant was out. 

We pulled through loop A and could hear music - we guessed from the lake, but soon realized it was from a house in the nearby neighborhood.  Several of the sites in loop A were crooked, but an RV could level acceptably.    

Loop B was an RV loop - consisting primarily of a gravel parkinglot and RV's stacked one after the other.  The lake was an easy walk from this loop - and also had a gazebo with picnic tables underneath and 2 swings, doggie pick up stations, recycling and trashcans. 

Loop C was the tent sites - many with interesting platforms that gave us a good view of the lake.  This view came at a price though - the sites were just off the road - meaning 4 or 5 feet from the road.  We parked strategically so the kids would always be between our van and our site - but there was no room for exploration on their own.  

Continuing on down the road, we came to Loop D which was another RV parking lot.  There was a semi-permanent gate separating the neighborhood from this parking lot - but people could easily walk in and out in this area.  

There was coin laundry, vending machines and a sink for washing dishes at the bathhouse.  Toilets, showers and changing areas were provided inside and a fenced in pool just behind the bathhouse.  

This is not a campground we would frequent - but I could imagine people staying here if visiting from out of town or if they needed to crash for a night.  The views were beautiful down by the lake - but it was clear we were in suburbia.

A great historic piece of Central NC. Plenary of water activities, hiking, and sightseeing in the area. Nestled up to the Uwharrie National Forest and Albemarle. Plenary of camp sites and home to a Native American mining operation. Within a short drive there is Town Creek Indian Mound that you can visit as well. Badin Lake is nearby as well.

The swaying of pine trees with the smell of the forest greets us at this easily accessible site in our motorhome. Electric and water hookups at our site, dump station available on the way out, camp host available. Picnic tables, fire pit available at our site. Lots of shade, plenty of trails that cover this State Park. The Kron house nearby, the swimming pool ( closed at time of our visit). The town of Albemarle 10 minutes away and Badin lake right down the mountain. Lots of history here just stop at the ranger station for information, maps and more.