Best Tent Camping near Atlantic Beach, NC

I'm tent camping. The lady in the welcome center was in a rush to get out of the building and go work in a next-door diner so she didn't have time to answer any questions about this campground. I paid $30. There's a beautiful place to walk my dog along the water. White sand beach. The site itself has hookups if you need them. It has a picnic table, a fire ring and plenty of space for my vehicle and tent. I'm about 15 feet from the water. Nice view.

Dispersed camping deep in the national forest. A native long leaf pine forest in a swampy alligator habitat with some nice lakes. Lots of roads closed from hurricane damage, so don't trust Google maps. The dirt roads were not maintained and ridiculously bumpy and unmanageable for smaller cars. There are alligators, bears, way too many ticks, mosquitos and a ridiculous amount of shotgun shells. It definitely felt dangerous. Would not recommend tent camping, but great for an RV if you can figure out where to park.

The 24 hour campground park ranger stays on the first site of the right side entrance. There is a oyster fishery nearby. You can gather your own wood as there are nearby paths to gather large and small wood. The cost is $10 per site and one site has a double pad for $20 a night. It is quiet and enjoyable. The nearby beach is Atlantic beach as 20 minutes and your at the beach. The campsiye is on the Pamlico sound Pamlico river. The driveway is a small dirt road and can be easily missed so slow down when entering.  We used a 6 person tent that had adequate space even with a dodge caravan to park in our space.

I think this is only the third time I have stayed at a cabin at a campground, and it was all right but I like tent camping better. Because of the intense heat and health concerns, we chose to stay in a cabin here. I wish I had taken more pictures of the campground, but my buddy(seen in the photos) and I are photographers who look for scenes of beauty. It’s not that the campground was not“pretty,” but when you are this close to New Bern, there are better things to photograph. There’s Tryon Palace, Union Point Park, the historic Confederate cemetery, the fireman’s museum, the Pepsi Cola museum(New Bern is where Pepsi was born), etc. The New Bern KOA is perfect in every way. The sites are large with full hookups, Wi-Fi, cable TV, etc. It has all the amenities of a top notch campground that you would expect from KOA. I have stayed at several KOA campgrounds, and they all seem to have the oversized chess; and I have never seen anyone playing it with seriousness. They have two pools, a pavilion, a bouncer… and I could go on and on. IF you want to spend your time at the campground, there is so much to do that you don’t need to go anywhere else… HOWEVER… Did I mention New Bern and Tryon Palace? You can’t come this close to New Bern and not go to Tryon Palace. The campground is located on the shores of the confluence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers. Since they join here, you seem as if you are closer to the ocean. It looks more like a bay. There is a really nice pier at the campground beach for fishing, and the KOA here has outdoor boat rentals. There is also horseshoes, pedal bike rentals… Did I mention there is also New Bern and Tryon Palace? Seriously, the New Bern KOA is about the best campground at which I have stayed, but my buddy had never been to New Bern. There was more to see. If you go, make sure to make reservations. New Bern is a historic town with lots of vacationers during the summer. Looking for something to eat? My favorite place to eat in New Bern was Captain Ratty’s, which has great clam chowder. However, New Bern has lots of other great places to eat as well. The downtown area is also a great area for shopping. Back to the campground… the first time I stayed at the New Bern KOA was over thirty years ago, but it has grown in size and amenities. Now, it is more like a resort than a simple campground.

We recently stayed overnight at Wallace Meadows and it was one of the most lovely places we've ever been to! Rich was very friendly and welcoming and the hookup & amenities they offered for a fee were excellent. The bath house was spotless and we each enjoyed a nice hot shower! The property is surrounded by trees and it was very tranquil. There's even a guesthouse which could possibly accommodate fellow travelers who may not have an RV. There's also a laundry room but we didn't use it. They have a background in hospitality and it really shows. Before we left, we purchased some fresh eggs from their farm, beautifully packaged and delicious! We will return to North Carolina. There's so much to see here and we'll definitely return to Wallace Meadows Farm.

Camp sites are clean and cared for. They have nice tent pads done up. would be nice if some of them had two tent pads for a second tent but ground was nice and level for a second tent. Some campsites have water access some don’t. the Camp host were also very friendly and accommodating.

Real camping, no frills. Beautiful campground, great camp host, back to basics camping. The way it should be , in a tent.

Sand in your pants and tent, but worth it! Ferry out, and hike down the a mile or so, and sleep on the beach. A truly unique experience!

My wife and I stayed at this campground many years ago, and when I came this time, the changes were mind blowing. The first time, it was rustic with high grass, a dirt entry road, and most campers were in tents. This time, the landscaping was well manicured, there were paved roads throughout, and most campers were in RVs. Wow!!!! What an upgrade! However, I had a tent and I felt out of place. I guess I was expecting a campground more like federal campgrounds I have been to in the past where there is more privacy and space between the campsites. With that said, the tent was on grass and there were no hookups. Essentially, it was a grassy, level place to pitch a tent. The one redeeming factor was that it was close to the bath house. The facilities were fairly new. For example, the bath house looked as if it had been built recently, and the concrete looked fresh. Inside, there are individual showers separate from the toilets. Both are modern and something I am not used to seeing except at privately owned campgrounds. The main attraction here is the Cedar Point Tideland Trail which takes you through the estuaries close to the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. This area is a photographer’s dream, especially if you like photographing the native habitat and creatures. I was able to get photos of birds, soft shell crabs, and closeup photos of dragonflies. The estuary itself is worth taking pictures of, especially at sunset. Another attraction is its proximity to Emerald Isle and the ocean, which is about two to three miles away. If you are a kayaker like I am, or a boater, there is access to the White Oak River by way of a boat launch. Personally, I had rather be in a more remote wilderness type area, but I understand that some people love this type of closeness to their neighbors and the modern facilities. Don’t get me wrong. All you have to do is drive a few hundred yards, and you will be in a wilderness type area(the Tideland Trail). Overall, this is a great little campground for RVs(and tents if you spend most of your time exploring the Tideland Trail and surrounding areas), and I highly recommend it… IF you can get a spot. All of the sites are by reservation only except for five first come/first serve spots.

It was gated due to local issues, which made me feel safe. Quiet, despite RV traffick. Mine was the only tent on site, but people were kind in RVs.

Jake from the Dyrt here!  Your host Kathrine is an experienced host and is ready to make your next camping trip a memorable one!  There's a spot for everyone, from the onsite camper, to bring your own tent/RV sites, check them out and share some pics from your stay on the Dyrt!

Thanks to my Access pass camping here is just $5/night. Gorgeous wooded sites, well-maintained. Waterside! Literally a 60-second walk to water from campsite. Great hiking & kayaking. Very quiet & private. Nice and flat but if you tent I would advise sand stakes. No bug problems whatsoever in mid to late October. Forest Service road in is newly graded and graveled. Zero potholes. About 15 min drive to civilization with gas/groceries/food. Host is wonderful!! So sweet and helpful.

Extremely nice campground with 4 RV sites(50 Amp) and water service. Dump station is easy access upon arrival or departure. Easy entrance and exit from main highway to site area. Trees are well maintained to prevent brushing RV upon entrance and exit. Accommodates easy access to 2 pull through and 2 back in camp sites. Each site has 12x12 concrete pads to restrict tracking sand and/or dirt into RV unit. Daily trash service at sites. Rest rooms well kept, clean with private single shower. Washer and dryer service located at bath house and close to site area for a reasonable price. Wi-Fi service available and ready. Wonderful remote quite area for total relaxation. Tent area behind RV sites but separated from RV location. Area lit at night but not to the extreme to bother camping. Kayaks available to enjoy the small river behind RV& Tent area. Easy access via wooden dock for boarding or unloading kayaks. Owner is extremely accommodating and offers fresh eggs and black angus beef at responsible rates.

This was our first camping trip with our boy, Cooper. This was a great spot for him to explore and get used to the idea of spending a few nights under the stars. While the campground was busy (early May) it didn't feel over crowded. The sites are nicely spread out and accommodate both tents and RVs easily.

Water spigots are located throughout the campground and were only a short walk form our campsite. The restrooms were clean and the showers were nice and hot. We were able to pack up our things each morning and head out for a day of exploring. It seemed as if everything we wanted to do was only a short drive from the campground (including batting cages and mini golf).

Bottom line, it's nice and close enough to explore the Cape Lookout National Seashore and so many other cool spots!