Best Tent Camping near B. Everett Jordan Lake

This is a hidden gem for a MST hiker. The campground is located on a private land, has a shelter, a fire pit, and a number of tent sites. It's a hike in only campground, located approximately 1 mile from the roadside parking on Red Mill Road, Durham NC. 

The information can be found here:

There is an authorized camping area available on private property in this section of the Falls Lake Trail(between Red Mill Road and Old Oxford Road). Follow the blue-blazed trail off the MST approximately 1 mile west of Red Mill Road. NOTE: This campsite is on private property. It is a HUGE PRIVILEGE to be allowed to camp at this location. Vandalism, neglect or any trash left at this campsite could result in closing of this campsite by the landowner. No water or toilet facilities are provided. There are seven established campsite pads for 2-person tents. Campsite rules:(1) Practice Leave No Trace ethics.(2) Do NOT leave any trash. Pack it in= Pack it out.(3) There is a 2-night maximum stay.(4) Do NOT explore past a 75 yard radius of the Shelter.(5) NO FIRES except in the established fire pit.

On my way to Virginia from western North Carolina, I decided to stop here. It makes the eight hour trip less tiresome if you can break it up. It is convenient since it is along the interstate. However, staying in one of the cabins at this KOA in Greensboro requires a minimum two-night stay, and they run about$100 a night. The person in the office was really nice and informative, but I think KOA is trying to discourage tent campers. She told me that since it had been raining, the ground was saturated and tent campers don’t like all the noise from the road; and she is 100% correct. Nevertheless, a tent site was my best option. The tent sites are sloped and very small. There is very little privacy since the sites are just about on top of each other. Don’t get me wrong; there are good things about this KOA… for RV campers and RV campers with children. The RV sites are spacious and mostly level with electric, water, and sewer hookups. The cabins are really nice(this being based on staying in a KOA cabin in the past and the exterior looks, which have been updated since I last stayed in one). The children will love the caboose/play area, and there is a large pool, which was actually open. There is also a fenced dog walk and another playground for children. The main bath house is located at the end of the office, and there is another bath house which was closed due to repair(?). Perhaps I’m being a little too harsh since it had poured rain for two days, but being on a small, unlevel, tent site with saturated ground is not my favorite way to camp. There were only brief minutes to take any photos since it was constantly raining. With all this said, if you want an alternative to staying at a motel/hotel/inn in Greensboro to experience the numerous things the city has to offer, this is a good choice for RV campers or for those who want to stay in a cabin.

Plenty of places to tent camp or RV camp! Places to fish things for kids to play on and of course places to shower after! One of my family’s favorite places to camp!

It's ok not great,not a busy area it's ok if your visiting the area and need a place,think it's a bit pricey for what it is though, small designated tent camping area....

We stayed at Jordan Lake Campground. It had nice hiking trails. Ty he lake is pretty big. Exploring on our kayaks was alot of fun. Our tent site was by the wayet and included water and electric. We will return.

It’s not often that you see a state park in the heart of a metropolitan area. Although it’s not in the city limits, you are surrounded by cities. Without the noise of the neighboring international airport, it’s like any other natural area. However, camping in a tent means you will be hearing the sounds of jets all day long and throughout the night. Otherwise, it might have been a pleasant experience. This campground is in a state park that has a lot of trails, good areas for bicycling, and water sports such as swimming, canoeing, and fishing. When I was there, however, many of the facilities were closed. I did get a chance to take advantage of the trails, and they are relatively easy. Because of the pandemic, access to the bath house was limited in terms of hours. The sites are level and spacious, and they are not too close to other sites. It didn’t really matter when I went since there were very few campers. I can only imagine what it will be like when peak season starts, but as I said earlier, the sites are not on top of each other. The bath house was clean but only utilitarian. They could use updating. There is a place outside of the bath house to wash dishes, so you are encouraged to wash them there instead of dumping dishwater in the bath house or at your campsite. Overall, this campground is pretty good if you don’t mind the noise of the jets. If you want to experience total immersion into the wilderness and solitude, I would suggest a more remote camping area.

We camped out the first night the campground was open for the season. They were performing controlled burns but nothing bothered us. Sure, we heard the planes overhead but it didn’t keep us up. We tent camped at an RV site just for some extra comfort with the water and power. Bathhouses were super clean. And we were a short walk to the lake to fish and hang out near the water. Absolutely will come back

Popular Point campground is one of my favorite places to pitch a tent in the Jordan Lake area.  It's often not as crowded as the others at Jordan Lake are, esp., during the week and outside of holidays or summertime.  The views are nice, with sites next to the water.  Tents and RVs can camp in the same areas.  We normally camp in a tent here, but never in the hottest part of summer, which is most of the summer in the Piedmont area of the state.  You gotta go up to 3000 feet, as in the mountains of NC, for a cool weather experience in summertime, but for a night to get away from your regular routine or a weekend when the weather is nice, this is a suitable place.  Locals like it because the drive isn't far from Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham or Pittsboro.

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.

This is a new and clean campground. Very nice rangers monitor the campground and are extremely helpful. Each site is large and well spaced out from other campers. Most RV sites are gravel with a fire pit, picnic table and a gravel tent pad beside it. The bathhouse was clean and well maintained. Their RV sites are full hookup which is great for a state park. Water pressure was excellent. Primitive tent sites and cabins were available. The campground is walking distance to Raven Rock trails and you get a free walk up pass to get in. We had a very good time and will definitely go back.

The tent campsites are right next to the water with beautiful views of the lake. You can kayak directly to your campsite. There’s also a swimming beach with pfds, grills, and picnic tables available. Each campsite has a trash can, picnic table, and fire pit. The only issue we had was the drinking water. The water pump next to our campsite produced brown water. We had to bring large jugs of bottled water to use instead.

Raven Rock State Park is known for its namesake cliffs on the edge of the Cape Fear River. It has over a dozen miles of trails, which include horseback riding, hiking, and cycling trails. Since this park is along the fall line, most of the trails are easy with some rise and fall in elevation. Make sure you hike to the“Raven Rock” while you are there. It is impressive, and there are other trails that offer peaceful walks through the forest and other views of the river. The only camping allowed, for now, is primitive tent camping. The campsites can be reached either by hiking or by canoeing/kayaking in. There is a privy, but there are no showers. I counted seven spaces for camping. There is a site(or was) for group camping. The ranger told me that it is no longer in use. When I was talking to her, she said that they are working on an area for RV camping and that it would be ready next year. If I understood correctly, it will be in the area of the Mountain Laurel Loop Trail. When you camp there, make sure to take a good head lamp or flashlight. I had to walk quite far to get to the privy, and during the night, it is dark! The site that I chose was a longer walk to the privy than the other campsites, but it was a little more remote and private. I also had to by-pass a mud hole on the way to the privy, so again, take a good light source. The best thing about Raven Rock State Park is, of course, the 150’ cliffs along the river. The best thing about camping at Raven Rock State Park is how quiet it is. The hike is 1.7 miles, and other than the sounds of Cape Fear River down below, the only thing you hear at night might be an occasional airplane flying overhead. Since it was during December, I didn’t see any other campers. During the day, however, the park had several day hikers. If you want to camp in the backcountry but don’t want to hike very far to get there, this is a great place. If you have an RV or just want to camp where you can drive to, you will have to wait for a year, according to the park ranger.

This is a pretty nice campground, similar to other state parks in North Carolina. The sites are spacious, we stayed at a double site that allowed up to 4 cars. The site was level and stayed dry during the heavy rain, however we saw other sites that had big puddles, with tents in the water. The bathrooms were cleaned regularly, but they were not very nice. The shower didn't look good at all, we didn't use it.

A great things about the campground is that it has its own kayak/canoe ramp, just a few minutes drive from the site. We saw people fishing from the ramp as well. On our morning paddle we saw a couple of bald eagles, they were amazing. We stayed at the campsite after heavy rains, so the beach was closed. It must be nice when not flooded.

This is a state campground, so alcohol is not allowed.

Cedarock Park, located in Burlington, North Carolina, is a hidden gem for all sorts of outdoor activities. The park offers hike-in camping with a handful of sites scattered along Rock Creek. The sites are well spaced and can accommodate large groups (you only pay $1 for each additional person for groups larger than 10). The park is also home to 6 miles of hiking trails and 6 miles of equestrian trails. There are two fantastic disc golf courses (I personally enjoy the Wellspring course) and even a historical farm that sheds light on what life was like as a farmer in 19th century North Carolina.

Poplar Point Campground could quite possibly be the best campground in all of North Carolina! Yes, I know, that’s quite a statement to make, considering all of the amazing places in the great state of North Carolina. So let me explain why I reached this conclusion:

• Some of the most outstanding hiking trails

• Heavily wooded forest paradise that delivers privacy and solitude

• Perfectly maintained amenities such as picnic tables, fold-up fire ring and grills

• Bathroom facilities are some of the best I’ve experienced with state-run facilities

• Direct access to a fantastic lakeside experience, complete with boat launches

• Designated swimming area complete with life vests

• On-site park staff were nothing short of amazing, helpful and incredibly friendly

• Close access to purchase anything that might be needed 

Insider’s tip? Be sure to get down to the lake from wherever your campsite is just after sunset and bring a couple of folding chairs and a telescope (pre-planning here is needed!) to catch a glimpse of one of the most amazing star-studded night skies you’ve ever seen in your life! 

Happy Camping!

This is one of my favorite camping spots in the North Carolina triangle area.  There is a tremendous amount of hiking and trails to do around here.  The Eno River is more than safe to swim or paddle in.  Dogs are welcome here! If you can camp close to the river, I recommend, it's great to fall asleep to the sounds of the river.  Bring bug spray!

I have stayed there twice over the past couple years.  The only changes to this Campground are the Prices !!  ..which keep going up (to $35 day now).  For this, you get a parking space with full hookups.. that's it, no Amenities whatsoever!

It's pretty much a "Camper Trap", because there are so few options in the North Carolina Piedmont.  Spaces are tight, a lot of the people there are long-term workers, that totally ignore any "Dust" decorum, speeding through the area as if they were on public streets!

Poplar Point is located on the banks of the lake in the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. Jordan Lake State Recreation Area has several campgrounds with plenty of lakeside sites, if you make your reservation early. We happened to camp in Poplar Point during the busiest time Labor Day weekend. Even then it was surprisingly quiet, because campsites are generously separated among the pine forest. And after the weekend we were practically alone. So, If you love to be alone in nature, this is a great place for that experience. We have a video about this campground on our YouTube Summertime RV Rovers channel- 4 Great Campgrounds in North Carolina. We stayed there in our Super C Dynamax DX3. We camped at Poplar Point Campground- Jordan Lake SRA in a Motorhome.

This area is such a short drive from the triangle area of North Carolina, yet this park feels quite remote. Like many state parks, this one excels in the services department. 

Bathrooms and showers were clean and comfortable, as were the campsites. 

Each camping loop felt tucked away into its own little neighborhood, and the large campsites offered space so that you aren’t stacked right next to your neighbor.  We camped in the nonelectric loop (we always bring our solar panel) for 3 nights in mid-February and there were very few campers around, but the neighboring loop with electrical hook-up sites were 3/4 full with large rigs. 

Hiking, biking, paddling, are all great things to do during your stay. There is also a boat launch within the park in case power boating or fishing is your thing, but kayaks and canoes can easily launch from the lakeside campsites.  It was a bit too chilly to get on the water in February, so we opted for hiking and biking.

The closest services for gas or a few extra snacks are within 5 minutes of the park.

I could barely believe that we're only 20 or so minutes away from a large city like Raleigh and we are able to access such amazing natural beauty so easily.  For most of my camping life, I'm used to spending hours on a road (often winding, bumpy and war-torn!) before making it to our ultimate camping destination - so Parker's Creek was a real treat.

Here, just like so many of the great state parks in North Carolina, I found an exceptional well-taken care of chunk of nature, where the campground has been perfectly carved INTO nature, and this particular area of well-appointed campsites are nothing short of spectacular, especially if you get as lucky as we did in booking this site.  Perhaps because we were in shoulder season, we didn't experience the herds of other campers - in fact, for the most part, we felt like we had the place to ourselves.

All of the basic amenities are here - picnic table, fire ring, running water and hot showers, restroom facilities.  And oh, like everything's just about new or recently refurbished.  Add this to the excellent views, I don't know that it gets better than waking up after a great night underneath the stars (and a full moon) and going for a nice dip in Lake Jordan before all the boating and fishing crowds mob the lake's water.  This and the hiking trails around, were simply fantastic.  I can't wait to return soon!

Happy Camping

I’m not sure if this campground is correctly named Holly Point Campground, which after my experience, I would rename it HOLY Point Campground, as this outdoor nature preserve is truly a slice of heaven carved out in the middle of North Carolina’s finest camping paradise. If you find yourself in the hustle and bustle of nearby Raleigh and looking to get away from the crowds and pavement in exchange for some nice shaded nature, hiking trails and calm peace & quiet that only nature can offer, then make your way here to Holly Point Campground@ Falls Lake SRA, where you will not be disappointed. 

All of the basics are provided in spades – from picnic table, fold-up fire ring / BBQ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice small pebble-strewn flat patch of well-maintained nature that offers pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer North Carolina sunshine from the tall matchstick-like long leave needle pines. While there’s not a terrible amount of brush between the campsites, you will have semi-privacy unlike many other nearby campgrounds. 

The on-site facilities (bathrooms& showers) are just slightly north of passable and only a smidge better than you’d expect from a state-run campground, and so this campground gets its only mediocre marks on this front. But that said, there’s plenty of hiking trails to explore and the on-site rangers are incredibly helpful and positive folks that want to ensure you have a great time, but the best amenity on this property is the access to Falls Lake itself, where there is a perfectly sectioned off swimming area, as well as boat launching areas for those that want to fish or simply drop a kayak or canoe in the water and take enjoy a lakeside cruise. 

Insider's tips?  Here's a handful: (1) While IMHO there is no bad spot here in all of Holly Point Campground, there are obviously some that are better than others.  Given this, I would highly rank Loops 4 (#118-119, #121-123) & 5 (#141-147; #149, #150, #152-155) as well as the southern and eastern side of Loop 2 (#36-39; #55-71; #73, #75), given their proximity to and views of Falls Lake itself.  Of course, the sites that are located closer to the water are those more preferred; (2) If you're an angler, you'll be looking to catch some large-mouthed bass, yellow perch, blue gill, channel and flathead catfish and I recommend the areas that are heaviest shadowed around the lake edges; (3) When you grow weary of having to fix up that next campsite meal and simply want to error on the side of ease and comfort, then check out nearby Buffalo Bros who serve up some pretty might wings and amazing pies (there's also burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads and other basic Americana foodstuffs) or Nantucket Grill for some pretty outstanding Jambalaya and seafood diablo pasta; and (4) If you love extreme outdoors adventures, then check out Xtreme Park Adventures for indoor and outdoor courses for paintball and laser tag.

Happy Camping!

Clandestine?  And Camping?!  Yeah, that's kind of what I thought too when I first saw this place.  To begin with, hats off to the great state Rangers in North Carolina who take real pride in their campgrounds and take really great care of the parks.  This was, by far, one of the cleanest, most well-organized, perfectly sign-posted and utterly trash-free state parks I have ever been too (and let's say that I've been to a few).  

In fact, this place was so incredibly well taken care of ... that I'm not sure I felt like I was actually in nature!  Is that even possible?  Well, let's just say that one of the biggest challenges I have with camping in the first place is convincing my family to come with me, as they aren't fans of bugs, getting dirty, sweating and especially .. public restrooms and shower facilities.  But they would be impressed with this place.

Located just due South of Raleigh-Durham area, you'll find Raven Rock State Park, that doesn't get as much recognition as a lot of the other SP's have bodies of water attached to them, like in and around Jordan Lake, Falls Lake or further afield Lake Kerr.  That aside, and back to this particular campground, if you're looking for something that's a bit off the beaten path, but that offers a completely different camping experience, then I would strongly encourage you to come check out this place.  Amenities are standard, but as with everything here, it's either brand new or completely spartan!  Add on top of this that there's a number of really amazing guest cottages (think little log cabins, but modern), then this SP is definitely setting the pace for the rest of the state in terms of quality control on their campgrounds.

Happy Camping!

If you find yourself in the hustle and bustle of nearby Raleigh and are looking to get away from the crowds and pavement in exchange for some nice shaded nature, hiking trails and calm, peace& quiet that only nature can offer, then make your way here to Shinleaf@ Falls Lake SRA. You’ll discover all of the basics are provided– from picnic table, fold-up fire ring/ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice pebble-strewn patch of well-maintained flat pitch, perfect for striking camp for the night in your tent amongst the best of what nature has to offer along with pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer North Carolina sunshine.

The only real down-side I could find to Shinleaf is that there’s not a whole lot of brush between the campsites so you will be exposed to neighboring sites, which wasn’t a problem when we visited as the place was fairly vacant, but during high season, I could see how this would be a bit of a turn-off. The on-site facilities(limited to just bathrooms& showers) are typically better than you’d expect from a state-run campground, and so this spot gets high marks versus some others– and there’s even a designated‘pot wash’ spigot that is near the campsites making for EZ clean up after any meal. There’s plenty of hiking trails to explore and the on-site rangers are incredibly helpful and positive folks that want to ensure you have a great time.

Insider's tips? Here's a few: (1) If you like to fish, there's tons of different varieties here to catch, including: walleye, crappie, white bass, large- and small-mouth bass, blue gill, striped bass as well as catfish; (2) There is no need to go anywhere else to look for a boat launch as Shinleaf has its very own kayak/ canoe launch that is fantastic and located on the eastern side of the property; (3) If you are looking for some really cool outdoors adventures while in these parts, check out Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park that offers treetop rope trails and adventure courses - our kiddos loved it!; (4) When you grow tired of attempting to conjure up your next meal from the depths of your roto-molded Cordova cooler and want to try out some local fare, then I highly recommend nearby Carolina Ale House in Wake Forest or Buffalo Brothers Restaurant & Bar - both have fantastic local cuisine and nice iced area craft beers to pair with; and (5) IMHO, the best campsites here at Shinleaf are: #6, #14, #16-17; #30-33; #37-39; #40; #42-43; #45-47.

Happy Camping!