Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Oregon Inlet Campground is located on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is the first campground found on the island, very close to Nags Head, on the beach side of route 12.

We prefer campgrounds like Oregon Inlet, because they are natural and have beautiful scenery. We love being within steps of the ocean and being able to stare at the tip of the lighthouse (Bodie Island - you can tell by the direction of the stripes!) through the dunes. The Outer Banks also has some amazing stars - we watched a meteor shower which was incredible!!

Oregon Inlet Campground has a loop (Loop A) which only allows tent camping. Most of the sites are pretty close together (many too close for our comfort) but there are a couple that are tucked back in the dunes and a bit further away from the rest.

This campground has free hot showers - just pull the ring and nice warm water runs for about 20 seconds before shutting off. Outside the bathhouse there is a water fountain that has a water bottle fill up station - which is SO nice at the beach!!! We were able to refill waterbottles easily - with water we felt good about drinking! It also did not have the salty taste that many beach water fountains do!

Love Hatteras KOA. We stayed here for over 15 years in tents, then eventually worked our way up to the cabins. Now that we are RV owners we are able to stay here in our own camper. Good thing because the nightly prices for cabins became WAY overpriced. The RV sites are getting pricey as well. The proximity to the beach is great. There are no roads to cross so the campground is oceanfront. The pool is really nice and my wife and I feel comfortable with the kids riding their bikes all over the facility. There is a cafe onsite serving breakfast and lunch (dinner too I think). Although I typically use my mobile hot spot, Wifi is available. To top it all off Cape Hatteras National Seashore is one of the most beautiful places in the US. I would give 5 stars if it wasn’t so expensive.

General: One of four Cape Hatteras National Seashore Campgrounds. Campsites in three loops, A-C. A is for tents only, but with paved camper pads; there were several vans in these sites. No generators are allowed in this loop. There are no defined tent pads, and a few erected their tents directly on the camper pad. The B and C loops have a combination of W/E sites and sites with no hookups. The utility sites cost $7 more, which is very reasonable. There is one ADA-accessible site in the B loop next to a ramp to the restroom. You will hear road noise from nearly every site, but it is worse in the mornings. 

Site Quality: Some camper pads are very short, while others are more generous in size; all are paved and mostly level. We had reserved B4 but switched to B16 upon arrival (this had to be done online with Recreation.gov). B16 was a little longer and closer to the restrooms, but neither had hookups. There is little to no privacy/separation between sites. 

Bath/Shower House: As with the other Cape Hatteras National Seashore NPS campgrounds, the restrooms are basic but clean. This one had a weird red light inside. More than enough hooks for toiletries. Although the website says the showers have hot water, they are not indoor showers, and it was cold and windy when we were there, so I did not use them. 

Activities/Amenities: Several trails have good signage, but access is not well defined (you have to cut between campsites to access them). Although it had not rained in several days, there must have been recent rains as several of these trails were flooded. I did take the trail between Sites C13 and 15, which led to the road that accesses the beach. This beach is not as walkable as Ocracoke and is more suited for vehicles, and I saw several as I walked. The tire tracks made deep ruts, making walking a bit challenging. I am more a fan of kayaks and SUPS, so motorboats and driving on the beach are not my thing, but if it is yours, you will need a permit to do so. There is a dump station and a potable water fill station, but they are outside the campground and easy to miss as there is no signage at the entrance. If you go over the bridge heading south, you have missed it. 

This was an overnight stop as we traveled north through the Outer Banks, but I liked the more walkable beach at Ocracoke better than this one.

We tent camped on the first weekend the campground opened this spring and brought our dog. We had our choice of campsites. Sites along the back side of the perimeter loop have a view of the ocean while sites on the front side of the perimeter loop are closer to the boardwalks leading to the beaches. Sites are on the larger side for the most part and many have some sense of privacy. This is the only Park run campground in Cape Hatteras National Seashore that has any bit of shade. Showers are not heated and bath houses are clean but basic (they do have soap). Watch out for cactus and sand spurs. There were no bugs yet so our screen room was not necessary. The rangers were extremely helpful and kind, suggesting local restaurants and activities. There is a trail to the Cape Point Campground and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse but it is quite long. There is a beach access ramp right next to the ranger station if you want to drive your 4wd vehicle on the beach. If you need ice, gas, basic groceries, a sweatshirt, or fishing gear, Frisco Rod and Gun is only about a mile and opens early and closes late.

Just like the other campgrounds in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Oregon Inlet is such great campground. The bathrooms and campground are clean. And so are the showers! Recreation.gov states that this campground has “heated showers.” I checked the water temperature in the shower by B28 and the water sure as heck is...lukewarm. I’ll take it! The outside temperature is mid-60s in the mornings right now (April) so the lukewarm water isn’t a shock to the system! We didn’t have to shower in the van at this campground! Also a change to this campground from the others is the availability of water and power hookups at certain sites. Ours was not one of them. Although to dump you still need to go to the dump station across the street from the campground. The official map actually tells you where to find it this time. The beach is near the campground on the other side of the dune but it’s a longer walk than you might think. Also beware of sand spurs. They aren’t as bad as they were at Frisco but still present.

Internet. For those who work and travel like us, at 7pm on a Thursday: Verizon via iPhone 12 - 47 mbps down, 2.9 mbps up and 51 ping; T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR1100 - 10 mbps down, 39 mbps up and 69 ping.

We just got back from a weekend at Oregon Inlet Campground, and it was such a memorable family experience! If you’re looking for a place to truly enjoy the beauty of the Outer Banks while keeping things simple and family-friendly, this campground is a great option.

From the moment we arrived, the kids were thrilled. The dunes are right next to the campsites and provided hours of fun—running, climbing, sliding, and just being wild and free. It’s not every day your campsite is just steps away from natural sand playgrounds! Plus, the beach is a short walk over the dunes, which made it super easy to head over for sunrise walks, midday swims, and evening shell hunts.

The campsites themselves are fairly basic but clean and well-maintained. They are a little tight, so don’t expect a ton of privacy or room to spread out—but it worked fine for our camper and small family setup. You can definitely tell this campground is designed for folks who want to enjoy the natural surroundings rather than fancy amenities, which we appreciated.

One of the biggest wins for us was how quiet it was at night. Even with kids and families around, there was a calm and peaceful atmosphere that made it easy to relax. We slept great with the sounds of the ocean in the background and woke up refreshed each morning. It didn’t feel like a packed, noisy campground at all—which we were a little worried about at first.

The bathhouse was a pleasant surprise. It was very clean during our stay, and the showers were consistently warm (which felt amazing after sandy beach adventures). Having a warm, clean shower available really made a difference, especially with little kids who don’t exactly love cold rinse-offs.

Another plus was how close we were to other parts of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We took a short drive to Bodie Island Lighthouse and also spent some time exploring the nearby marina and visitor center. There’s a lot to do in the area, especially if you enjoy fishing, boating, or just soaking in the natural beauty of the OBX.

Overall, Oregon Inlet Campground gave us everything we wanted for a low-key, nature-filled family getaway. It’s not luxurious, but if you’re coming for the dunes, the beach, and some quality time outdoors, it checks all the boxes. Our kids are already asking when we can go back, and honestly—we’re asking ourselves the same thing!

We loved this no-frills campground. Upon arrival, we were greates by the camp host, Glenn who was incredibly helpful throughout our stay. We stayed at Beechland for 6 days and really enjoyed our stay. The hook ups all looked new and this may have been the cleanest camp ground I've ever stayed at. The bathrooms, showers and pool were pristine. We saw a staff member cleaning them every day at 9am. We brought our dogs with us. There was plenty of grass for them, a dog park, and several bag stations. Beechland is conveniently located within walking distance to downtown Manteo and is only a 10- 15 minute drive to Nags Head Beach.

Beechland doesn't have a laundry room or campstore but there is a grocery store, laundromat and coffee shop just down the road.