Best Glamping near Castle Hayne, NC

+ Super friendly and helpful team members - from office check in process to any questions I had about the campground, RV'ing, nearby places to go…these folks were about as kind and thoughtful as it gets!

+ Loved the location so close the beach and nearby grocery, gas, activities

+ The escort folks get 5 stars for being SUPER and patient at assisting new campers back up their rig

+ Trolley service to the beach :)

- The trolley service wasn't operating the day I wanted to go (though it is off-season and good help may be hard to find.) A text feature for the office to notify campers of any unforeseen schedule changes would be welcome.

Overall, I loved this spot, and that was largely due to the people who worked there. Very kind and did a thorough job of orienting me to their campground, amenities, and policies. I liked the rustic dirt roads throughout the campground, and the wifi was solid, so a nice mix of nature and modern amenities. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because they are actively adding features and sites, including glamping, and maybe even some sort of lazy river, so I want to leave room to do an updated 5* review when I go back!

Carolina beach state park is one of my favorite places to go in North Carolina. Not only does it have an awesome campground, but it's right near one of the best beaches I've ever been to. The sites are nice and secluded, just how I like them. Most of the sites are tent sites, but they have a few full hookup sites for RVs and some cabins to rent too. All of the sites have picnic tables, fire rings, and drinking water.

Within the park, there are tons of hiking trails through a really beautiful area. I hear the fishing is also really good within the park, but I've never done it myself. The only downside is you can't swim within the park, because the currents can get dangerous. The beach is only like 5 minutes away though, so not really a big deal.

As for the beach, it's my favorite one to go to in the states. I like it because it's not really touristy like the outer banks or myrtle beach. Not a whole lot of people come to it, so it's always pretty secluded and clean. In July, the water temperature is perfect, the waves are nice, and it's great all around.

Awesome spot in NC.

I have camped with a large group of friends at site #2 a couple of times, but this weekend, I wanted to camp with just my two boys, and site #5 (the yurt site) was available.  This site was new since I had camped here last.  It said it slept 6 and the website showed a pic of two beds; I *assumed* there would be four more, since it slept 6.

Long story short, just 2 beds.  But the worst part was weeds growing up through the floorboards, ripped screens, doors that wouldn't zip completely, and two (purposeful) holes at the top that surely let in mosquitoes!  The boy who slept at ground level is completely bitten up, despite me spraying everyone with bug spray and using my tennis racket-style bug zapper to clear out the yurt before bed.

Our trash can was completely full (I mean, at least there's a trash can, but we could hardly use it). Our fire ring was full of ashes and the grate was jammed down.  The previous campers had left us a few jugs of water but also small pieces of trash scattered about.  What I'm trying to say was that this site was not maintained between the last visitors and us.

The campground, though, is awesome if you like roughing it.  You are allowed, thankfully, to drive to your site, but it's a hike to walk to the running water toilets, and I saw lots of people drive to them.  There is a closer pit toilet but I didn't check that out.

The lake is beautiful, shallow, warm, good fishing, fun for everyone!  Bullfrogs, peepers, and owls called all night.  Dragonflies galore flew about.  It's rustic, but relaxing.  And the visitor's center has a nice exhibit on the Carolina Bays.

We stayed in site 5 for 11 days. The Yurt had been removed but the platform stayed. We were able to get up our large tent on the platform and have enough space for our chairs. The lake is beautifully kept and clean. Very shallow. You can walk out a good 300 meters. We kayaked and fished while we were here. The rangers were helpful and checked in to make sure we didn’t need anything and kept the trash can empty. All the locals we spoke to we friendly! The down side is you are a long walk to the toilets. This is primitive so no power or water at the site. We absolutely loved it and plan to come back again!

Bring mosquito netting or pop up to keep the horse flies away!

We camped here when we went to Wilmington for a 5k. We stayed here for just one night and had a good time. The campsites are close. The camp store had everything you needed in case you forgot something. It is in a high trafficked area so don't look for peace and quiet. The playground was awesome and included a cool wooden pirate ship. The grandkids loved it! It was a nice place to stay for the night. The staff were friendly and helpful

My family and I stayed here for a week in November. My wife worked from the road while I taught school. The WiFi was strong and the employees were helpful and informative. The laundry was acceptable but expensive. I liked that we were able to have family dinners and experiences while still staying socially distant. Our site was a pull thru which was great.

We would definitely stay there again if visiting Wilmington.

Very nice Roomy Sites. Convient to Wilmington Downtown, Wilmington Beaches, Highway & Airport. Clean well maintained. Friendly Accomodating Staff. Love the Palm Trees throughout. Pet and Kid Friendly.... Please Spay or Neuter Both lol. Big Negative for us was the POOR WIFI. STAFF TRIED TO GET IT RUNNING IN OUR AREA BUT ALTHOUGH CONNECTED, VIRTUALLY USELESS TO VIDEO. RELIED STRICTLY ON OUR CELL PHONE CONNECTION.

I hesitate to give it five stars because of my particular campsite. It was difficult to get into because of the trees, especially since I had a full sized truck. I had to back up, pull forward, back up, pull forward, etc., the first time I pulled in. I love trees, but taking one out would be a lot better for the campsite where I was. 

With that said, the campsite did have many good things going for it. It had a sheltered picnic table with a light, a charging station, and power outlets. However, if you are planning to run a cord between the power outlet and your tent on the tent pad, you need something long than twenty-five feet. I didn’t realize how far away the power was going to be, so I had to go to a store in town to get another extension cord. The site is sandy and level. The tent pad was also sandy and fairly level. If you are going to set up a tent on the tent pad, I suggest making sure it is not too big of a tent. My 8’ x 7’ tent fit, but larger tents may have a problem if there are tie-outs. 

Another problem with my tent site is that it was so close to the bath house, which may not seem to be a problem to most. However, the lights on the bath house are on all night, and they light up the area as if it were a ball field. The bath house itself is really nice—one of the cleanest and well-kept bath houses I have used in my camping experiences. They are individual toilet/shower combos and can only be accessed via a code. However, the water pressure in the shower is so weak it would barely wet a frog’s back(slight exaggeration, but it was still VERY disappointingly weak). The bath house is handicap accessible and has a ramp. 

Another problem I experienced was the noise. If it wasn’t the barking dog, it was what sounded like a garbage truck at 4:00 in the morning. There was also road noise from Market Street. 

The reason most people come here is because of its proximity to Wrightsville Beach and other attractions, but there are things to do at the campground. There is a swimming pool, a playground, a beach volleyball court, and more. It also provides information about tours, and I believe it also has kayak rentals. 

Overall, I would recommend this campground, but I believe it is better suited for RV campers rather than tent campers.

A campground that you quickly feel at home.  Level spacious sites, most with a good shade tree, allows for a quick set up.  To find the campground you have to pay attention and this is both a blessing and a challenge.  The campground is convenient to downtown Wilmington and a short drive to Wrightsville Beach.  Plenty of shopping and other entertainment nearby if the weather doesn't cooperate. The park is clean the showers are hot and the pressure is good.

This campground is a little farther than I think most people would like to be from a the beach, but it’s so professional and friendly! It’s clean, it’s close to downtown Wilmington and there is SO much to do there. There is an RV wash right next door! There are a lot of gray farmer’s stands and fresh seafood stands nearby too! We choose this for reliability and friendliness over the beach campgrounds because the service here is amazing. It’s not the most shaded outdoorsy space, it does have a ton of family activities, but the people are what makes the difference for us here.

We loved it here, it was right off a main road but quiet. The deluxe tent sites were very nice with a covered sitting area and soft pads for our tent. The sites were well spaced as well. Bathrooms were very clean and a short walk and the facilities here were useful. We did a day trip to the beach which was a short ride and into downtown Wilmingon which was also a short ride. Restaurants across the street were fun with pool tables and darts. Would stay again.

Satisfactory at best - lots to do fir kids - too much light, noise, construction, activity for a quiet nights rest. We did have morning shade at our site which was nice.

The campsites are lovely and the facilities are nice. The rangers are friendly and informative. The trails were gorgeous; winding through other - worldly landscapes, containing carnivorous plants. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because there is no swimming allowed anywhere in the park. Drive for a few miles (like 5 mins), however, and you can swim to your heart's content!

We checked out this park on a visit to Wilmington. Sites are wooded/shaded and seemed quite secluded. Lots of hiking trails available as well as coastline. Fun activities too- paddle boarding, boating, etc. The bathroom appeared to be well kept too. If we return to the Wilmington area we will definitely spend a few days here!

Carolina Beach State Park is a great place to visit! You can drive out on the beach for the day and it is never crowded. The weather is usually nice and the beach is clean. It is great for those who own 4wd vehicles.