Best Glamping near Cedar Island, NC

Booked a tent site and later a cabin as well since we were unsure about the weather. The tent sites were nicely situated and far apart from each other. The vault toilet was very clean. The site is peaceful and since the weather was pretty bad, it was quiet and only a few sites were occupied. 

The cabins are new and clean, with AC/heat and electricity and a nice outdoor setup with a grill and fire pit aside each one. They are located in the cleared RV park, not the woods, so don't expect to feel like you are staying in nature if you book a cabin. The shower facilities are very nice too. Overall, cabins are a great option if the weather is bad or you don't want to stay in a tent. 

Plan for bugs - ticks and mosquitoes are a given in the summer. Also, the swimming beach is closed as of May 2020.

An independent camping experience. When arriving, drive through the sites to choose a spot not taken. Go ahead and set up so you don't lose your chosen camp appt. Go back to the entrance and fill out the 'responsibility' slip. The camp info is under the covered porch. There is ONLY cool water for showers. It's not so bad considering the heat of the day. We did not use the grill much because it was too hot. There are NO trees so be prepared with an awning or an umbrella or some type of coverage. There were joggers and bikers every day. The bathroom is very simple - A toilet. There is nothing bad to write; however, I was aware of my experience too. Camp web site said walking distance to just things. True but it was to hot Memorial Day weekend.

I camped here for almost a week with a friend and our dogs. The location is fantastic. Everything is walking distance... restaurants, shops and the marina. The owner was very nice and helpful. Be aware the campsites are very close together. The only negative point is that there are just 2 bathroom stalls for the entire campground but they were very clean and the shower has hot water. The campsites on the edges have shade for tents. Each site has a picnic table and a charcoal grill but campfires are prohibited. The RV's are parked mainly in the middle.

I have a personal pull to Goose Creek State Park as it was once my family’s land going back generations and generations. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father carved out the trails used for hiking today and the road to the campground its self was made by my dad and his friends. The state bought the land in the 70’s and it became our state park. It makes me proud to share a part of my family history with the rest of the world.

Even without the personal connection I feel when I visit GCSP, it’s such a beautiful place to be during anytime of the year. Hiking trails equipped with boardwalks lead through the marsh and swampy areas while sporadic signs display pictures and information about the wildlife you are likely to see. The primitive campground has more than 10 sites, with the farthest sights sitting on the edge of the Pamlico River. It truly is an awesome sight to take in at sunset and sunrise. Bath houses with showers, hot water, and toilets are available. There are two group sites and, recently added, several rv sites and about 5-6 small cabins. I have not stayed in the cabins yet. They seem to be fairly popular so reservations should be made at least a couple of weeks in advanced. There heat and AC but no bathrooms or kitchen area inside the cabin. I believe there are two sets of twin beds and a full bed but you have to bring your own linens. There is also a very nice bathhouse available for cabin renters. The only downside to the cabins and RV sites is there is no shade. The sites are toward the front of the park, and, perhaps because of the recent construction, there is are no trees, woods, or shade around. As a personal preference, I want to be IN THE WOODS when I camp so the aspect of being out in the open is not as exciting as tent camping. That being said, the cabins are adorable and have a fire ring, picnic table, and everything you need to enjoy a night of camping.

Campground is 1 of the 4 within the Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore. Cost here is only $20/night (the others are $28). No hookups available, but there is a dump station and potable water fill on your way out. Cell service is good. The walk to the beach is a bit long, maybe about 1/2 mile or so. 

We stayed here for a night in early November and the place was nearly empty. There were one or two campers per loop, so the campground was nice and open and quiet. I think that during the busy season it would be an unpleasant stay, as the sites are all right next to each other, side by side, just big grassy area. Sites are large though, which was nice. 

We didn’t use the showers but I believe they are cold showers. The set up is almost like an outdoor shower, with a short door and a pull rope for the water. Watch out for spiny sand spurs (?) that stick in your dog’s paws and your socks- very painful and they’re all over the grassy areas. 

Sites must be reserved through recreation.gov. It was easy to pull up with no reservation, pick a site, then reserve and pay online. No service fee through this site. 

No wood fires allowed here. Each site has a picnic table and grill, nothing else.

Dumpsters available, but no recycling bins. Not sure if North Carolina segregates recycling after pickup.

We did primitive camping, and they were way nice, very spread out and the kids brought their bikes and that's what they did most of the time, and we felt like it was safe enough for them to go bike riding. There was a place where we could put off on a kayak or go fishing

They have little cabins that are not too expensive either that have air and heating, if we go in the summer again we will probably do those

The only thing we mentioned was it would not be very fun if you went with a group because the places were so spread out and where not big enough to have more than one tent each

The bathrooms did not have running water, but they do a composting type of toilet and it did not stink at all and they were always very clean.

Great trip despite the flat tire!

If you have a chance, definitely check out Goose Creek State Park. My husband, son, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and myself stayed at the park this past weekend, and we had a wonderful time. We stayed at campsite 11, and we had plenty of room for our two tents, two vehicles, a pup, a toddler, and the supplied picnic table, fire pit, and additional charcoal grill. The one negative about spot 11 is there’s a hiking trail that run directly behind the campsite, so it feels like people are constantly walking through your campsite. Spots 1-10 were definitely a bit smaller, and spots 11-14 are larger. If we were to stay again, I believe we’d try to stay at site 13.

The fishing dock is quite small, but it was fun to fish from with a few people. Be sure to bring bug spray! The worst for me was the biting flies. There is one outhouse-type bathroom near the dock with a spigot and dumpster nearby. There are about 10 steps leading up to the one-person, non-flushing bathroom.

There’s a wood station at the campground that uses the honor system. It’s $5 per bundle. We visited the visitors center in the hopes that they would have live bait for sell, but they sell nothing of the sort (no ice, bait, fishing rods, etc). So bring everything you need other than wood!

Overall, I’d give the campground 4.5/5, and I certainly recommend it! Try to stay in sites 11-14 if possible.