Cedar Island is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Cedar Island is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your North Carolina camping adventure.
Great Island Cabin Camp — Cape Lookout National Seashore
31 min away
Croatan National Forest Oyster Point Campground
53 min away
$28 / night
"We spontaneously added two days onto our beach camping vacation at Bear Island and took the Cedar Island Ferry to Ocracoke after being away from the island for 7 years.
Ocracoke in itself is a gem."
"This ended up being a perfect jumping off point for enjoying the town of Ocracoke in the evening and the following morning, then taking the afternoon ferry to Cedar Island."
$112 - $145 / night
"Luckily, North Carolina has some amazing beaches on the Outer Banks, and Long Point Cabin area should definitely be on your list of spots to check out."
"I sailed over while the group brought their 4 wheel drive vehicle on the ferry. Feels like a world away from populated beaches."
$25 - $75 / night
"Close to the Morris Marina, Davis, and Ocracoke ferry. Easy access to the Outer and Core banks."
$22 - $102 / night
"There are 60 sites, including walk-in tent sites, back-in W/E, pull-thru W/E, and FHU pull-thru sites. The prices range from $20-$75."
$80 - $180 / night
"But they are situated directly behind the dunes from miles and miles of totally prestine beaches. The only on-island supplies are ice and gasoline, so you must pack in everything."
"There are several boardwalks that meander around the island and numerous sandy paths connecting the sound side to the ocean side."
"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."
"Walking distance to the waterfront. Very quiet environment."
$10 - $20 / night
"Fun place to camp, water close by, picnic table and fire ring. Tent pads are pretty big. Host is very nice and cheap."
"We found a few paths to the river but the river access was very small. There is a Mountain-to-Sea path nearby as well."
$20 / night
"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."
"This campground is right next to several beach access where you can drive your car onto the beach and fishing is good near the point."
$28 / night
"Pet friendly, Fire ring and picnic table at each site. We return here often."
"Campground is nice overall, there are multiple bathhouses and trash bins near the entrance. There are lots of bugs and ticks, tent space vary greatly from space to space."
"This place is great, centrally located, great owners and clean bathhouses."
LegendWe stayed here six years ago and when I knew we’d be returning to the area, I tried to find it on The Dyrt but it wasn’t there (and I could not remember the name). When we were there in 2018, the campground was in transition and our stay was less than optimal, so I figured maybe it was no longer there. I was surprised when we arrived at the ferry terminal to see it was there, open, and looking quite improved. I stopped in at the office to speak to the owner/manager and she was very surprised to find it was not on the Dyrt’s map so I’m glad that now that I finally had a chance to post my review, it had been added!
There are 60 sites, including walk-in tent sites, back-in W/E, pull-thru W/E, and FHU pull-thru sites. The prices range from $20-$75. You cannot get any closer to the Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferry terminal from this campground. There is also a motel. The bathrooms are much improved since the last time we were there and there are hot water showers.
Activities/Amenities: Playground, dog park, horseback riding, SUP rentals, beach volleyball, community fire pit, boat ramp, dump station, post office.
Had we known this campground was still here, we would have stayed!
GuideWe spontaneously added two days onto our beach camping vacation at Bear Island and took the Cedar Island Ferry to Ocracoke after being away from the island for 7 years.
Ocracoke in itself is a gem. But it is hard to find traditional lodging in town unless you book months in advance. We booked our site three days before our arrival and there were multiple spots open. We arrived after check in and our packet was conveniently tacked on our site marker.
Camping here makes it super affordable to enjoy everything Ocracoke has to offer while giving you direct access to the beach.
Pro tips- •Get a dune side site- we’ve camped here a few times and found they have less mosquitoes than the grass spots and are a closer walk to the dunes.
•For maximum privacy, look closely at the map and pick a spot where the community paths through the dunes for all campers are not right next to you.
•Bring lots of bug repellent and tuck in early to avoid bites. Spray your gear with high grade permethrin before your trip and bring spray and candles also.
•Bring shade- there’s little to no tree coverage.
•Don’t miss out of Ocracoke Coffee Co for coffee and baked goods and Dajio for lunch and/or dinner. Shrimp hour is 2-5!
Bathrooms and showers do need updated and could definitely be in better shape but otherwise we had no issue.
RangerNice campground well-kept pool, and laundry facility. The playground closed due to COVID but has a dog park and fishing ponds with bass. The biggest downfall to this facility is that the nice campsites are only reserved for seasonal or year-round campers. Anyone there for days - weeks stay get a full-sun site which some can be pretty small ours was a decent size. It's also overrun by feral cats so if you're allergic, bring meds. They offer cable, and you can pay for WiFi.
LegendI stayed at Ocracoke Campground during a two day north-to-south traversal of the Outer Banks. This ended up being a perfect jumping off point for enjoying the town of Ocracoke in the evening and the following morning, then taking the afternoon ferry to Cedar Island. The beach is also just a few yards away.
The Outer Banks are about one foot above sea level, and it had just rained, so a lot of the campsites here were flooded. The sites along the dunes were high and dry, though, and I got one of those. There was plenty of room for my tent, and the stakes went into the sandy soil easily but held fast. For company, I had a small community of burrowing ghost crabs. These were very fun to watch, but also very shy, so good luck getting photos.
The bathrooms here were clean and modern. Showers are located in separate buildings.
TravelerOur first trip in our new to us camper and found the campground very nice. The bathhouses were the cleanest and best equipped. Some shade. Nice dog park. Plenty of amenities.
LegendPaved, level parking pad on sandy grass sites tucked between the dunes and vegetation in Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the outer banks by of North Carolina. No hookups, but water and dump are across the street, and generators are allowed.
GuideThis was a very nice, well maintained campground. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. We stayed from Aug 11-14, 2020. The pool was nice on a hot humid day. They have gem mining. You buy the bags of dirt in the camp store. The bathhouses are all very new due to a recent hurricane and they were kept clean. The dock/pier was picture perfect as the sunset over the Neuse river. The playground and jump pad looked like they would be a lot of fun but were closed due to Covid 19 restrictions. They had horseshoes and Gaga-ball that were open. They had 2 fenced in dog parks and a dog washing station. We chose this campground for it’s location near historical downtown New Bern and we would definitely recommend it to others. They have RV sites, tent sites and cabins.
LegendCampground 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.
TravelerGoose Creek State Park campground is one of the newer state parks in North Carolina. The RV part of the park has a great layout with large sites. The park is very flat with full hookups and a large patio/picnic area. They also have cabins.
We stayed at one of the full hook up RV sites with our Riverside Retro 199FKS and it actually looked small in the site. We had more than enough room.
You are far enough away from Washington, NC that you don't get great cell coverage so, it is almost like going off the grid. I think I had service if I sat outside with my left leg propped up (just kidding).
Since this park is so new, there are not many trees or vegetation to provide privacy between sites. I think this park will be great once the plants grow in - don't skip for this reason - still go, just know that you won't have a lot of privacy.
Camping with your furry friends near Cedar Island, North Carolina, offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the great outdoors together. With several pet-friendly options available, you can enjoy nature without leaving your pets behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Cedar Island, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Cedar Island, NC is Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore with a 4.6-star rating from 57 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Cedar Island, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 43 dog-friendly camping locations near Cedar Island, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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