Best Glamping near Clayton, NC

My thoughts and experience of Fayetteville RV Resort. This was our 2nd time staying here, this time we stayed for a long weekend, Thursday - Sunday during the month of April 2021. It is located a short distance from Interstate 95, making it a great place to spend the night if you are traveling on to another destination. Or stay for a nice relaxing vacation like us.

Our site #27 located across from the office, pool, mini golf and bathhouse is a back-in site, gravel pad, nice, level, average length and width, fire pit and picnic table. Full hook up’s, water, sewer and electric. Also cable tv and internet with average campground WiFi speed.

Things we liked about this campground:

• All sites seem to be gravel pads, nice, level, average length and width. Full hook up’s. I would guess half of the sites are pull though. They have sites that can handle long rigs. Also depending on your site nice shade trees.

• The staff and the couple managing the place are very friendly and it shows that they care about the guest. The campground is clean and well maintained. Seen staff making rounds all day.

• So much to do for the kiddos and adults. Two pools, hot tub, mini golf, basketball court, horseshoes and playground all included in your price.

• For the adults they have a nice workout center with lots of equipment.

• During our stay they had scheduled kid activities and movie night with popcorn.

• On Friday evening they had a food truck scheduled for dinner.

• We really liked the “Meet Your Neighbors Happy Hour”, they really wowed us with this event. It ends early enough that you can still have a quiet evening around your camp site. Check their activities list for schedule.

• Saturday morning they had a Waffle breakfast.

• Two large fenced dog parks, one located at each in of the campground.

• Two fishing ponds and dirt walking trail though the woods and around ponds.

• Two newly remodeled bathhouses and laundry rooms. Staff keeps them clean though out the day, we never had an issue with dirty or un-stocked bathrooms.

Verizon cell phone service was great.

Local Eating Places: Nothing special, Waffle House, Subway, Foxes Pizza and a corner grill all within 10 minutes away.

Attractions or things to do in the area: Averasboro Civil War Battlefield and Museum is only 9.6 miles. There is around 10 historical sites along the route that is connected to the history museum. In Fayetteville about 15-20 minutes there is a lot to do and see.

I have camped in this state park several times, including with the Boy Scouts. Other than the park itself, I really enjoyed the camaraderie when our Scout troop and another Scout troop that was camping were playing“Capture the Flag.” I say all of this because it is a great place for group camping. However, it also has conventional camping and cabins. When I first started camping at Cliffs of the Neuse, it did not have more than a mile of trails. Now it has added some more trails. It also did not have showers or cabins in times past. This park has improved significantly over the years and now has showers that are frequently maintained. One of the things you have to be aware of is that this park is sandy, so when you are camping, you will probably want to put some kind of rug in front of your tent or RV to minimize the amount of sand that you track in. Don’t think choosing another site will move you away from the sand. It won’t. Another thing you have to be aware of is that in eastern North Carolina, fire ants can be a huge problem. Some of the trails are easy, but the Spanish Moss Trail is quite steep in some places. Also, the Galax trail is almost always flooded during the spring or after a series of rains. There is a lake for swimming and a large picnic shelter. On weekends, it is not unusual for there to be lots of people at the picnic shelters, so you will have to reserve them. The sites have picnic tables and fire pits as well. This is a great park for swimming and boating, but the hiking is limited. If I am not mistaken, the total length of trails is fewer three miles. However, the main attraction is the view over the Neuse River and the new visitor’s center. Even with limited trails, it is still a great park for relaxing.

Located just 30 miles west of Raleigh, Jordan Lake provides 7 different access points throughout this amazing natural preserve.  And while I’m not a kitesurfer or windsurfer, I’m positive that this campground was named for the pretty amazing headwinds that are enjoyed coming off Falls Lake, which Crosswinds Campground @ Jordan Lake SRA sits on. Take my word for it though, this outdoor nature preserve is truly a slice of heaven carved out in some of North Carolina’s finest camping countryside. 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 nicely shaded nature, hiking trails and humble peace & quiet that only God's green nature can offer, then make your way here to Crosswinds Campground, where this heavily wooded forest paradise will embrace you with its inclines, switchbacks and snakelike, swerving road circuits. 

All of the basics are provided in spades – from picnic table, fold-up fire ring / BBQ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice pebble-strewn and long-leaf pine shadowed patch of well-maintained nature that offers pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer Tar Heel sunshine. While there’s a suitable amount of brush between campsites, surprisingly, it’s the steep inclines and declines between each site that makes one feel that they are truly in the center of their own private wilderness. The on-site bathroom & shower facilities 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 Lake Jordan itself, where there is a perfectly sectioned off swimming area – complete with life safety vests resting on hooks near the shore - 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 bundle: (1) 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!; (2) While IMHO there are no bad sites per se here, certainly there are some that are better than others, amongst which, I would highly recommend those that are closer to the tree fall lines as well as those that place you closest to either lakeside or lake view.  With 3 loops to choose from (A, B & C), I recommend the following sites: Loop A - #18-19; #21-22; and #44-47; Loop B - #33, #36, #37, #39, #40,#43; Loop C - #19, #21, #23, #24, #26, #32, #34, #36, #40, #42; (3) If you have a boat, you may want to consider calling ahead of time, while you are reserving your campsite and reserve a boat slip - we just thought that they would be readily available, but as it turns out, there's quite a few daytime boaters that don't camp here and are simply looking for a slip to occupy for the day, so plan ahead!; (4) SUPER INSIDER SECRET: there's a little pathway next to site #32 that will lead you to a hidden beachhead where all the cool kids hang out and party; (5) The showers are pretty annoying in that they are regulated by body movement - so as a hack, we applied duct tape and VOILA! the hot water stayed on the whole time! (but remove when you are done or the water won't stop running!); and (6) When you grow tired or anxious after digging through what remains of your Cordova cooler and / or want to sample some local fare, be prepared to drive a short distance (20 minutes or so) back to Apex, where I would recommend The Peak on Salem that serves up some pretty mean Caribbean conch & shrimp fritters as well as some very nice seafood entrees like NC clam bucatini or sweet tea ginger whiskey braised beef short rib.

Happy Camping!

This resort is very community oriented with activities throughout the week and a free waffle breakfast every Saturday. There two beautiful green lawns, two pools, two shower houses, and two laundry facilities. Made for Trailers and RVs of all sizes with full hook-ups and utilities. Tent camping is not allowed. Management tries to accommodate all your needs; propane, firewood, quarters (for laundry), well equipped gym, and mail delivery are all available at the resort. Food trucks come in once or twice a week.  

The resort is a 15m drive from Fort Bragg, 20m from Fayetteville, and the Fayetteville Airport, and 1h away from Raleigh and the Raleigh Airport.

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.

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.