Best Campgrounds near Columbia, NC

I like this campground. Very quiet and basic. Clean and easy to get to. But do your due diligence when reserving - the sites look bigger in the photos. We boondock a lot and didn’t even bother trying to compete for one of the few sites with hookups. Our 22k trailer fit in our spit but there was barely room for the truck - she’s parked at an angle. I got a little nervous getting backed in because the sites on this loop (B12) are a little tight. But if you like walking, and love to hear the waves outside your window when you sleep this is the place. Went across the street to the marina and had lunch at the Sea Chef. Sat out on the deck with our small 12lb dog and just had a wonderful time x the even brought her a doggy bowl with water. We will stay here again!

Sites are basic and close together (no wood fires allowed), you’re basically camping in the sand dunes. Short walk across the dunes to the beach. Showers and toilets are clean and good. I came in April and not sure if it’s like this all year round but my site was like a wind tunnel so be prepared for that. Location is good - close to the lighthouse and maybe 15 min south of busy commercialized Nags Head. Requires advance reservation through recreation dot gov. Only thing I didn’t like was how close the sites were to each other but other than that all was good.

We camped on the primitive side. Hardly anyone here. We took spot 4. Across from the clean pit toilet. They do have water. The area for rvs were packed and it wasn’t as appealing as the primitive. Follow the signs to primitive tent camping. Is a loop and the closer you get to the loop the more bugs cause of the water. On our walk with the dogs seen deer and a raccoon visited us during the night. Internet is spotty. Turn your cellular data on.

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 stopped for one night and wish it was longer. Off season and quiet, but very easy access in and out and a dune away from the Atlantic. The kids had plenty of room to ride their bikes and enjoyed the jump pillow. While too cold, the pool looks great. NC was under a burn ban, so no fire for us. But they do deliver wood and ice. Great staff of work campers were all super friendly. Easy access to outer banks points and plenty of dining options near by.

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.

Nice quiet campground away from civilization but within a short 5min (not even) walk to the beach. Mostly a fishing spot (need a permit for that) and you can book this one online before visiting. Reasonable but there are some less expensive sites down the coast a bit I haven’t tried them though.

Such a nice and clean campground! The sites are pretty big so you can move around easily and there are tons of trails you can check out as well and water access. Campground host was very nice too!

All the amenities at the price of privacy. Stray cats, fed by campers drove our dog crazy.

Plenty of room..showers/bathrooms huge..water NOT at all sites but easy to fill tanks. Some sites close to main road but not a lot of traffic.

Wonderful campground! Clean, lots of amenities and super friendly staff. Great access to the beach and a great camping section across the street on the sound. Definitely recommend!

Excellent place all the way around, just make sure you take the amount of bugs seriously, even their website says so. We used 40% deet, bug zappers and I even took a powerful fogger (I used to own a pest control company). Then and only then was it manageable.

We stayed here for two nights during our trip along the Outer Banks. We had a great time and enjoyed our stop here. Our site had a great view of the water and we could see the Currituck lighthouse at night. Our boys enjoyed kayaking around the sound and riding their bikes to the playground. It seemed like they are working to add more amenities and upgrades so I’d stay again next time we make it that way. Also, Diggers Dungeon is only a few miles away so if you have kids make sure to stop and let them see the monster trucks.

We stayed here for four days, and while the location is decent, the sites are terrible—no shade at all. The only good part about this place is the clean bathrooms and hot showers. The campground hosts are a nightmare. They've invented their own rules outside the official ones, and while some people get away with breaking rules, we were singled out. They became angry, rude, and defensive when we questioned them, even threatening to call the police on us because our son was flying a kite! As we waited for the police, we reread the rules for the fourth time and found no issue. The police never showed up, and now the campground host refuses to assist us or provide any information, ice, or anything else we need. They even spoke directly to our child instead of us, being incredibly rude to him. These hosts should be removed immediately—they've made our stay absolutely miserable. We will never return. This campground is not child-friendly, and the hosts clearly do not like children. Ocracoke Campground is way better—the hosts there are nice, informative, and genuinely helpful.

Great KOA park with one row of dunes to cross to the ocean beach that depending on your site is only about 5 min walk. The park is well kept with clean bathrooms and showers. The have laundry and a very nice camp store with groceries, camping essentials and gifts. Sites are level with full hookups including cable that worked well. Wifi is marginal but they reported they have equipment on order to improve. We had spot along the dunes with covered patio with picnic table and a fire ring (no barbeques). The beach is wonderful. Great restful destination. We will definitely return.

I had the privilege of getting to stay on this property for a week while camping and exploring the outdoors in the obx. It was not only beautiful, but felt very safe as well! Greg and his wife Mary were extremely kind! They made an effort to help familiarize myself with the area while checking in and giving tips! I was also lucky enough to see the wild horses at camp & at the beach 3 out of 4 days i was there. This was truly one of the best camping experiences i’ve ever had. If you are ever in the area and craving a unique experience, I recommend reaching out to Greg and considering staying here.

We went for Valentine's Day weekend. Only a couple of other people were there, and we hardly saw them. We used site 11. I still think it's the best one, it's the largest, right next to the main trail head, & bath house trail right ahead of the site. The bath house was real nice. They had heaters running and they were so toasty, also very clean. Trails were nice too, we used our ebikes on the bike trail.

 Cool campground within the Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore, beachy vibe, sites are open and no privacy whatsoever, and you’re pretty close to your neighbor, but it is what we expect from most beach campgrounds. 

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. 

Bathrooms are nice, flush toilets. Showers are available for free, but they are a bit exposed, like an outhouse type set up and the doors are short. We didn’t take showers here but another camper told us the water is warm. 

Beach is right behind the campground, easy access with several trails leading right from the campsites. Wifi is available per sign on office door, but you probably need to be at the office to use it, as we didn’t see it pop us as an available wifi source. Good cell reception for Verizon and ATT. 

All reservations must be made via recreation.gov. We came in without reservations, drove through the loops, picked an open site, and made our reservation. Recreation.gov is nice in that there are no processing fees. 

Campground was about 1/2 full on a Sunday in early November. We paid $28 for a no-hookup site, water/power sites are available for a bit more. There’s a dump station available across the street but we didn’t use it since we were just heading south to the next campground with a dump and fill station there as well.

Overall amazed at the cleanliness of the campground. The staff is very friendly. The park was very quiet going into the night.

KOA Cape Hatteras Outer Banks Campground (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer with a desire for a campsite that has at least some visual privacy offered - after the trailer is in the spot.)

Weather: 60s Bugs: Gone for the winter Solar: Plenty Rig size: Big rig friendly Road Noise: For sites near the highway 12 Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: Some full hookups Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: Yes Bathroom: Yes Showers: Yes Cell Service (AT&T): 3 - 4 bars Setting: Open park area between highway and the dunes Weather: 60s during our visit Bugs: Gone for the winter Host: Yes Rig size: Big rigs Sites: Those in the back along the dunes would be nice to have. See pics.