Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Columbia, NC is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Columbia is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Columbia and user-submitted reviews.
$17 - $75 / night
"The tent sites were nicely situated and far apart from each other. The vault toilet was very clean."
"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."
"There is a freshwater shower at the entrance to the beach so that you can rinse off when you’re done. The bathhouse was nice and clean. The shower area is co-Ed."
"Super close to a beautiful beach, there really are no bad spots, but you are very close to your neighbors and no shade."
$25 - $45 / night
"This property has many perks: dog friendly and has space to exercise your furbabies, boat ramp to explore the surrounding waterways, golfing, screened gazebo, laundry, David's Red Barn which did not have"
"Very clean bathrooms (2) with showers in each. Gaming room available, although it seemed 'closed' for the off-season. Staff is great and very accommodating! $5 wood bundles!"
"Plenty of room on site. Clean and organized. View of Currituck Sound is beautiful."
"Closes super early so don't forget anything if you plan on arriving after 5pm. No propane. THEY NEED A POOL! THIS PLACE WOULD BE THE SH@T"
$21 - $36 / night
"There are picnic tables and fire pits at each site, however my picnic table has a very very warped bench. But it makes no difference to me as it is only me, and I have my own chairs!"
"Bathrooms were brand new, showers were clean & HOT. Coin laundry available. They are in the process of adding another bathroom/shower building so only running at half capacity when we visited."
"This location was PERFECT! It warmed up enough to enjoy the beach which was a 5 minute walk from cabin."
"RV sites range include water, electric, pull-through and full amenities. There is a large outdoor entertaining pavilion as well as a smaller, indoor event space with full kitchen."
$20 - $60 / night
"Staff at the store were friendly and were pretty lenient to letting me use the fire pits since there was no one else at my site. Will definitely stay again if I’m ever passing through the area."
"We arrived not sure of where to camp and this lovely guy named Steve who wasn’t even an employee showed us a good place to camp and made us a fire."
"Has fire pit and wooden picnic table. Gorgeous view of sunsets and water sports. Water is a leg high walk to the hammock. Bathroom: showers were clean!"
"We stayed in site #4, which is one of the water/electric sites right on Pamlico Sound. Very level, and the view was amazing."
"They have two swimming pools, golf, put put, nature trails, pavilions, Church on Sunday, nice pull through shaded sites, pond for fishing or paddle boats, I mean I can go on and on."
RangerThey claim to be a camping resort. Well, their definition of resort and mine are different...The grounds were very well-kept. Their property is Right on the beach and has direct access. Nice sandy beaches. There is a freshwater shower at the entrance to the beach so that you can rinse off when you’re done. The bathhouse was nice and clean. The shower area is co-Ed. They have a cute little play area for the kids, and had scheduled fun activities throughout the week. (some required an extra fee) Office doubled as a little camp store with some basic groceries, cold drinks, and souvenirs type stuff. All of the staff that we came in contact with were extremely friendly and helpful. They have a really nice pool area with zero entry and two small waterslides for the kids. Plenty of chairs on the pool deck, and a small area of shade where you could eat or get out of the sun.They had sites for RVs all the way to tents. We splurged this time (heat, salt, and sand!) and opted for a camping cabin.(I somehow forgot to take pictures of the cabin, but it is identical to the one in my Arkansas review… Except no TV. I really thought there was a TV… But no matter, we didn’t miss it.) The camping cabin was basic one double bed one set of bunkbeds, there was air-conditioning and plenty of room. A nice swing on the covered porch. Picnic table, grill, and fire ring. The cabins were very close together, but it wasn’t an issue. This campground also offers deluxe cabins which look like your typical Beachhouse type rental. We were visiting on the holiday, I had looked into tent camping over the Fourth of July weekend and they wanted $150 a night for a TENT site. Yeah, I don’t think so. The beach at the Outer Banks is lovely, it’s not commercial and trashy (like I would describe Myrtle beach) and as far as I could see everyone on the beach was good about observing social distance, and Nobody crowded each other. We stayed three nights and had a wonderful time. Overall we will definitely stay here again. Oh, dogs are welcome year round on the beach, only restriction being they have to be leashed. They are also welcome at the campground and there is a dog play area and a dog bathing area.
ScoutSite: mixture of grass and sand. Has fire pit and wooden picnic table. Gorgeous view of sunsets and water sports. Water is a leg high walk to the hammock. Bathroom: showers were clean! Would benefit of having an fan unit to help cool off while using the toilet. Loved having the option of using outdoor shower (yes even had hot water option). I was able to enjoy a brew in the shower and get dressed and ready in front of a mirror was was provided in the same outdoor shower space. Location: loved that it wasn’t located in a touristy area. It was on the sound. We enjoyed the pizza at the local Italian place right next door. Note: there is a ice vending place that charges affordable rate.. you have the option of ice in a bag or fill up your cooler there.. can walk there if need be. It’s across the street. Other towns over were a 30-45 min drive.
Some things to keep in mind: The wind was really strong and it made setting up our tent a challenge! Thanks to our friendly neighbors, they were able to get it grounded for us. Bring rope/canopy weight in case this happens. There were no bugs due to the wind. However.. we heard that if it wasn’t windy.. bugs were a big issue so canopy/mosquito net would be wise!
Bring water shoes to be able to walk in the sound. Water was at perfect temperature.
Dogs are allowed, even in the water! They require pet deposit.
They also had charcoal grills for you to use if you need one.
LegendWe stayed in site #4, which is one of the water/electric sites right on Pamlico Sound. Very level, and the view was amazing. All the sites were very small and tightly spaced, with zero privacy, which is pretty standard for such prime waterfront real estate (and typical of most popular beach destinations). Since the sites were so small, this place was really geared more toward tent campers and those with shorter RVs (25’ or less, I’d say). Each site had a picnic table, and most had a fire pit, which is pretty rare in this area (many CGs ban ground fires due to frequent high winds).
Bath house was ok. Cleanliness was so-so, depending on the day, but the biggest issue was it was not air-conditioned, so using the restroom was generally a pretty muggy and unpleasant experience. However, the amazing outdoor showers made up for it. They were huge, with great water pressure, and felt wonderful after a long, hot day in the sun. Unfortunately, there was often trash or toiletries left behind from other guests in the showers, but there was so much room and ledge space that it was easy to avoid and didn’t bother me. Generally speaking, the bath houses and grounds could stand a little more regular cleaning and maintenance, but since the owners run a watersport rental business from the property, it’s obvious that’s their main focus. Once checked in, it seems campers are left to their own devices until/unless they want to rent some equipment, because the owners and staff spent all day at the rental booth. I didn’t find this to be a problem at all; I just mention this to advise other campers to expect a more hands-off management approach, at least on the camping side. If you want to rent some water sport equipment while in the Outer Banks, this is a great place; the selection and prices are good (and half off for campers), you can launch right from your site, and the staff are very knowledgeable. Even if you aren’t into watersports, the sound is great for wading and cooling off, especially for kids, since it’s so calm and shallow. The sunsets are breathtaking, and it’s especially fun to watch the kite surfers out on the water in the evening. On a final note, be forewarned that the wind here is no joke. Be prepared to securely tie down any tents, pop-up gazebos or screen houses you have. The wind was so strong for two nights that our pop-up was shaking most of the night. The good thing about the wind was it kept the bugs away, because mosquitoes here are brutal when there is no breeze.
The Outer Banks are chock-full of activities and attractions for the whole family, whether you prefer your vacations relaxing or action-packed. Most of the more active, kid-centered attractions are farther north in the Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills area. Rodanthe is definitely quieter and less crowded, which we liked, but there are still plenty of restaurants in the vicinity, more kite and water sport outfitters, souvenir shops, and an arcade. Lisa’s Pizzeria, right next door to the CG, was amazing. Buxton is worth a day trip down for an Apple Ugly at the Orange Blossom, and a tour of the Hatteras Lighthouse and adjacent National Seashore visitor center. Ocracoke is another neat day trip, but we didn’t have time.
Overall, this is a really neat little campground on the sound, and the prices are great for the area (much lower than the big RV resorts a few blocks away). There are quite a few campgrounds in the Tri-Villages alone, and after driving through most of them, I would probably opt for Rodanthe Watersports again. If you can deal with the tight spacing, minimal upkeep, and lack of big-resort amenities, this is a great, cost-effective option in a gorgeous setting!
TravelerBooked 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.
ScoutIts nothing fancy. Good place for a natture hike, campfire amd one night tent camping. Plan on bringing your own water as there isn’t always running water (not sure why).
ScoutLevel spot, but too crowded. Our neighbor was inconsiderate and blasted the outdoor tv pst quiet hours. Nice playground and bounce place where many kids were present but not many parents. 15 kids bouncing at one point none had masks on. Just not the best situation with the present Covid situation. Bathrooms were not up kept frequently, floors were gross.
ScoutI 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.
GuideWe 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!
TravelerIf 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Columbia, NC is Goose Creek State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 35 reviews.
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