Top Tent Camping near Corolla, NC
Looking for tent camping near Corolla? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Best Tent Sites Near Corolla, NC (2)
1.
False Cape State Park Campground
Knotts Island, North Carolina11 Reviews63 Photos350 SavesPrimitive camping year-round. No cabins. The park does not offer same-day reservations. For information on the availability of overnight accommodations and particular amenities or to make a reservation, call (800) 933-PARK.
All campers must receive their confirmation letter and information packet before camping at this park. Carefully and thoroughly read the information you receive. False Cape is unusual and can be unpleasant for those who are unprepared. The packet is generally sent via email, but if you need it sent by postal mail, be sure to allow enough time to receive it. No exceptions. All overnight guests must bring two copies of their confirmation letter. One must be placed on the dashboard of their vehicle; the other clipped to the site marker.
Because False Cape is very primitive and has unusually restrictive access, reservations are not available online. For safety's sake, please take the time to carefully read and follow the information below.
Parking is never available at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge for overnight guests. Campers must instead park at the Little Island City Park, leave a copy of their confirmation letter on the dashboard, and walk from five to nine miles through Back Bay Refuge to the park’s campsites. Pets are not allowed access to the park through the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. See below for more information. Beach camping is subject to tides. During significant high tide events, the park may close the campsites. All park guests are subject to Back Bay Refuge and Little Island City Park's rules and regulations. Campers must be out of the refuge before sunset when arriving and departing False Cape State Park. Be prepared for biting insects during summer. They are very common. Little Island City Park in Virginia Beach - the place from which most visitors depart to False Cape - is closed on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, at noon the day prior to Thanksgiving Day, on Thanksgiving Day, at noon on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. On days when the lot is closed, False Cape staff will meet incoming and outgoing campers at 1 p.m. sharp to let current campers depart and incoming campers enter with enough time to hike, bike and set up camp before nightfall (about 5 p.m.)
- Pets
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Market
$20 / night
2.
Virginia Beach RV Resort
Virginia Beach, Virginia3 Reviews3 Photos27 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
$30 - $100 / night
Recent Tent Reviews In Corolla
449 Reviews of 2 Corolla Campgrounds
First Landing State Park Campground
Good campground, boardwalk to beach needs maintenance.
Good campground as usual. bathrooms well maintained and cleaned twice a day when we were there. Campsite is right next to the bathroom and has a good amount of shade. Bathrooms had two sinks to clean dishes. Boardwalk nearby to the beach was very convenient, however quite a few boards look like they need replacement. One highlight was watching the school of dolphins from our kayaks, not far from the beach. Never saw that before.
Oregon Inlet Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Great place and price!
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.
First Landing State Park Campground
Right on Chesapeake Bay with Sunset!
Most of the sites have shade a few do not have any shade. If you do not like traffic noise, stay far away from the main road that the park is located off.
You can not see the water from any campsite and all sites are a little walk to get to the beach of the bay.
Light waves on the bay. It has beautiful sunsets with dolphins playing there in the evening.
We stayed in site 5 which is literally in the bathroom front yard with NO SHADE.
Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA
Nice site by the water
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.
Oregon Inlet Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
**Terrible Experience with Rude and Unhelpful Hosts
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.
Virginia Beach KOA
Amenities but…Traffic Noise!!!
Great pad sites but sparse vegetation and zero privacy. Road noise was constant and lots of traffic on the beach access highway.
Holiday Trav-L-Park
It's what you make of it.
This is a wonderful spot if you want to avoid the high dollar hotel stays in Virginia Beach. There are a lot of amenities at this place, however you have to pay for some of the activities. This should be included in the price. The RV spots are not even 20 to 25 ft apart from each other. If that. It seems that this park is more in it for the money than the camping experience. That being said, there are a ton of things to do if you have a young family or just want to be rowdy. Lol. I went during memorial weekend, but I was told it's like this all of the time. The site that I had was very uneven. I had to put a 5-in lift on one side of my travel trailer and drop the tongue nearly to the ground due to the uneven pad to park on. Only room enough for one car. Overall it was a good experience, and you can't help but get to know your neighbors. Lol maybe that's what their plan was. Know your neighbors.
Carova sands
Fantastic adventure
That was a great experience! Go there only if Greg says it's ok. He knows how demanding it can be to get to his ground if you're not used to driving off-road. You need a 4x4 car. Wonderful five star primitive campground. No water, no toilet. Bring your own. Explore the property, the sound and the sea. We saw deer, wild horses, coyotes, eagles, turtles, dolphins but also mosquitos and ticks. Bring repellent. I will never forget the two days camping. Greg is a great host! Thank you for this incredible experience!
Carova sands
Incredible beautiful place
I am so thankful to Greg and Mary for humbly allowing me to stay on their beautiful property. What a unique and incredible place. The wild horses came to visit me daily, bald eagles, osprey...kayaked on the calm waters of the sound..hiked the beach and biked the trails up through false cape state park. Just an incredible opportunity I am so thankful that I was given, and by the nicest of people you can find. And I'll be back one day for those tires Dave! Haha, thanks to everyone that showed me around, a memory to be cherished.
Little Creek MWR RV Park
Utilitarian
Overall, this campground is utilitarian at best. We stayed for five nights in April in a 25' Airstream. It is on a military installation so you need to have access.
- RV office does not open; if you have any issue, you have to call the reservation line or see the camp host...but there was nothing to mark who the camp host was and they never stopped by.
- Roads are decrepit with major potholes and in need of repair. The roads and some sites flood when raining. There are two one way roads in, but without a map of the campground available, you don't know which one to turn down in advance.
- Bathrooms are dated but clean.
- Dumpster not emptied in timely fashion. It was overflowing the first two days here and people were piling trash around it until it was emptied on a Wed.
- Full hook up (electric/water/sewer) on sites; some have fire pits, some don't. Also the connection boxes are set back pretty far on the sites, so you need longer hoses/cords. We had a long electric cord that reached and had to add a second water hose and second section of sewer hose to connect. Water pressure was good.
- Concrete pads and free laundry were nice. Ground around the concrete pads were rutted where folks either parked off the pad or didn't know how to park on it.
- Free wifi if you sign up for MWR's, but we used our T-Mobile home internet with good connection (4 bars). AT&T on our phones was 1 bar at best.
- Several small hiking trails nearby on base that were good for walking the dog.
- Traffic getting off base starting around 1500-1600 is bad, so plan accordingly.
- Expect to hear aircraft all the time. You get used to it quickly, but can be loud.
- Seemed like some active duty personnel were staying here, as we saw them leaving in the mornings and coming back at the end of the day in uniform.
- We didn't find firewood for sale on base and bought some out in town near another campground.
- Follow the signs on base to the golf course and keep driving past the driving range to find a small beach on base.
Not the best look for a military campground, but if you just need a place to park to access the other amenities of the base and area cheaply, this is it.
First Landing State Park Campground
Very nice facilities
Good: Beautiful campground. Very clean facilities and close by. Easy access to water. Close proximity to beach and hiking. 120 - was able to get two RTT on one site.
Bad: close proximity to other sites. Busy campground in general. Kids running around. Lots of standing water, once bugs start coming out would be a ton of mosquito.
First Landing State Park Campground
Great campground but a lot of road noise
Great campground with nicely shaded sites. If you want quiet and peaceful stick to the spots on the beach side.
First Landing State Park Campground
Great spot for beach camping
Love coming to this spot for camping so close to the beach! Campground fills up fast and sites are kinda close together though. 1-2 bars Verizon.
Carova sands
The best and most unique camping spot!
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.
Carova sands
Perfect Getaway
First, Greg is an amazing communicator. He gave great instructions for finding the camp site. Plus, checked in to make sure everything was going ok and gave tips.
It was such a peaceful location and I even had the privilege of seeing a horse on the grounds on 2 different nights.
I’m so glad I had a chance to stay here and hope to have the opportunity to visit in warmer weather.
Merchants Millpond State Park Campground
Peaceful and quiet
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.
Oregon Inlet Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cool Beachy Vibe
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.
Northwest River Park and Campground
Very clean campground
Overall amazed at the cleanliness of the campground. The staff is very friendly. The park was very quiet going into the night.
Camp Hatteras
On The Water
Camp Hatteras Campground : Clean and on the water . This campgrounds on both sides of the highway. (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.)
Overall Rating: 3.5 Usage during visit: Almost empty Site Privacy: None Site Spacing: Close, see pics Site surface: Concrete Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Road Noise: Campground is a bit off Hwy 12, so there is road noise Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: Yes Dump Station: Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom: Yes Showers: Yes Pull Throughs: Most or all are back in Cell Service (AT&T): 4 bars Setting: Sound side Weather: 60s Bugs: Gone for the winter Solar: Plenty Rig size: Big rig friendly Sites: Water side sites are super. See pics and ocean side.
Oregon Inlet Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Location Is A Five
Oregon Inlet in Hatteras NSS, NC.: Great beach and Kitty Hawk nearby. We like this campground even though sites are pretty tight. We have been here later in November in the past. The weather was much cooler, but this campground is pretty empty then.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer). I rate based on desire for at least a moderate wilderness type experience w at least some camp site privacy. Overall Rating: 3.5 Price 2023: $ 14 w interagency pass for non electric sites Usage during visit: 95% full. Site Privacy: Not good Site Spacing: Sites along the dunes are pretty close. Site surface: Blacktop Reservations: Required Campground Noise: Quiet Road Noise: Noticeable throughout B and C loops. I’ll leave Loop A to be evaluated by tent campers. Homey, I will say to choose a site away from Hwy 12.
Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Some sites. See my map in pictures Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes. It is across the highway to the south of the campground. Potable Water Available: At the dump station and near the restrooms. Generators: Allowed.
Bathroom: Clean flush toilets. Showers: Yes, but a gap between the roof and walls makes for a cold experience this time of year with the wind. Pull Throughs: No Cell Service (AT&T): 2 to 3 bars. Setting: A pretty area between Highway 12 and the dunes. Weather: Highs in upper 60s. Lows are in mid 50s Bugs: A couple mosquitoes. Wind has probably kept them at bay. Solar: Great when not too cloudy.
Host: They are super.
Rig size: Large rigs can fit in many spots. Sites: See my map in my attached pictures: Circled sites B2 - 20 back right up to the dunes. C1 -21 have a broader view of the beautiful dunes with 5 - 21 in this group a bit larger sites. B 22 and24 are getting closer to the dunes. I like all these sites in comparison to the others. However, I appreciate being backed right up to the dunes. Site B4 is the best site, in my opinion. Rig size is limited for this site. It’s not deep, Punic table is near campground road, but isolated from B2 on the picnic side by a dune . B2 is a good site. Picnic area is private from adjacent site, but not from vehicles driving by.Carova sands
First camper
This is a must see spot. It is located right on the sound and the beach. It is located on private property that requires 4 wheel drive capable vehicle to access. You have to drive down the beach to reach this spot. Greg and his wife were extremely friendly and wanted to share the amazing property that they own. They have a dock with access to the sound which I used to explore the sound on my kayak. I recommend giving Greg a call if you want to experience a very unique and amazing camping experience.
Merchants Millpond State Park Campground
Ok campground, needs hosts
Stayed on Friday and Sat nights at family campground. Bathrooms ok but in need of maintenance. Park clean and well maintained. Biggest issue is the noise. Neighbors played music and were loud until well after midnight. Other neighbor had dog barking all night. Not a great campground for people with young kids like we have. We will be looking for campgrounds with onsite hosts in the future.
Oregon Inlet Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Great location with basic amenities
Camped at Oregon Inlet for its location near Alligator River NWR, and Bodies Lighthouse.
The PROS:
- Great location - plenty of beach access
- Warm water in the showers. However, I did wish they had an attached dressing area that was dry.
- Quiet and respectful 'neighbors'
The CONS:
- Mid-September was hot, muggy and buggy. Also afternoon heavy rain showers.
- Hard to enjoy the campground during the day due to the heat, and at night due to the bugs. I took a Tent with bug screens that covered the picnic table, so that helped but bugs still got in. Used Thermocells to help create a bug free zone relatively. Next time I will waterproof the tent cover for rain showers and it dripped a bit.
- Bathroom doors left wide open and poorly ventilated, so they were hot and buggy, even at night. I discovered air conditioned bathrooms at Bodie's lighthouse and at the visitors center at the beginning of Route 12.
- Yes, there are sand spurs at the campsites. I wore shoes so didn't have a problem.
- It is true that you hear road noise through out the night. I found that week nights were notably quieter than weekend nights, including Sunday night.
- The campsites are small and closely together with no sun protection.
- Beach access involves walking over two high sand dunes on soft sand. Not terribly difficult, but hard for me with bad knees.
- No area for washing dishes. I take a portable wash bucket. Took my dishes up and showered and washed them in the shower room.
- One water spigot near the shower areas. I wasn't sure which was potable. Red and blue water spigots unmarked.
First Landing State Park Campground
Enjoyed camping here
Went for Labor Day weekend. Great campsite with good shade. Beach was nice and bay water was good temperature. Plus while Virginia Beach had red flag conditions, we could still swim. Had my crocs stolen at the beach though. Bathrooms next to us were completely renovated and are very nice.
Virginia Beach RV Resort
Prices
I just called and inquired about pricing. I was told that RV spots were $130/night. Not the $30-100
Virginia Beach KOA
Awesome Place
The Virginia Beach KOA is a nice place to stay. Plenty of things to do every day. This is a newly renovated KOA, and they added a lot of new sites. Also a new pool with a lazy River. We stayed at a premium site which provided a fire ring, a picnic table, and 3 chairs on the paved site. The landscaping is very well kept. There are some sites that have plenty of shade, but a good amount of them don’t. If you are a family with kids, this is definitely a KOA for you to check out. They provide you with a schedule outlining all of the events they will be having that week. There was a day where a few food trucks visited, including our favorite, a Rita’s food truck. They had live music most nights, which is always a hit or miss, but still fun. They have a dog park for your furry friends. One of the best parts of this KOA is the bus service that runs from the campground to Virginia Beach proper. It even takes you to the VA Beach Aquarium, which is our favorite. The bus allows you to bring all your beach gear and runs well into the evening. Overall, we very much enjoyed our stay at this KOA and would definitely return.
First Landing State Park Campground
sweet people, less then ideal area
If you are looking for a beach day in virginia beach but don’t want to spend ridiculous money on a hotel then it’s perfect!
Now for the down sides…… there is an air port like 8-10 minutes away which means constant fighter jets passing over the camp from like 4-10. It’s a very busy camp ground so there’s not a lot of privacy BUT people are respectful of quiet hours. Then at about 8 am the base starts doing their morning wake up songs which will wake you up…
Guide to Corolla
Camping near Corolla, North Carolina, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
What to do:
- Beach Access: Many campgrounds are close to the beach, making it easy to enjoy the sun and surf. For instance, at North Landing Beach, one reviewer said, "We love this place. They are always hosting activities, there's a beach and a pool, playground, movie nights, pizza and ice cream shop."
- Outdoor Activities: Kayaking and fishing are popular in the area. A visitor at Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA mentioned, "Our boys enjoyed kayaking around the sound and riding their bikes to the playground."
- Wildlife Watching: The area is great for spotting local wildlife. One camper at False Cape State Park Campground shared, "There are a ton of different types of birds out there if you like wildlife."
What campers like:
- Amenities: Campgrounds like Virginia Beach KOA offer great facilities. A happy camper noted, "The landscaping is very well kept. There are some sites that have plenty of shade."
- Community Feel: Many campers appreciate the friendly atmosphere. One visitor at Indian Cove Camp Resort said, "As it is a member-owned campground, it is a community and we all help and take care of each other."
- Cleanliness: Clean facilities are a big plus. A reviewer at Northwest River Park & Campground mentioned, "Bath houses were clean & the trails were awesome!"
What you should know:
- Tight Spaces: Some campgrounds have close quarters. A camper at Holiday Trav-L-Park pointed out, "The RV spots are not even 20 to 25 ft apart from each other."
- Noise Levels: Be prepared for some noise, especially during busy weekends. One visitor at Northwest River Park & Campground said, "The campground was full the night we stayed there and very busy and noisy through the night."
- Limited Privacy: Some sites may lack privacy. A reviewer at Virginia Beach KOA noted, "Sparse vegetation and zero privacy."
Tips for camping with families:
- Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds and pools. A family at North Landing Beach enjoyed, "They are always hosting activities, there's a beach and a pool."
- Plan for Meals: Bring easy-to-cook meals or check if the campground has food options. One camper at Sandy Point Resort Campground mentioned, "The staff at the store were friendly and were pretty lenient to letting me use the fire pits."
- Safety First: Keep an eye on younger kids near water. A visitor at OBX Campground said, "There is a small playground and waterfront picnic area for the kids to play."
Tips from RVers:
- Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A reviewer at Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA noted, "The water view sites are especially nice."
- Book Early: Popular spots fill up fast, especially in summer. A camper at Indian Cove Camp Resort mentioned, "We are able to get reservations and sites even on holidays just a couple weeks out."
- Be Prepared for Weather: Bring gear for rain or wind. A visitor at False Cape State Park Campground advised, "Bring plenty of water for hike in during summer, hardly any shade hiking in."
Camping near Corolla, North Carolina, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Corolla, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Corolla, NC is False Cape State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 11 reviews.