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Tent Camping near Pinehurst, NC

15 campgrounds with availability this weekend

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    Tent campers near Pinehurst, North Carolina have several options within driving distance, including Mortimer Campground in the National Forests of North Carolina and Steele Creek, a dispersed camping area. Lake James State Park offers tent-specific sites at both Paddy's Creek and Catawba River campgrounds, with most locations requiring a 1-2 hour drive from Pinehurst through the Carolina Piedmont region.

    Most tent sites in the area feature basic amenities with varying levels of development. Mortimer Campground provides fire rings and picnic tables but lacks electric hookups, while dispersed areas like Steele Creek offer more primitive conditions with no toilets or trash service. Water access varies significantly between locations. A camper noted that at Catawba River campground, "The sites were all so unique and cozy in a little circle path that takes you down by the water. So many nice little places to hang a hammock and relax." Many campgrounds require reservations, particularly during peak seasons from late spring through early fall.

    Walk-in tent sites are common at several locations, with Catawba River at Lake James State Park featuring sites that "you can park and walk-in to your campsite." These walk-in areas typically offer more privacy and natural settings than drive-up sites. South Mountains State Park provides backcountry camping options with Little River and Upper Falls campgrounds requiring short hikes to reach tent sites. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, campers should be prepared for varying terrain conditions, as one visitor to South Mountains State Park mentioned, "The hike up to the campground, though only 1.5 miles, is pretty steep from the Jacob Fork parking area (600ft elevation gain)." Most backcountry sites include fire rings and pit toilets but require campers to filter water from nearby streams.

    Best Tent Campgrounds near Pinehurst (70)

      1. Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina

      4.3(10)13mi from Pinehurst17 sitesTents

      "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together. Two shower houses, one on both ends, no hookups."

      "Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place. Come early to reserve. You must set up camp immediately. No reservations."

      from $20 - $30 / night

      Check Availability

      2. Boone Fork Campground

      3.8(4)11mi from PinehurstTents

      "There is a 5 mile long trail that goes through the campground called Boone Fork Trail. This trail leads to Hebron falls where you can explore giant boulders and have a picnic."

      "The terrain is also flat and easy to hike through, making it a good long trail for beginners or children."

      3. Steele Creek

      4.5(4)14mi from PinehurstTents

      "I have stayed at all the free campsites around and left my review for each. This is by far the quietest, nicest, cleanest , site yet !"

      "There’s a nice big spot at the end of the trail where you could rooftop tent/car camp, but the actual site is about 100’ away."

      4. Paddy's Creek — Lake James State Park

      5.0(3)16mi from Pinehurst33 sitesTents

      "I needed some lake time and it didn't disappoint! The campground is a 2-minute drive (6-minute bike ride) down to the beach and there is a huge swimming area there."

      "We visited the Paddy Creek campground at Lake James last year. The campsite was impeccably maintained with the cleanest bath/shower house I have ever experienced camping."

      from $27 / night

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      5. Camp Attocoa

      5.0(1)14mi from PinehurstTents

      6. Blue Bear Mountain Camp

      4.8(27)31mi from Pinehurst4 sitesTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "It offers RV, drive in and hike in tent sites and also teepee camping."

      "We had a neighbor nice enough to give us his site because he was leaving early and I would have stayed another night there. It was C3 backed into the woods on level ground. It made for a cozy morning."

      from $25 - $136 / night

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      7. Black Bear Campground

      5.0(5)22mi from PinehurstTents, Cabins

      "Excellent campground there’s ice and firewood so you don’t have to make special trips to the nearest convenience store. They charge it directly to your card. The host was wonderful."

      "This is a brand new tent and cabin campground built by Duke Energy and run by McDowell county on Lake James."

      from $21 - $36 / night

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      8. Little River Backcountry Campground — South Mountains State Park

      4.0(2)17mi from Pinehurst4 sitesTents

      "Jacob Branch: Three sites arranged around a clearing. Two pit privies and a BEAR BOX! Woot!!"

      "The hikes near the falls were quite busy on Memorial Day weekend, but the backcountry campsites were quiet and well-kept."

      from $17 / night

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      9. Upper Falls Backcountry Campground — South Mountains State Park

      5.0(1)18mi from Pinehurst5 sitesTents

      from $17 / night

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      10. Catawba River — Lake James State Park

      5.0(1)18mi from Pinehurst20 sitesTents

      "We stayed at the Catawba River campground which you can park and walk-in to your campsite. The sites were all so unique and cozy in a little circle path that takes you down by the water."

      from $27 / night

      Check Availability

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    Tent Camping Reviews near Pinehurst, NC

    1179 Reviews of 70 Pinehurst Campgrounds

    • Windy W.
      Oct. 23, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful Place, Ugly host, Oct 2026

      Let me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time.   With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price

    • Bonnie H.
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Kylie T & Andrew W. Review not accurate

      My husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.

      The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.

      Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.

      These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.

      I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"

    • SThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Spacious Skies Bear Den

      Seems to be a well established campground in an off the beaten path location. Roads alternately paved and gravel. The campsite is gravel in a wooded setting. Fair amount of space between sites. The bathhouse is clean but dated.

    • Kyle T.
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Unprofessional hosts that ruins a place with good potential

      We brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back

    • A
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful place ruined by unprofessional ownership

      Our group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.

    • MThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 19, 2026

      John H. Moss Lake Campground

      It’s a small, clean campground but we are next to a busy road (site 28) and also the entrance to the public access of Moss Lake. It’s a tight squeeze for us as a 33’ fifth wheel.

    • Lisa & Patrick R.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Buck Creek

      Buck Creek Campground review

      Nice spot right on the river..Camp store & staff seem friendly & helpful-especially Sonny & Joshua.

    • JThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 10, 2026

      John H. Moss Lake Campground

      Good for small rigs

      Tight fit, we stayed here with our 20ft trailer and it is a little tight. The site was at a slight angle and I noticed a lot of sites are the same way. Plus side is there is a security gate with code entry. Easy access to lake. Good clean boathouse and nice full hookups.

    • Dre S.
      Sep. 21, 2026

      Sage Nesbitt Farm

      Wow!!!

      I actually stayed here last year!! Went through hip camp!! We stayed in a tent and it was so beautiful!! Got to see Asheville, some waterfalls and we went to the renaissance fair!! Wow the host were amazing at getting us anything we needed! Plenty of fire wood! I actually want to come back in the next month now that I’m seeing this again!

    Guide to Pinehurst

    Tent camping opportunities near Pinehurst, North Carolina extend into the Appalachian foothills, with elevations ranging from 300 to 3,000 feet as you travel northwest from the Sandhills region. Summer temperatures typically average 5-15 degrees cooler at higher elevation campgrounds compared to Pinehurst, making mountain sites popular during hot months. The region's diverse terrain transitions from pine forests to mixed hardwoods with increasing elevation.

    What to do

    Waterfall exploration: 0.5 mile hike from Mortimer Campground leads to a scenic cascade. According to a camper, "Beautiful, clean grounds with access to a 1/2 mile round trip hike to a waterfall on the property!" Another visitor noted there are "trails and even a waterfall within half a mile from camp."

    Creek swimming: Free access at Steele Creek provides natural swimming holes. A camper mentioned, "This is by far the quietest, nicest, cleanest site yet! There is a walking trail at the end of the road about 100 feet from our site, that had the best swimming hole at the end of it, where you can jump in."

    Paddling: Rentals available at Lake James State Park during summer months. A visitor shared, "The campground is a 2-minute drive (6-minute bike ride) down to the beach and there is a huge swimming area there. Also, a nice launch for kayaks and SUPs to the right of the beach (looking at the water)."

    Fishing: Trout available in mountain streams and ponds. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, a reviewer noted, "The hike to the pond was a little more strenuous than we anticipated but once you get there, there is a nice creek and we caught a trout in the pond right away."

    What campers like

    Campsite privacy: Mixed options depending on location selection. At Mortimer Campground, "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together." For those seeking more seclusion, "The campsites are very spaced out" at Blue Bear Mountain Camp.

    Temperature relief: 10-15 degrees cooler at higher elevations during summer. A camper at Blue Bear noted, "The elevation is high so weather is nice for those trying to escape the summer heat," making mountain campsites particularly attractive during peak summer months when Pinehurst temperatures regularly exceed 90°F.

    Cleanliness: Well-maintained facilities at most established campgrounds. At Black Bear Campground, "The restrooms are in immaculate condition," and another visitor mentioned, "Either they keep the sites extremely clean after each guest, or we were the first to stay at our site."

    Water proximity: Sites available with direct water access. At Catawba River campground, sites are arranged in "a little circle path that takes you down by the water. So many nice little places to hang a hammock and relax. The sites down by the water are awesome."

    What you should know

    Road conditions: Gravel access to many mountain campgrounds. For Mortimer Campground, "9 miles, minimum, of dirt roads getting in, so pack accordingly. Quick trips don't happen." Similarly, at Steele Creek, "The road is pretty well maintained other than a few spots that you have to crawl through on the corners specifically."

    Site availability: First-come basis at some locations. One camper at Steele Creek arrived "late, around 5 pm on Saturday, so I had difficulty finding a spot. There was lots of sites but they were all filled up."

    Terrain considerations: Elevation changes affect hiking difficulty. At South Mountains State Park, "the hike up to the campground, though only 1.5 miles, is pretty steep from the Jacob Fork parking area (600ft elevation gain)."

    Weather preparedness: Mountain conditions can change rapidly. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, "The constant light breeze and lack of mosquitoes is a treat," but wind storms can occur, as one camper at Catawba River experienced "a horrible wind storm with gusts up to 50mph."

    Tips for camping with families

    Swimming spots: Choose locations with gentle water access. At Lake James State Park, a family found "a huge swimming area" near the campground, making it convenient for children to cool off during hot days.

    Trail difficulty: Research before hiking with younger children. For South Mountains State Park, a visitor recommended, "Perfect trip if you have kids…or just want something close by. It's only a bit over a mile to these four sites nestled by a stream. Clear, flat sites."

    Wildlife awareness: Proper food storage prevents unwanted visitors. Multiple backcountry sites at South Mountains State Park feature "a BEAR BOX! Woot!!" as one camper enthusiastically noted, providing secure storage for food items that might attract wildlife.

    Campsite selection: Consider proximity to facilities with children. At Boone Fork Campground, "The terrain is also flat and easy to hike through, making it a good long trail for beginners or children."

    Tips from RVers

    Site limitations: Size restrictions apply at most mountain campgrounds. For tent camping near Pinehurst with an RV, one visitor to Mortimer Campground noted, "We stayed in a tent. Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place."

    Hookup availability: Limited services at primitive sites. According to a camper, Mortimer Campground provides "no hookups" while other campgrounds offer varying levels of service with some providing electrical but no water connections.

    Access challenges: Road width can be problematic. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, "The state maintained gravel road used to access campground was narrow and would be difficult to get a large camper up there, although there were lots of large ones there."

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Pinehurst, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pinehurst, NC is Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Pinehurst, NC?

    TheDyrt.com has all 70 tent camping locations near Pinehurst, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.