Best Tent Camping near Gloucester, NC

Recent Tent Reviews near Gloucester, North Carolina

240 Reviews of 6 Gloucester Campgrounds

• T

  Tamara B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 15, 2021

  Oyster Point Campground

  Best out of season

  We tent camped at this small (16 sites) campground in late May. The location is pretty and on the water. Not a swimming place, but there is a launch for canoes and kayaks. The location is a perfect staring point for hiking in Croatan National Forest. Fierce biting bugs and ticks during certain seasons, so bug spray is a must! Campsites are large and clean with some shade and old (need repair) picnic tables and fire pits. Some sites have electric hook ups. Toilet facilities are there but I do not recommend. Sites feel relatively private, but you do sometimes hear your neighbors. Most sites had RV campers when we stayed there. Also small youth groups frequent this location. Good for tent camping and not far to Carteret County beaches.

• L

  Lacey B.

  Traveler

  

  May. 20, 2019

  Cedar Point Campground

  Clean + easy access

  We stayed here while visiting friends in Swansboro. We had to pay full hook up prices even though we were just tent camping but that wasn’t a huge deal. The area was kept really clean (bathrooms could use a little TLC) loved the views on the hiking trail which was close to the camping sites. Dog friendly! Our kids loved it. Beaches in driving distance.

• 

  Brandon M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 26, 2020

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Absolute joy!

  I had a wonderful late November five night, tent camping, surf fishing week at a wonderful, clean, quiet campground. I stayed in site D-17 and recommend any of those sites on the outer perimeter of D loop.

  The bath houses were always clean. The park hosts were friendly and accessible. The town of Ocracoke is only a five minute drive yet a world away from this peaceful place.

• 

  Jeremy C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 18, 2021

  Cedar Island Ranch

  Great access to white sand beaches for $30/night

  I'm tent camping. The lady in the welcome center was in a rush to get out of the building and go work in a next-door diner so she didn't have time to answer any questions about this campground. I paid $30. There's a beautiful place to walk my dog along the water. White sand beach. The site itself has hookups if you need them. It has a picnic table, a fire ring and plenty of space for my vehicle and tent. I'm about 15 feet from the water. Nice view.

• 

  Jeremy C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 19, 2021

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  $28 for tent camping

  Its not a bad spot, but $28 is a little high when you're just using a tent. you can't see the ocean from your camping area, but its a 3 minute walk there. When I came here I thought we'd be allowed to tent camp (without having a fire) anywhere on the beach, so the need to pay a fee was a let down.

  T-Mobile DOES have service on most of this island, as I am writing this review from the camping area.

  Bugs were not an issue.

• 

  Kaitlyn F.

  Traveler

  

  May. 18, 2021

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Incredible

  While we only stayed in this spot for a night, the place was absolutely amazing. We tent camped in section D and had direct access to the beach with our tent tucked behind the sand dunes. My only actual issue with the campground itself was our site had some residual trash left over from people before which is quite disappointing as we always pack out. Also, the bathrooms were kinda meh.

  Do be prepared to have a way to keep nats away as our tent was filled in the morning.

  Overall, this visit was spectacular and we will definitely be back

• 

  Mathew G.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 28, 2021

  White Oak River Campground

  Small but Adventurous

  Great for a weekend tent trip, most RV spots are used by permanent users. Small camping area not a whole lot of acres, how ever a lot of outdoor exploring area adjacent to the camp ground. Multiple ponds and frisbee golf course. MY PERSONAL OPINION, may not affect others but I like to camp under trees or close to. Most of the tent sites are out in the open. We got lucky and got one. Great prices though as well.

• 

  Carina F.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 28, 2022

  Great Lake Dispersed Site - Croatan National Forest

  Primitive

  Dispersed camping deep in the national forest. A native long leaf pine forest in a swampy alligator habitat with some nice lakes. Lots of roads closed from hurricane damage, so don't trust Google maps. The dirt roads were not maintained and ridiculously bumpy and unmanageable for smaller cars. There are alligators, bears, way too many ticks, mosquitos and a ridiculous amount of shotgun shells. It definitely felt dangerous. Would not recommend tent camping, but great for an RV if you can figure out where to park.

• J

  Joseph H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 26, 2021

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Invigorating

  Ocracoke is a great place to “recharge” the batteries of life pure and simple! Falling asleep listening to the sounds of the ocean; to look up at night and see our galaxy the Milky Way and all the stars revolving around Polaris is simply awe inspiring and a slice of heaven! We tent camped D-28. The steady breeze kept the bugs away all 3 nights. 4x4 to the many beach gates is a definite must. Lower tire pressure to 15-20 psi is highly recommended

• 

  Ashleigh M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 12, 2018

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Beautiful but HOT

  This is a beautiful campground and we had a site with it’s own path to the beach which was very convenient. The bathhouse was clean but got VERY hot during the day. The campground Is very close to the pony pens and Is a quick drive to Ocracoke village. The biggest con of this campground is the lack of shade and the fact that the manmade dune blocks most of the wind. In the summer heat, it was stifling for tent camping. It was too hot for my northern blood. If I come back here, It would have to be earlier in the season or I would bring an air conditioner.

• 

  Chip G.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 28, 2015

  Ocracoke Beachcomber Campground - CLOSED

  Season opener...

  Camping on Ocracoke for their April 5k / 10k race has been my camping season opener for several years. The Beachcomber is a good campground at the north end of the village conveniently situated behind the gas station and near the grocery/hardware/liquor store. Park your car, set up the camp site (19 and 20 are the best tent sites) and unload the bike. Everything on the island is walk/bike distance.

  The owners have been doing a good job with this campground since they bought in a few years ago. Each year there are improvements. And Ocracoke is just a special place.

  I'll remind myself to take some pictures this year and update this post.

• 

  Kyle I.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2019

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Great Beach Camping

  Drove down from our 4 night stay in Kitty Hawk, took the ferry over to Ocracoke. Tent camped for the night. Our little spot (D25) had a paved drive that I could back into, a grill and a picnic table. So everything you need really. It dog legged off to the right into to smaller trees witch we took advantage of as a wind break.

  We walked over the dunes to the beach, water was warm but the surf was a bit rough so I only went out about waste deep (Rip current). Wind was up that day too, a lot of sea shells on the beach if your into that.

  Grounds had shower stalls with cold water, no problem for us and they had men's and women's restrooms that were clean and well lit.

  We would defiantly recommend this campground and I hope to stay there again some day!

• 

  Diane T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2020

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Remote, Bring your bug spray!

  This place is such a hidden gem, on such a remote island!  Though we did hit some snags - We tent camped and unfortunately there was a horrific thunder storm one of the nights. The campground is right next to the beach on low ground so does flood easily. We stayed in B010 and our tent ground did not flood, but the parking spot did (no big deal) but sites around the back half of the campground further from the beach were completely flooded. It is also terrifying to tent camp during a lightning storm here because your tent is the tallest thing around. Also the mosquitos are AWFUL. But with the negative experiences aside, we would absolutely stay here again (perhaps with an RV instead...).  The campground is located a bit down the main highway, so you are still a short 5-10 minute right to town if you so please, or you can escape into the coast for a truly remote experience. All sites are separated from the beach by the sand dunes, and it's a short walk up/down the dunes to the beach. The beach itself is very private - we went during Fourth of July weekend and still only saw a few others on the beach (I imagine because it's a bit further away/ hard to get to for non campers.) There are amenities (bathroom, and a separate shower stall) but the showers were cold and mosquito-infested (they bite you as you are trying to shower - another reason I think I'd come back with an RV... lol!)  There was also no water source here  - I believe NPS turned off all water fountains due to covid, and water is hard to come by / expensive on the island, so bring your own jugs!! The campground itself is a mix of more shaded, secluded spots, and wide open grassy field sites. It's a mix of RV, pop ups, and tents. There are no fires allowed but each site comes with a picnic table and charcoal grill. The campground is very quiet and dark after dusk so you truly feel like you're remote, and you can even hear the sound of the ocean crashing beyond the dunes as you sleep! Definitely bring LOTS of bug spray and citronella candles, I lived in Florida so am no stranger to mosquitos, but the bugs here are no joke. I also suggest bringing a screenroom with fine netting for your site - I never believed in these screen canopies before but I am now converted. It was a life saver!

• J

  Jen B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 20, 2020

  New Bern KOA

  Beautiful campground

  This was a very nice, well maintained campground. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. We stayed from Aug 11-14, 2020. The pool was nice on a hot humid day. They have gem mining. You buy the bags of dirt in the camp store. The bathhouses are all very new due to a recent hurricane and they were kept clean. The dock/pier was picture perfect as the sunset over the Neuse river. The playground and jump pad looked like they would be a lot of fun but were closed due to Covid 19 restrictions. They had horseshoes and Gaga-ball that were open. They had 2 fenced in dog parks and a dog washing station. We chose this campground for it’s location near historical downtown New Bern and we would definitely recommend it to others. They have RV sites, tent sites and cabins.

• P

  Peyton A.

  Traveler

  

  May. 15, 2022

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Phenomenal Camping Experience

  My wife and I love to tent camp, and this is our second visit here.  Here is the breakdown:

  • $28/night

  • Showers are cold water only, but they do have great pressure

  • No matter where your site is located, there is easy, easy, so much easy access to the beach

  • Park Rangers seem attentive, as we have seen her/him patrol each day of our visit

  • Dogs and cats and I imagine other animals are welcome

  • Cell Service is spotty for both Verizon and T-Mobile

  • No shade

  No complaints with this campground, but I do want to elaborate on cellular coverage.  I think The Dyrt mentions that T-Mobile has availability.  This is kind of true.  It comes and it goes depending on your location at the campground.  I am a T-Mobile customer and I have been connecting to U.S Cellular towers during my trip🤷‍♂️.  I am on. the sound side of the campground (west side), and last year, we were closer to the ocean and our coverage was "better".  Point is, your mileage my vary.

  Don't hesitate, put your phone away, bring a sunshade, and relax.  You will not regret it.

• 

  Myron C.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 26, 2019

  New Bern KOA

  Great Campground Close to Historic New Bern and Tryon Palace

  I think this is only the third time I have stayed at a cabin at a campground, and it was all right but I like tent camping better. Because of the intense heat and health concerns, we chose to stay in a cabin here. I wish I had taken more pictures of the campground, but my buddy(seen in the photos) and I are photographers who look for scenes of beauty. It’s not that the campground was not“pretty,” but when you are this close to New Bern, there are better things to photograph. There’s Tryon Palace, Union Point Park, the historic Confederate cemetery, the fireman’s museum, the Pepsi Cola museum(New Bern is where Pepsi was born), etc. The New Bern KOA is perfect in every way. The sites are large with full hookups, Wi-Fi, cable TV, etc. It has all the amenities of a top notch campground that you would expect from KOA. I have stayed at several KOA campgrounds, and they all seem to have the oversized chess; and I have never seen anyone playing it with seriousness. They have two pools, a pavilion, a bouncer… and I could go on and on. IF you want to spend your time at the campground, there is so much to do that you don’t need to go anywhere else… HOWEVER… Did I mention New Bern and Tryon Palace? You can’t come this close to New Bern and not go to Tryon Palace. The campground is located on the shores of the confluence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers. Since they join here, you seem as if you are closer to the ocean. It looks more like a bay. There is a really nice pier at the campground beach for fishing, and the KOA here has outdoor boat rentals. There is also horseshoes, pedal bike rentals… Did I mention there is also New Bern and Tryon Palace? Seriously, the New Bern KOA is about the best campground at which I have stayed, but my buddy had never been to New Bern. There was more to see. If you go, make sure to make reservations. New Bern is a historic town with lots of vacationers during the summer. Looking for something to eat? My favorite place to eat in New Bern was Captain Ratty’s, which has great clam chowder. However, New Bern has lots of other great places to eat as well. The downtown area is also a great area for shopping. Back to the campground… the first time I stayed at the New Bern KOA was over thirty years ago, but it has grown in size and amenities. Now, it is more like a resort than a simple campground.

• T

  Tod S.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 10, 2022

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Big sites, some are pretty private

  Paved, level parking pad on sandy grass sites tucked between the dunes and vegetation in Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the outer banks by of North Carolina. No hookups, but water and dump are across the street, and generators are allowed.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 5, 2024

  Cape Point — Cape Lookout National Seashore

  OK, not great

  Campground is 1 of the 4 within the Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore. Cost here is only $20/night (the others are $28). No hookups available, but there is a dump station and potable water fill on your way out. Cell service is good. The walk to the beach is a bit long, maybe about 1/2 mile or so. 

  We stayed here for a night in early November and the place was nearly empty. There were one or two campers per loop, so the campground was nice and open and quiet. I think that during the busy season it would be an unpleasant stay, as the sites are all right next to each other, side by side, just big grassy area. Sites are large though, which was nice. 

  We didn’t use the showers but I believe they are cold showers. The set up is almost like an outdoor shower, with a short door and a pull rope for the water. 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. 

  Sites must be reserved through recreation.gov. It was easy to pull up with no reservation, pick a site, then reserve and pay online. No service fee through this site. 

  No wood fires allowed here. Each site has a picnic table and grill, nothing else.

  Dumpsters available, but no recycling bins. Not sure if North Carolina segregates recycling after pickup.

• 

  Ronica H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 2, 2018

  Croatan National Forest Oyster Point Campground

  Nice and Quiet

  Camp sites are clean and cared for. They have nice tent pads done up. would be nice if some of them had two tent pads for a second tent but ground was nice and level for a second tent. Some campsites have water access some don’t. the Camp host were also very friendly and accommodating.

• 

  Laura F.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2020

  Oyster Point Campground

  Clean and Small Campground

  We really enjoyed our night at Oyster Point.  The host was friendly and helped me find another campsite when my was taken by an unregistered guest.  We were able to launch kayaks almost directly from campsite #11.  Tent pads are big enough for 1 large tent or 2 small tents.  The campground is small so fairly quiet.

  **Pro's: **

  Metal Fire Ring/Grill 

  Picnic tables 

  Lots of lantern hooks

   Port a Johns were very clean

  Some cons:

  The bugs are bad in June and bug spray didn't really help.

  The sites aren't in order by number. 

  The gravel road had a lot of ruts in it so getting my trailer with kayaks in and out was a lot of trouble.

  No showers

  Port a johns were noticeably tilted down hill

• 

  Christie F.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 1, 2018

  Croatan National Forest Oyster Point Campground

  Natural

  Real camping, no frills. Beautiful campground, great camp host, back to basics camping. The way it should be , in a tent.

• J

  Jacob

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2022

  Oyster Point Campground

  Great tent camping

  Fun place to camp, water close by, picnic table and fire ring. Tent pads are pretty big. Host is very nice and cheap.

• 

  Kayko S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 1, 2016

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Sleep to the sound of Crashing Waves

  While all the RV's are at the HUGE KOA village the national seashore parks are filled with tents and a respite from generators.

  Although there are moments when the wind hits that you might wish you were in a hard shelled tent.

  You can make reservations in advance but with over 100 sites and multiple loops of sites you will be sure to find a spot.

  This place has amazing access to surf but if you're not a surfer the next best thing to do is walk to the lighthouse from your campsite.

• C

  Carol C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 16, 2022

  Croatan National Forest Neuse River Campground

  National Forestlands

  It was gated due to local issues, which made me feel safe. Quiet, despite RV traffick. Mine was the only tent on site, but people were kind in RVs.

• 

  Myron C.

  Legend

  

  May. 1, 2021

  Cedar Point Campground

  Campground near Estuaries and the Beach--a Photographer's Dream

  My wife and I stayed at this campground many years ago, and when I came this time, the changes were mind blowing. The first time, it was rustic with high grass, a dirt entry road, and most campers were in tents. This time, the landscaping was well manicured, there were paved roads throughout, and most campers were in RVs. Wow!!!! What an upgrade! However, I had a tent and I felt out of place. I guess I was expecting a campground more like federal campgrounds I have been to in the past where there is more privacy and space between the campsites. With that said, the tent was on grass and there were no hookups. Essentially, it was a grassy, level place to pitch a tent. The one redeeming factor was that it was close to the bath house. The facilities were fairly new. For example, the bath house looked as if it had been built recently, and the concrete looked fresh. Inside, there are individual showers separate from the toilets. Both are modern and something I am not used to seeing except at privately owned campgrounds. The main attraction here is the Cedar Point Tideland Trail which takes you through the estuaries close to the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. This area is a photographer’s dream, especially if you like photographing the native habitat and creatures. I was able to get photos of birds, soft shell crabs, and closeup photos of dragonflies. The estuary itself is worth taking pictures of, especially at sunset. Another attraction is its proximity to Emerald Isle and the ocean, which is about two to three miles away. If you are a kayaker like I am, or a boater, there is access to the White Oak River by way of a boat launch. Personally, I had rather be in a more remote wilderness type area, but I understand that some people love this type of closeness to their neighbors and the modern facilities. Don’t get me wrong. All you have to do is drive a few hundred yards, and you will be in a wilderness type area(the Tideland Trail). Overall, this is a great little campground for RVs(and tents if you spend most of your time exploring the Tideland Trail and surrounding areas), and I highly recommend it… IF you can get a spot. All of the sites are by reservation only except for five first come/first serve spots.

• 

  Chris B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2016

  Hammocks Beach State Park Campground

  Beach camping!

  Sand in your pants and tent, but worth it! Ferry out, and hike down the a mile or so, and sleep on the beach. A truly unique experience!

• 

  Joseph B.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 2, 2022

  Flanners Beach Campground

  Grandson’s first camping trip

  I’ve been riding my bicycles on the the trails around Flanner’s for years. This was my first camping experience here.
  We brought our T@G Boondock XL for my wife and I, and a side tent for my grandson. Decent sized spot for our camper and 10x10 tent, and it included a fire pit (very tall sides) and a picnic table. We spent the first day setting up, preparing food and enjoying the fire. Ended the day in the tent playing guitar and singing, while my grandson played the Djembe. Day 2, was fresh ground Death Wish coffee in the Chemex and breakfast. Then we went for a 3 mile hike. Ate lunch and played ladder ball. Another 2 mile hike in the afternoon, some card games, dinner over the fire and pudgie pies. Played music around the fire until bedtime.
  Day 3 was Coffee, breakfast and tear down/pack up. The grounds were clean, saw the hosts throughout the park, and they were very friendly. Showers/bathrooms were good. Water was plenty hot in the shower. It was cold at night and in the morning, and the facilities have screens for ventilation, so it can get quite cold (or hot) in there. The beach is closed indefinitely. The trails are great.
  Great first camping experience for our grandson. I will be back. The sign at the gate says NO ALCOHOL. Not sure why this is an issue, but it’s their rule.