Best Tent Camping near Hope Mills, NC

Tent campsites near Hope Mills, North Carolina are primarily located in surrounding state parks and wilderness areas, offering a mix of established and primitive options. Lumber River State Park provides two key access points for tent camping at Chalk Banks and Princess Ann, both offering elevated tent platforms in pine forest settings. Sandhills Campground B provides more primitive tent camping options in the gamelands about 35 miles northwest of Hope Mills.

Most tent campgrounds in this region feature basic amenities with varying levels of development. Chalk Banks in Lumber River State Park provides potable water from a spigot near the restroom, individual trash cans at each site, and a vault toilet. The tent sites are situated on elevated platforms with dirt frames in wooden railroad ties. According to one visitor, "These campsites are in a beautiful pine woods forest. Many sites have a pretty mossy pathway near the tent platform." Sites at Princess Ann also include individual trash cans and access to restroom facilities, though some sites require a short walk from the parking area.

The tent camping experience in this region offers spacious sites with good separation and natural surroundings. At Chalk Banks, sites are notably large and private, with one camper noting they are "some of the better spread out ones that I've seen." The campground is generally quiet and uncrowded except during holiday weekends, with rangers indicating it rarely fills to capacity. Many sites provide good cell service despite the remote setting. Lumber River access is available for fishing and kayaking, with launch points approximately half a mile from some campgrounds. Black River Camping Ventures offers a more social camping atmosphere with sites closer together, but provides excellent river access with shallow areas suitable for swimming. Primitive tent campers at Sandhills Campground B should be prepared to bring all supplies as there are no amenities, though the area offers access to fishing lakes and trails.

Best Tent Sites Near Hope Mills, North Carolina (7)

    1. Chalk Banks — Lumber River State Park

    10 Reviews
    Wagram, NC
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 628-4564

    $17 - $47 / night

    "It was a little tricky finding the entrance to this campsite, but when we managed to Google map our way in into the park, we were very happy with our selection!"

    "There was a path walkable to the river, and each campsite was clean, had plenty of space on level ground to set up camp, a fire pit, and very clean toilet. I would definitely go back!"

    2. Owl Creek Horse Camp - Bankhead NF

    Be the first to review!
    Mamers, NC
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (334) 832-4470

    $5 / night

    3. Sandhills Campground B

    1 Review
    Pinebluff, NC
    33 miles
    +1 (910) 281-3917

    "This is a campground located in the Sandhills Gamelands in NC. If you're looking for primitive, this is it. No bathrooms, no water spigots, no camp store, nothing like that."

    4. Princess Ann — Lumber River State Park

    4 Reviews
    Orrum, NC
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 628-4564

    $17 - $47 / night

    "We used this campground as a stopping point after a trip to Fantasy Lake Water Park.  It's secluded, small, cute, and located right on the Lumber River. "

    "We also had the privelidge of having the park COMPLETELY to ourselves...the ranger confirmed that we were the only campers that night! A beautiful site, we only wished that we could stay longer."

    5. San-Lee Park

    3 Reviews
    Sanford, NC
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (919) 776-6221

    $15 / night

    "Contrary to what has been written, I would highly recommend San-Lee Park to anyone looking for a short and easy escape from the nearby Raleigh-Durham area."

    "There are hiking and biking trails as well as kayaking and other water sports on the lake there."

    6. Black River Camping Ventures

    2 Reviews
    Ivanhoe, NC
    48 miles
    +1 (910) 669-2392

    $45 / night

    "This campground is situated right along the Black River in Bladen County NC. Approximately 1 hour from Wilmington, Fayetteville, and Jacksonville."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Hope Mills, NC

165 Reviews of 7 Hope Mills Campgrounds


  • Joe B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 10, 2022

    Jones Lake State Park Campground

    Nice spot with lake and trails

    I stayed here the night before a mountain bike race at Brown’s Creek. I only needed one night, but wished I would have stayed a couple more. When I got to my site, I didn’t realize that I reserved a handicap spot (my mistake). The site was on concrete so I couldn’t stake down my awning. I rode my bicycle around the park and found the hiking trail right by the campground. It went around the lake, but since it said hiking, I stopped at the trail head. After dinner I started a fire, pulled out the guitar and played for a bit. I would have had a beer, but there is a no alcohol policy. (Still don’t understand this policy at state parks). The bathrooms/showers were great. Clean, heated, private showers. Quiet hours start at 10pm, but there were kids running around the park yelling. No too bad though. Never had to talk to anyone from the office. Just reserved online, pulled into my spot and left in the morning. I’ll come back to stay longer and hike the trail, check out the lake and go mountain biking down the road.

  • Courtney B.
    Jun. 5, 2020

    Little Pee Dee State Park Campground

    A quiet and clean state park

    Little Pee Dee State Park is a quiet and clean campground on the banks of Lake Norton. Locals often come here for fishing and non-motorized boating.  We were fortunate to witness a mass crayfish event--the recent flooding had brought them out of the swamp and up the spillway, much to the delight of seafood lovers.

    The campground had two different campground hosts, and they kept the restrooms and campsites immaculately clean.

    Campsites have a fire ring/grate and a picnic table, but no trash cans, and you'll need to bring your trash to a large bin located at the edge of the campsites.

    There are some nice sites right at the edge of Lake Norton, but the abundant water plants don't allow you to fish from the side of the lake, and it's not really a swimming lake. These sites accommodate RVs and have water & electric.  If you're on a budget, there are tent-only sites off the water.

    The campground recently built a sleeping cabin, which is a cute structure with air conditioning/heat, bunk beds, and a free-standing bed (the cabin sleeps four, total). Guests can use a fire ring and Adirondack chairs, hammock, and grill.

    The park also has a nice shelter for use.

    There is no WiFi here, and cellular internet is spotty. There isn't a camp store, but the Ranger Station does have ice, firewood, and a small number of souvenirs for sale.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 5, 2025

    Jones Lake State Park Campground

    Campground near a lake but NOT on a lake

    General: Small campground (20 Sites) around a circle with the bathhouse in the center. Although you can walk to the lake (about a half mile away), the sites are not lakefront. There is also a group campground.

    Site Quality: Camper driveways are very generous in size and level. Sites are spaced far enough apart to provide reasonable privacy/separation. Sites vary. Two ADA-accessible sites have a concrete pad; most others have gravel pads, but two are just open grassy sites. Some are FHU, while some have no hookups. Some are pull-thru, and some are back-in. Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, and lantern hook. Most have a raised tent platform. 

    Bath/Shower house: Very clean. Three showers, including one ADA-accessible one. The spray was not very strong, but the water was warm. 

    Activities: In season, there is boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing, but we were there at the beginning of April, and the weather was in the 50s. We did the four-mile Bay Trail, which was really more of a walk and not a hike. The signage was good, and the trail weaved back and forth from the gravel road. We were disappointed that there were not many views of the lake (there are three overlooks, but access to them was restricted due to flooding). Due possibly to recent rains, the last mile of the trail (we went in a clockwise direction from the campground) was flooded in several places, making passage challenging. There is also a short one-mile Cedar Loop trail as well as a spur leading from the Bay Trail to Salters Lake. 

    We chose this campground primarily because of its location - it was a good stopping point for us. In early April, even during spring break, only a handful of sites were occupied. I imagine it would be a much different story in the summer months.

  • J
    Jul. 10, 2020

    Chalk Banks — Lumber River State Park

    Pleasantly Surprised.

    It was a little tricky finding the entrance to this campsite, but when we managed to Google map our way in into the park, we were very happy with our selection! These campsites are in a beautiful pine woods forest. Many sites have a pretty mossy pathway near the tent platform. The platform is elevated and and dirt framed in wooden railroad ties. The sites have great privacy and the campsite was virtually empty except for us and one other family. The campground ranger said they only fill up on the 4th of July. They set-up and trash can with a bag for you upon arrival. There is no general store nearby so bring wood and supplies in with you. There was a water pump/spigot near the restroom with great pressure (potable water). We brought our own pop-up shower and road toilet with us, so didn’t need the restroom. The ranger that greeted us was super nice and respectful. He gave us the gate code in case we needed to leave after they closed the gate at 9:00pm. Very quiet and peaceful.

  • Makenzie T.
    May. 18, 2021

    Chalk Banks — Lumber River State Park

    Clean, beautiful and river-accessible!

    This was a great campground for a great price. There was a path walkable to the river, and each campsite was clean, had plenty of space on level ground to set up camp, a fire pit, and very clean toilet. I would definitely go back!

  • Courtney B.
    Sep. 23, 2019

    Princess Ann — Lumber River State Park

    Lovely little campground on the river

    We used this campground as a stopping point after a trip to Fantasy Lake Water Park.  It's secluded, small, cute, and located right on the Lumber River. 

    Our particular site, PA 7, is one of two right on the river's edge, across from the Naked Landing trail.  Sites 7 & 8 would be perfect for two families to camp together, because they'd have the whole trail area to themselves.  These sites have a bit of hike-in required, in that you can't drive up to them (see my uploaded photo of where the parking lot is in relation to the sites).

    There is a vault toilet near the parking lot ("that's gonna be a no from me, dog") but an actual restroom facility across the parking lot.

    Each of the sites has its own trash can, and a ranger comes by in the morning to empty it.

    The river is nice to swim in after a hot summer's day, although the bottom is quite squishy.  It's a good area to fish or use small watercraft.

    We slept in hammocks and were awoken at dawn by a cacophony of juvenile barred owls directly above us.

  • R
    Sep. 28, 2021

    Moonshine Creek Campground

    Top Notch

    This is an excellent campground! It’s really woodsy and the creek is fabulous. Nice laundry facilities. Especially nice are the tent sites. They seem to have some of the most scenic spots. The Sanctuary area is awesome and the tent sites are right on the creek. It is for those with no pets or kids and is limited to 2 people per site. It’s a quiet zone. There is one tent cabin and 4 tent sites with water and electric. You CAN park at your sites. We weren’t sure before if it was a walk in area. The bathhouse for this area has two toilets and two showers.Each is completely private. There are outlets and sinks in all four. There is also a very nice sink and counter on the end for dishwashing. It’s all in excellent condition. Very nice picnic tables too. They were easy to wipe off. Sites S1-3 have an awning/ shelter. S4 does not but is much larger. S4 is higher up so you look down on the creek. It is more off by itself. S1 even has access to a 2nd picnic table close to the creek. It is the smallest as far as tent space. We would love to visit again!

  • Marvin D.
    Mar. 2, 2021

    Chalk Banks — Lumber River State Park

    Lumber River Chalk Banks

    Pretty nice campground right off of hwy 401, just south of Raeford NC. There is a pit toilet and water spigot. There are no showers here. The Lumber River is right here, so fishing and canoeing/kayaking are popular activities. There is a hiking trail here as well.

    The right hand side of the campground is set up for RV,s (pull through sites). The left hand side is for tent camping. Tent camping sites, 9-10-11, sit WAY back in the woods, so its like almost like having your own campground. TONS of forage wood here.

    With talking to the rangers, they were saying that the place seldom gets too crowded, and you can almost always get a reservation here.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 25, 2021

    Jones Lake State Park Campground

    Interesting State Park

    Our GPS wanted us to take Jones Lake State Park Rd, that was closed off, about 300 yards before the main park entrance. They have good directions on their website to follow. Check-in was easy. We proceeded to site 8, back-in with FHUs and 50 AMP. The roads were narrow but one way. Our back-in was a little challenging with our 39’ 5th wheel due to brush across the road, but very doable. Utilities were centrally located to the pad. Water pressure was good at around 50 psi. We got 2 bars on Verizon, a variety of OTA channels, and clear shot to the southern sky for satellite. Six of the CG’s back-in sites are FHUs with both 30 & 50 AMP. However, there are very spacious pull thru sites, but no hook ups, not even electric. We could have extended our stay and dry camped in one of these spots but there’s no dump station. This made us wonder if the state ran out of money or if they are still building? This was a very nice CG with well spaced campsites and a good trail system. There are no water views from the CG but the lake is a short walk. The CG is essentially a large circle with even numbers to the inside and odd numbered pull thru sites and some smaller tent sites to the outside. There is also a group tent camping area. FHU sites are 2, 4, 6, 8, 18& 20 and are long enough for large rigs. Back-in site 18, which is a handicap spot, could be a tight back-in for a trailer over 38’. Eighteen is pretty much a 90 degree turn plus there’s a water spigot and metal recycle container directly across the street to contend with. There are water spigots about every 4 sites(near sites 3, 7, 11, etc.) throughout the CG. There is a newer looking shower house conveniently located between sites 16& 18 that we didn’t use. The 3 nights we stayed over a weekend, the CG was maybe half full so very quiet and peaceful. If we could book one of the FHU sites or they add a dump station, we would stay here again.


Guide to Hope Mills

Tent campsites near Hope Mills, North Carolina provide varying experiences depending on proximity to water bodies and local terrain. The region's sandy soil creates unique camping conditions with pine forests dominating the landscape. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity, while winters remain relatively mild with occasional freezing nights, making proper site selection crucial for comfort.

What to do

Kayaking access points: At Chalk Banks — Lumber River State Park, campers can launch directly from the park. "The river is about half a mile from the campground and has a put in for kayaks," notes Cody T., who appreciated the convenient water access despite the walk.

Fishing opportunities: The region's waterways offer multiple fishing locations. "There are a plenty of good lakes for fishing, and a bunch of trails to check out," reports Marvin D. about Sandhills Campground B, adding that anglers should prepare for primitive conditions.

Swimming spots: Black River Camping Ventures provides accessible water recreation. According to Kelsey K., "The river was lots of fun. Most was pretty shallow and a huge sand bar area. The kids loved it and dogs too. Lots of people fishing too."

Night sky viewing: Stargazers find excellent opportunities at Princess Ann. "You can see tons of stars here at night, it is amazing! It's lovely to sit by the water and look at the night sky," shares Jennifer H., highlighting an often overlooked camping activity in the region.

What campers like

Private, spacious sites: Many tent camping locations around Hope Mills feature well-separated sites. At Princess Ann — Lumber River State Park, Michael B. reports, "A beautiful site, we only wished that we could stay longer." His group "had the privilege of having the park COMPLETELY to ourselves."

Proximity to water: Riverside camping is highly rated by visitors. Courtney B. describes their experience at Princess Ann: "Our particular site, PA 7, is one of two right on the river's edge, across from the Naked Landing trail. Sites 7 & 8 would be perfect for two families to camp together, because they'd have the whole trail area to themselves."

Wildlife encounters: The natural setting provides opportunities for wildlife observation. "We slept in hammocks and were awoken at dawn by a cacophony of juvenile barred owls directly above us," notes Courtney B. about their Princess Ann experience, suggesting campers bring earplugs if they're light sleepers.

Shade coverage: The dense pine forests provide excellent protection from summer heat. Taylor B. describes Black River Camping Ventures: "Be ready to be greeted by large oaks and pines that provide massive shade in the warmer months and beautiful, colorful foliage in the fall."

What you should know

Gate closing times: Several campgrounds implement strict access hours. "Word to the wise, when the website says the park closes at 'posted times', they mean 9pm. We know this because we got there at 9:05 and the gate was locked tight," warns Jay B. about Chalk Banks, suggesting campers arrive well before closing.

Water situation: Water availability varies significantly between sites. At San-Lee Park, Marvin D. notes, "The sites have fire pits, grills, tables, and there are a couple of water spigots on the site." However, at more primitive locations, potable water isn't available.

Cell service coverage: Despite remote settings, connectivity varies by location. "Good phone service for AT&T and Verizon," reports Cody T. about Chalk Banks, which can be important for emergency situations during camping trips.

Reservation systems: Camping areas follow different booking procedures. Karah S. discovered San-Lee Park's unexpected requirements: "After calling and only getting voicemails... His boss finally answered and said we can only camp there by making reservations 72 hours ahead of time."

Tips for camping with families

Riverside sites selection: Choose water-adjacent sites for family entertainment. Kelsey K. observed at Black River Camping Ventures that "Most was pretty shallow and a huge sand bar area. The kids loved it and dogs too," making it ideal for families with children who want water play options.

Playground access: Some campgrounds offer additional recreation facilities. Stuart K. notes that San-Lee Park has "a fantastic park for the kiddos, Nature Center, a gorgeous lake perfect for a day of fishing, mountain bike trails, paddle boat rental."

Bug preparation: Insect protection is essential, especially near water. "And so many bugs. Not just mosquitoes, but knats, horse flies, flies, etc. They were terrible," warns Kelsey K. about Black River Camping Ventures, suggesting families bring comprehensive insect repellent.

Site proximity considerations: Campground layouts affect privacy and social dynamics. Marvin D. describes San-Lee Park: "It's almost like one big group site... It's an okay place, great if you are with a large group, as the sites are open but situated somewhat close to each other."

Tips from RVers

Site accessibility: Vehicle clearance matters for reaching some campgrounds. Marvin D. advises about Sandhills Campground B: "Make sure you have 4 wheel drive or a vehicle with good clearance, as it's all dirt roads in and around and leading to here."

RV restrictions: Not all campgrounds accommodate larger vehicles. Stuart K. notes about San-Lee Park: "no RV's welcomed here, just tents," making advance research essential for RV campers seeking sites near Hope Mills.

Firewood availability: Campers should plan for fuel needs. "There is a lot of wood to gather for your fire but if you want to buy firewood then you'll have to drive to the speedway about 10 minutes down the road," shares Cody T. about Chalk Banks.

Off-season access: Weather conditions impact campground operations. According to Stuart K., San-Lee Park camping "continues here till the end of October," indicating seasonal limitations for camping in the region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Hope Mills, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hope Mills, NC is Chalk Banks — Lumber River State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 10 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Hope Mills, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.