Looking for tent camping near Jacksonville? Finding a place to camp in North Carolina with your tent has never been easier. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Jacksonville's most popular destinations.
Primitive campsites are located near the beach and the inlet at Bear Island. Fourteen family campsites accommodate up to six people and two tents each. Campsites 1 to 11 are accessible via ferry, private boat or paddling only. Campsites 12 to 14 are accessible by private boat or paddling only and are not hikeable.
Sites 1 to 11 have a picnic table, while sites 12 to 14 do not. Fires are not permitted at Bear Island, but campers may bring propane or backpack camp stoves.
Water and a bathhouse with hot showers is located at Bear Island, but is available from only mid-March through mid-November. There is no water at Bear Island when the facilities are winterized.
Hike-In Distance Light and simple is the way to travel, as campers must carry all provisions to the campsites from the beach or ferry dock.
$12 - $52 / night
SORRY: CLOSED PERMANENTLY.
$35 - $55 / night
$26 - $30 / night
Originally a tobacco farm that was converted into a muscadine vineyard. Such a magical spot with so much history. Plenty of space to wonder. Wildlife is abundant.
$25 - $50 / night
Traveler
Fantastic experience. I am a seasoned back woods camper, and brought along two first timers. This was the perfect middle ground. Beautiful views with an isolated area. Rustic feel, but still had the comfort of bathrooms, running water, fire pits, and nearby cities.
Guide
Do NOT stay here!! The hosts do not follow the published USFS/recreation.gov rules, oe even their own posted rules. FFS sites are in fact booked IN ADVANCE. You can book them for days at a time, anytime. The app is INACCURATE. The hosts simply do whatever they want, then argue when presented with published rules and policies. Additionally, no handicapped placard or other disability proof is required to rent the wheelchair accesssible sites across from the bath house and all were filled with able-bodied persons in huge RVs. Horrible experience and OUTRAGEOUS $8 reservation fee and $10-$18 cancellation fee. Furthermore, there are serious issues with the electric connections, which you have no choice but to pay for. We were only able to occasionally have reliable electricity, resulting in even small 5V items not charging. The biggest issue was inconsistent/incomplete charging of wheelchair batteries. We had to rely on vehicle power charging for most things. The campsites are also poorly arranged, forcing tents to be placed within 2-3’ of fire rings, which is ridiculously unsafe. The sites are also full of fire ant beds - including on the tent/table pad itself. One of the poorest managed campgrounds I have ever stayed in.
Traveler
Small quiet campground that has some adorable amenities. Pet and child friendly. Nick (the owner) is super helpful and they even have item you may have forgotten they will lend out. Firewood is provided. We stayed I. Their little cabin on a whim. Cozy but small. AC and heat both worked well. Their camp store has very affordable gifts and some supplies one might need. We came to this area to try some unique restaurants. The cabin allowed us to stay and try all of them. We went to the Mad Boar on Friday night for some amazing prime rib and unique appetizer. We went to The Country Squire and enjoyed a wine tasting before a dreamy colonial meal. The atmosphere here was so realistic. They even have an inn. And of course we had to go to the Duplin Winery. Next time we will bring the kids to enjoy the craft hour and playground.
Traveler
The hosts are friendly, and the fire is warm. It's so fun to see all of the animals. The property is beautiful, and the camp spot is private. We have plenty of space for our RV. Feeling thankful!
GuideStayed 3 nights here. Nice quiet federal campground. Quiet and maintained. Definitely need water at sites. Can't adjust water temp in showers here. Fortunately not freezing water and one night had hot water. With these improvements, would give 5 stars. Can't beat price. Would definitely stay again. Close enough to beach and things we like to do. Had a great breakfast at Angie's Diner near by.
Guide
Such an awesome KOA, bathrooms were immaculate. Free coffee everyday and so many activities! Great communication, they text before every event, and if something is lost they send out alerts. Loved our stay!
Traveler
We stayed from Fri to Sun and we enjoyed every moment we stayed. Caught fish and enjoyed the pool. And the golf cart rental was awesome too
Guide
The spots are very close together. There is no shade, but a constant beach breeze.
You can not see ocean from the campground due to the dunes, but it is about 300 feet to the water.
The owners are very nice. He will even help park your rv with his tractor.
Same price for full hookups verses no sewer. You will have to go across the street to their other campground to dump and there is no water for rinsing, only a sewer drain.
The public bathroom stalls only go as high as shoulder level.
Scout
Everything Beth said, we had the same experience, unfortunately.
ScoutA gem of a place! Call to reserve a spot. The staff is super helpful and friendly. We loved being right by the beach. There are spots for RVs and tents. You could still hear the waves even with RVs running air conditioners.
Scout
Nice pool and walking path around the edge of the sound.
Guide
We recently stayed overnight at Wallace Meadows and it was one of the most lovely places we've ever been to! Rich was very friendly and welcoming and the hookup & amenities they offered for a fee were excellent. The bath house was spotless and we each enjoyed a nice hot shower! The property is surrounded by trees and it was very tranquil. There's even a guesthouse which could possibly accommodate fellow travelers who may not have an RV. There's also a laundry room but we didn't use it. They have a background in hospitality and it really shows. Before we left, we purchased some fresh eggs from their farm, beautifully packaged and delicious! We will return to North Carolina. There's so much to see here and we'll definitely return to Wallace Meadows Farm.
Traveler
Great spot and host
Scout
Very nice place to stay. $20 per night. I go there when l go home to visit and to hunt. Ron the camp host is a very helpful and friendly guy. Across the river from nice entertainment. About a 15 minute walk.
RangerQuiet, beautiful, cheap, great cell service. Love this place!
Traveler
Our stay in Site #4 on February 25 in our 20' Mode LT was quiet and restful. The park has an interesting geomorphology, sitting atop cliffs overlooking the river below, and there are miles of hiking trails. The Campground Host was particularly helpful, checking us in when we arrived early. Unlike many state parks they offer their Senior Discount to out-of-state campers. The campground is very clean and sites are very large with gravel pads, but only 14 sites have hook-ups. Our stay was marred by heavy fire smoke from campfires penetrating our van. The distance from I-95 adds an extra hour to your travel if you are just planning a one-nite stopover, so we might not make the trek again.
ScoutCamping in the winter and a newbie, but this place was great. Showers and bathrooms were exceptionally clean. Dog friendly, electric and good clean drinking water on site. Can only stay 14 days at a time.
Scout
We have stayed at this campground many times since 2016 and always loved it. The location is awesome, the owner, and the staff were so nice and friendly. Its not that way anymore. There are no longer loyalty programs for repeat customers and they dont care if you stay there or not. When this new company bought this campground they decided $55 to $80 a night was not enough, they want to charge $155 and up depending on when you are staying. This is insane! There are other campgrounds we stay at that have a lot of stuff to offer and they are no where near this expensive, you hardly have anything to offer at this campground. You are giving the customer a place to park, water, sewer and electricity for $155 and up a night, and thats it! There is no security at this place anymore so you better change your storage locks on your camper because most are keyed alike, dont leave anything outside like bikes, grills, shoes, clothes, etc... because they will disappear. This never happened before, makes you wonder who is wondering around stealing. I won't be back until the prices come down and improvements are made. I wish everyone would find other places to go for the next few years and these owners would be forced to sell and maybe we could have our campground back.
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! This campground is new to the Dyrt and open for reservations through the Dyrt!
ScoutTalk about Southern hospitality, the hosts were amazing and the campsite was a safe place for Luna and I to spend the night!
Traveler
My husband and I recently purchased a small RV and decided to do a short trip close to home. This campground is amazing. Beautiful views fishing is good and the hosts are very nice and informative. Will be returning to this gem of a campground!
LegendOyster Point: Great sites. Sites w water view are best.
(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: 4
Price 2023: $ 5 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: Light
Site Privacy: Underbrush has been trimmed it looks like. So, there is not as much privacy between sites.
Site Spacing: Very wide sites .
Site surface: Gravel
Reservations: Yes
Campground Noise: Quiet during our stay.
Road Noise: Secluded. No public roads nearby.
Through Traffic in campground: No
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: No
Potable Water Available: Yes. One or two spigots.
Generators:Allowed
Bathroom: Pit toilet is clean and well stocked.
Showers: No
Pull Throughs: Site 13 is a pull through
Cell Service (AT&T): 2 - 4 bars
Setting: Pine forest with a more of Newport River
Weather: 72 fall day high.
Bugs: No mosquitoes. Must be gone for the year
Solar: Maybe too forested in some spots. In site # 5 at 9:00 AM we had some solar charge happening
Host: Tonia is a delightful host
Rig size: Our site would fit a large rig.
Sites: I took pictures of the sites on the shore side of the campground. They are the best, but all sites here I would be happy with. Sites #9 and #11 have pathways to a very small private beach. Site 1 is close to a pit toilet. Maybe a smell issue now and then.
Legend
Neuse River Flanners Beach Campground: Most sites have visual privacy (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: 4.5
Price 2023: $ $10 + $5 per night for electricity w interagency pass
Usage during visit: Pretty full. Unable to obtain a reservation for an extended period.
Site Privacy: Almost all sites has a nice degree of privacy with trailer in site.
Site Spacing: Very good
Site surface: Gravel
Reservations: Yes. You better.
Campground Noise: Quiet.
Road Noise: None
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: Available
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes. At entrance.
Potable Water Available: Scattered spigots
Generators:
Bathroom: Yes
Showers: Yes
Pull Throughs: Not that I saw.
Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars
Setting: Deciduous forest.
Weather: 70 degrees today.
Bugs: Not noticeable.
Solar: Too much tree cover
Host: Yes
Rig size: Some sites will fit large rigs. A careful drive in Campground will surely be required.
Sites: Almost all sites are good. Some of the least private sites are: 13,20,27,29
GuideJust off the road. Close to lots of places to eat and beaches. Seemed to have lots of activities some places even had chimaeras and Weber grills.
TravelerGreat place to hangout and it’s near Emerald Isle and the Crystal Coast. Nice place to throw a line into the water and relax!
ScoutNot a campground anymore
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! JCO Campground has some amazing sunset views and tons of space to explore around the pond! Check them out and share some pics from your stay!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jacksonville, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jacksonville, NC is Onslow Beach Campsites with a 4.4-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Jacksonville, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Jacksonville, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
