Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Lumberton, NC

This spot is so close to I95 (look for exit 169) that you’ll both feel and hear the swoosh of passing by traffic 24/7. So, while you’ll incur ease and convenience, that will come at a cost (privacy and quietude being what you will sacrifice most).  Located in the NE pocket of the Palmetto State, Florence RV Park, while not a destination per se, could be a nice (and incredibly easy) layover on your trip destination to anywhere else up or down this major east coast highway artery.

Despite the location, this spot has a lot to offer: an intimate little public pool behind the management office, WiFi hotspots, dog park, scattered picnic tables (in pretty good condition), kid’s playground, 20 / 30 / 50 amp hook-ups, dump station, dog walk area, catch & release fishing pond, propane refueling station, vending machines, small pond for fishing, basketball court, volleyball, badminton and horseshoe rings. There’s even 4-5 log cabins for rent at the front of the property (with full access to all the highway noise) and of course, good old fashioned on-site laundry facilities along with a mini-store that has most of the basics covered as well as fairly spartan shower / bathing facilities. 

Insider’s tip? Here's a few: (1) The further east you are on the property, all the better as you’ll be positioned as far away from I95 traffic and noise; (2) If tent camping, I highly recommend spots #A7 – A13 and if you are RV’ing I recommend #L9 – L18 as well as any of the locations on J, K and F11 – F16; (3) There’s a lot to explore near here, from the Grand Strand of South Carolina, of course, Myrtle Beach and even Darlington Raceway, so if you don’t mind the overpopulated location with its westerly view of non-stop traffic, then this could be a good place to stop for the night or from which to launch your exploration of the area; (4) If you’ve looked at this RV campground’s website, don’t be fooled by the pictures – I don’t think any of them were actually taken of the place, save for the pond, and that was a close-up; and (5) If you are looking for a nearby spot to sample the local fare, I recommend checking out The Drive-In Restaurant with its 50s era nostalgia, big juicy burgers, fried everything, homemade onion rings and thick, creamy chocolate shakes.

Happy Camping!

When it comes to the artificial 'camping-for-the-masses' line of properties that KOA creates across the country, there’s some definite turn-offs for pure nature enthusiasts such as me, but in some cases, you come across one of their sites that is fairly decent and should not be overlooked. Lumberton KOA, which runs parallel to I-95 in these parts of North Carolina, does not disappoint. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a better campground that is just minutes off of I-95 to park yourself for the night. But, to be clear, this place isn’t necessarily a destination – but rather, intended for those enroute to somewhere greater. In short, if you need a good place to park for the night, you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find here at Lumberton KOA.  And if you need something more substantial, well, just keep heading on down the road.

With a wide-array of elongated parking lanes for your parking pleasure, all of the sites come equipped with the typical 30 / 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections. There’s of course, the typical KOA office / market that will supply you with just about anything you might be missing. Other amenities include complimentary WiFi, camping kitchens, shuffleboard, propane and firewood for sale. In addition, there’s the standard-issued picnic table, fire ring / grill, garbage receptacles, kid’s playground and even a community BBQ – nearly everything was brand-spanking-new. In particular, I loved the open-air picnic shelters, in-ground heated pool (open from Memorial Day weekend until Halloween) as well as the wooden-framed tent parameters that you’ll find, which discourages pests from encroaching upon your encampment. The KOA hosts were nice, incredibly accommodating and offer pricing by the night, week and month.

Insider’s tip? (1) As this is certainly NOT a destination, but rather a very nice layover, arrive late, leave early, but while you are here, be sure to get to know the locals you are surrounded by – there’s always a great vibe amongst fellow KOA’ers; (2) Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to Lake Lynn, which has some decent fishing and is a good place to drop a kayak or canoe in for a short spin around its periphery; (3) For the kiddos, if you need to get away and see something a bit more educational then try out Exploration Station in downtown Lumberton; (4) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or on-board mini-fridge and want to explore some great local fare, then check out The Governor Place for brisket burger and duck fries with alioli or Happenings on Elm, which has a pretty amazing wine tasting (for these parts), outstanding domestic and international craft beers as well as some pretty great edibles like baked brie crostini and Annette's homemade lasagna.

Happy Camping!

I lived in Fayetteville, NC for over 10 years and just recently stopped by to visit friends as we travelled up north.

We picked this campground because it only 1 mile off I-95 and closest RV park we could find near Fayetteville .

Dirt road to campsite is packed white sand and well maintained (it had rained 2 days prior so it was not dusty)

There were full hookup and lots of big rigs/TT and class A’s in park. The park is well maintained and the owners clearly care about creating a nice atmosphere. The sites themselves are hard packed sand and you have a very nice patio and fire pit.

During the right season Memorial- Labor Day there is a nice size pool. They have a Catch and Release fishing pond and a cute walking trail The campground is close to Walmart and other eating places

⛺️other camping in the area-while I did not visit these locations recently- when I lived here I used to camp at Waldo’s Beach Campground In Fayetteville but it is not near the interstate. There is also a military/gov only campground on Fort Bragg you can check into.

Fun things to do in Fayetteville/Fort Bragg Area:

Fun things to do: 📌Airborne and Special Operations Museum (downtown). You may also enjoy the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum is located on Fort Bragg(call this museum directly for details)

❤️Paraclete XP skydive center (in raeford,N.C. close to Fayetteville) -One of the largest skydive centers in the world! so worth it!!! Just going and watching is pretty awesome 🥾Cape fear river trail 10.6 mile round trip multi use trail 💐 🌳 Cape Fear Botanical Garden 🐶giant dog park (near Botanical Garden) 📌Zip quest waterfall and tree top adventure zip line 🧗‍♀️ The Climbing Place (rock climbing)- downtown.
📌Defy Fayetteville Trampoline park ⚾️ Minor league baseball team Fayetteville Woodpeckers are hosted here in town and a new stadium was built.
🎥 🍿 Cameo Arthouse Theater- Indy theater- sit upstairs in the LOGE!

Cape fear botanical garden (Big dog park near the gardens)

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

If you haven’t been to a roadside circus lately or don’t want to shell out the dough for Disney World, then this particular RV amusement park location just off of I-95 and due south of the North Carolina/ South Carolina border may just be the perfect spot for you. 

With a wide-array of parallel, elongated parking lanes for your parking pleasure, all of the sites come equipped with the typical 30/ 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections. There’s the standard picnic table, fire ring/BBQ, garbage receptacles, 3-4 communal bathhouses and even a handful of community BBQ’s. 

The hosts, who work out of the Camp Pedro Store/ Office are incredibly nice and offer pricing by the night or week. There’s not a ton of amenities to pick and choose from– APART FROM THE NON-STOP LINEUP OF AMUSEMENT PARK options you will find everywhere! But the campground itself features 2-3 community playgrounds, group BBQ’s and the everything-you-need store. And while I looked, there’s no pool to speak of. 

Insider’s Tip? Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to Betsy Jackson Bay if you want to get away and off the beaten path a bit to explore nature… otherwise, head back to Pedro’s, put on your silly hat, load up the car full of tchotchkies and get your fill of this whacky Tex Mex experience! 

Happy Camping!

Shooting up or down I-95 (exit 44) to make it to your ultimate destination and simply need a spot to layover for a night … but tired of all those nondescript roadside concrete RV parking lots and still want to enjoy a bit of nature? Well then, look no further than Spacious Skies Sandy Run Campground (formerly Lazy Acres) surrounded by an endless amount of native longleaf pines located in the heart of Cumberland County. Here, you’ll almost feel like you’ve exited the concrete jungle for a slice of nature just a smidge off of I-95. Of course, the additional upside here is that you don't have to drive clear out in the wilderness in order to enjoy a small slice of heaven with a good helping of nature.

With 2-3 dozen or so elongated long-leaf pine shaded drive-through parking lanes with packed white sand parking pads (some were concrete) for your parking pleasure, all of the pull-thru sites come equipped with the typical 30 / 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections. While the campground’s website attempts to fool you with generic stock photography that is not representative of their actual site (why don’t sites simply invest in some really great photography when they actually have a fantastic site to showcase is beyond me), this campground really is quite attractive for being a highway roadside RV campground.

That said, while their imagery suggests cabins and tents, there were none while we visited, so do take note. That said, the restroom / shower / laundry facilities are exceptional (albeit a bit on the small side - this campground should definitely invest in a second or even third bathroom / shower facility) and, of course, there’s the standard picnic table, fire ring / grill, garbage receptacles, dog park, basic kid’s playground, WiFi, cable and even a community BBQ that are interspersed throughout the property. I was surprised to discover a pretty amazing pool (opened in the Summer between Memorial and Labor Day weekends) that the kids enjoyed during the day – nothing too over-the-top, but a cool spot to drop into during the midday NC heat is definitely an advantage! Oh, and the laundry facilities, camp store and other amenities like fresh cut wood for fires and s’more roasting was a huge bonus. Cathy at the front desk was very warm and inviting.

The hosts are incredibly nice and offer pricing by the night, week and month. Overall, I found the community to be quite inviting and as nearly everyone there is in-transit, there’s a really nice sojourner vibe to be had, where everyone is welcoming and also curious as to where you’re coming from and where you’re headed to, but in a non-invasive manner. Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to Fayetteville Motor Speedway, Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, Clark Park Nature Center and a good number of state and county parks bursting with outdoors adventures for the family.

Insider’s tips? Here's a few: (1) There’s a great little pathway on this property that encircles a small pond that is perfect for a short meandering through the area that you’re in called Sandy Run. Here, we discovered squirrels, all sorts of endemic birds, a few stray turtles, a couple deer and a group of industrious beavers who had built quite the dam. The pond itself isn’t too well-stocked and so you will note the ‘catch & release’ warning signs around this watering hole; (2) There's a hint of 'Coming Soon' and 'Under Development' signs on both the website as well as on-property that would suggest that the campground is in the midst of some upcoming enhancements. Apparently, from the owners, there’s plans for a dog park and even a camp store, which will add substantially to the bolstering amenities already being provided; (3) If you'd like to get off property and head somewhere nearby to stretch your legs and get a decent hike in, then I would recommend checking out nearby Clark Park & Nature Center, which has some pretty great trailheads and other wonderful nature trails to explore; (4) If you are into outdoor adventure and looking to zip amongst the treelines, then check out Zipquest Waterfall and Treetop Adventure; (5) When you grow tired of roasting franks & beans fireside and are looking for some local fare, then head outside camp, cross I95 and make your way over to Go Chew Grill, which is one part morning cafe with jumbo cinnamon roll and perfectly poured Americano as well as afternoon continental eatery, where this spot serves up some pretty amazing freshly made gourmet sandwiches, which I would recommend the turkey, bacon, creamy brie and orange chutney wrap.

Happy Camping!