Best Cabin Camping near Manns Harbor, NC

They claim to be a camping resort. Well, their definition of resort and mine are different...The grounds were very well-kept. Their property is Right on the beach and has direct access. Nice sandy beaches. There is a freshwater shower at the entrance to the beach so that you can rinse off when you’re done. The bathhouse was nice and clean. The shower area is co-Ed. They have a cute little play area for the kids, and had scheduled fun activities throughout the week. (some required an extra fee) Office doubled as a little camp store with some basic groceries, cold drinks, and souvenirs type stuff. All of the staff that we came in contact with were extremely friendly and helpful. They have a really nice pool area with zero entry and two small waterslides for the kids. Plenty of chairs on the pool deck, and a small area of shade where you could eat or get out of the sun.They had sites for RVs all the way to tents. We splurged this time (heat, salt, and sand!) and opted for a camping cabin.(I somehow forgot to take pictures of the cabin, but it is identical to the one in my Arkansas review… Except no TV. I really thought there was a TV… But no matter, we didn’t miss it.) The camping cabin was basic one double bed one set of bunkbeds, there was air-conditioning and plenty of room. A nice swing on the covered porch. Picnic table, grill, and fire ring. The cabins were very close together, but it wasn’t an issue. This campground also offers deluxe cabins which look like your typical Beachhouse type rental. We were visiting on the holiday, I had looked into tent camping over the Fourth of July weekend and they wanted $150 a night for a TENT site. Yeah, I don’t think so. The beach at the Outer Banks is lovely, it’s not commercial and trashy (like I would describe Myrtle beach) and as far as I could see everyone on the beach was good about observing social distance, and Nobody crowded each other. We stayed three nights and had a wonderful time. Overall we will definitely stay here again. Oh, dogs are welcome year round on the beach, only restriction being they have to be leashed. They are also welcome at the campground and there is a dog play area and a dog bathing area.

Open:  April - December

Sites: 85 with 24 pull thrus

Nicely laid out sites that are a bit close but still not bad, room for slides.  Some trees or shrubs would be nice.  An amazing olympic size swimming pool.  Love the cabins and bright paint plays into the whole beach theme.  Concrete pads are great for larger RV's but road is a bit tight.  Most sites have water, sewer, and electric hookups.  No fire rings or open fires.  They also have Wifi and cable, and air conditioned bath house. There is a laundry facility and store on site.  The site is just minutes from the beach.  You can fish right on the site in the canal or launch your kayak.  Club house for adults, site is pet friendly.  Relax and enjoy the amazing sunsets, they are awesome.

LNT

BTYFI

Travel safe

Employees are incredibly nice. Store is well stocked. Cabins are just beds and a couple outlets. Picnic table and charcoal grill outside. AC is the big draw since summer can be brutal. Access to the sound side of the island. Ramp for driving onto the beach or the pedestrian accessed beach requires driving. Campground is quite large and packed. Noise was better than expected. Wifi is a complete fail even though they advertise it. Verizon coverage was adequate. Only 2 bathhouses (1 is being renovated) for the entire campground. Lines were not bad but it was hard for it to stay clean with all that use. The laundry room was nice and worked well. There is a pool, but I didn't use it. I prefer the Hatteras area to the more crowded Nags Head/Kitty Hawk scene but don't think I'd return to this location next time. There are many NPS campsites in the area. (The campground felt unsafe given the large numbers of RV campers who flew multiple Trump/confederate flags, but I did not experience anything unsafe.)

They don't call this the Cape Hatteras KOA Resort for nothing!!  This family friendly campground has SOMETHING for every interest!  

We have several family members/friends who would never camp tent - which makes this is the campground for this purpose!  We are not normally KOA campers, but to be able to stay in the same space as family - and for them to have beds and Aside from tent/RV sites, there are "deluxe cabins" or tiny homes, log cabins, raised cabins etc.  This is a KOA - so the spaces are tight and close together, but for this trips' purpose, it was fine.  

Similarly, if you have people who would never swim in the ocean - they have you covered!  There is a large pool - a double waterslide, a hot tub, a kids pirate playground, 2 enormous jumping pillows, volleyball, horseshoes, basketball, tetherball, etc.  

This KOA is directly on the beach - you never have to get back in your car if you don't want to!  There is a super boardwalk with a bathhouse right off the beach, outdoor shower area (which is SO nice) and even a fish cleaning station for the fisherpeople in your life.  Your four-legged friends are not left out - they have a dog pick up station too!  

The ocean front campsites even offered covered picnic tables - which for us is always a big win!  We love having an extension of our tent because OBX weather is a little unpredictable and summer - well, we can expect an afternoon thunderstorm.   We also liked the choice of camping on the ocean side or the sound side.  There are benefits to both choices - is it more important to you to camp with the shortest walk to the beach?  Is it more important to camp where you can watch the most beautiful sunset from your tent?   

We had wonderful weather and were so thankful for the proximity to the beach.  We caught a beautiful sunrise one morning - and usually we are the sunset chasers!  Our weather was excellent and the ocean water was about 74 degrees - refreshing - yet warm enough to play in!  A strong recommendation if you need some amenities for your camping experience!   

Side note - my ECLIPSE EQUINOX hoodie was amazing as a wet sunshirt this trip.  Not only did I wear the shirt on the SUP but my brother in law loved it as well! I actually prefer this shirt as a swim/sun shirt rather than for hiking now that I tried it in the water.  I did not like the way the hood came over my face when I fell in.  It took me a minute to figure out how to get it off my face.  Yet, my brother in law loved the sunshirt and wore it with a hat on the SUP - said the hood was his favorite feature!!

Great KOA park with one row of dunes to cross to the ocean beach that depending on your site is only about 5 min walk. The park is well kept with clean bathrooms and showers. The have laundry and a very nice camp store with groceries, camping essentials and gifts. Sites are level with full hookups including cable that worked well. Wifi is marginal but they reported they have equipment on order to improve. We had spot along the dunes with covered patio with picnic table and a fire ring (no barbeques). The beach is wonderful. Great restful destination. We will definitely return.

We stayed for four nights and rented two of the cabins with our family of six with two dogs and a lizard. When we travel, we travel. Cabins were comfortable but they are camping cabins so read the description of what’s included and what you need to pack with you. Located right off NC HWY 12 you are closest to OSV Ramp 55 by the ferry and Pole Road. Camp hosts and staff were friendly and it was a very family oriented atmosphere. Campground was secluded from thru traffic so our son could ride his bike throughout with no concerns. A cool canal runs around the cabins and sites allowing the kids to fish. We’ll be back.

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.