Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Greenville, NC

We have been here from early September thru February. Phenomenal place for short term and long term stays. We are full time RV’ers and we usually move on after a few months. But, this place has been a joy. Staff has been exceptionally accommodating and are on top of keeping this park the gem that it is. Monthly rates are great.

There are miles of waling trails around the farms and through the on-site forests. They are directly across the street from the “Deadwood Smokehouse grill”. Deadwood is open Thursday thru Sunday. Good food and lots of activities for kids, playground, miniature railroad with seasonal themes. About 15 minutes to Williamston NC, with plenty of shopping (-Walmart, Food Lion Piggly Wiggly, Tractor Supply).

On-site store with minimal supplies, LP on site, full hookup w/ 20/30/50 amp service, water and sewer, laundry room and shower facilities. 4 out of seven nights expect a kaleidoscope effect sunset. Absolutely amazing.

Currently livestock include a brood mare and colt. We have been feeding them apples and carrots with the owners permission. The campground is about 40 minutes from Greenville and 30 Minutes to Washington. Both Greenville and Washington have several large RV dealerships with plenty of parts and supplies. A Camping World is in Greenville on Red Banks Rd. From here you are about an hour and a half to the Outer Banks.

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.

We found Dixon Landing in their initial opening phase and it is lightly booked at this point (they even have openings for the upcoming summer holidays). This is a very secluded campground right on the wide Goose Creek/Neuse River, with access to the ocean varying from 25-50 miles. 

Every RV site is pull-through with both “waterfront” and “water view” (more of a view of the marsh along the river) sites. Site layout is long, very wide(you have to actually walk over to talk to neighbors) and mostly level side-to-side. Front-to-back was easily compensated with blocks. The road in and the sites are a combination of compacted sand and grass that drained well after a storm. Many sites have shade or afternoon shade. The electric pedestal was new and tall, making it easy to connect the surge protector, and topped with a solar light. 

Hosts Steve and Joan were themselves RV’rs and park details reflect their experience. Since they are in their opening season they currently offer basic services with electric/water, a dump site(no water) and free on-site pump-out service, picnic tables, firepits, a dog park, kayaks, and a fishing pond for kids(C&R). More services are in the planning or permitting stage. Today they offer a bathroom and just got permits for the full bathhouse. Fiber-optic cable should be run to their area this year. We were amazed at how many TV channels we picked up just on antennae. Verizon, ATT and Sprint service are known to be good. They will have an ice machine, laundry, and a pier eventually. 

Today you will go to enjoy the absolute quiet, waking up to sunrise glinting off the wide river in every window, fishing from the banks, land and sea wildlife, gorgeous sunsets over the river, and hearing whip-or-wills serenade after sunset. 

It was about 90 minutes (including 2 ferry rides) to reach the Cape Lookout National Park and lighthouse.  The ferry dropped us off for 2 hours to walk the beach, hike and view the wild horses on Harker’s Island. Gary’s, the local seafood restaurant, was a find! So good we ate there twice. I’m already looking at the calendar to go back.

This was my first visit, I plan on going back so I will update as I learn more about this site. There are RV and primativr sites. They are literally right next to each other. The RV sites have power and water hookups, fire pit, and picnic table at each site. The RV sited are also numbered. The primitive sites are not so well kept. They are not clearly marked and no dedicated fire pits. There is a little highway noise pollution, but not terrible. There is a free onsite dumpster. Fires are allowed. I had alcohol one night without any hassle. Showers/restrooms available on site are free. You pay by the day (in cash or check) at the Nature Center (during banking hours Mon-Thurs I believe). Prices are fair ($10 primitive site and $20 RV site). Campsite is riverfront (keep in mind for the bugs). I didn't see or hear much wildlife aside from an owl, a rat snake, and one good sized spider. Campgrounds are pretty clean. There is a large communal fire pit with plenty of seating and little private-ish decks overlooking the river. There is free wifi. Multiple people had their pets with them. Good cell phone reception with Verizon.

This campground is out in the middle of a farming community miles away from the nearest large city. Decades ago, it was a popular destination for folks for miles around. There was a store and a mill, but more importantly, it was a social gathering place. We took our Cub Scouts there to camp and to have ceremonies a few times. The worst thing about this campground that I have found is that there are venomous snakes that come from the millpond. As far as activities, it does have a swimming pool and a trail or two to explore; but the main attraction is the fishing. Fast forward to the present. A previous owner turned the campground into a cat rescue, and in the past, I have seen dozens and dozens of cats around the campground, sometimes gathered together as the owner is feeding them. This time I only saw five. With that said, you have to watch out for cat droppings. Because of several hurricanes coming through, the pond has washed over the banks a few times, and the dam has broken on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, the dam is still broken and is in need of repair. The millpond is the main attraction for this campground, but with the pond being completely drained, you cannot fish in it or boat on it until it is repaired. In the past, most people launched their own boats instead of renting them, and since it is a millpond, there were lots of places to fish among the cypress trees and stumps. You could see plenty of turtles and geese. There was a peaceful beauty there. My favorite part about the campground is taking pictures of the old mill and store, although it has deteriorated and has“no trespassing” signs. There was once a dock for fishing, but that has also deteriorated and has“no trespassing” signs. The campground did have a store that sold live bait, but with the pond drained, there is no need for it to be in business anymore. Most of the people at the campground are seasonal or permanent residents. The campground has RV sites with cable/internet connections, an in ground pool, a fishing pier, and a pavilion for gatherings. Even with it needing a lot of work and updating, it is a place where you can camp without the sounds of traffic all night long. At night, you could hear owls, geese, and frogs, but this time, it was quiet since the geese aren’t around anymore. The campsite was a little soft because of all the rain, so staying in the back of my SUV seemed like a better option. During the day, you will hear an occasional piece of farm machinery since it is surrounded by farms. Overall, it’s a good place to camp if you just want to get away from the sounds of traffic, and the owner was very nice. As I talked to her, she said she was trying to get help from the federal government to get the dam/embankment fixed so the pond can fill up again. I would like to go back there when the pond is back to its normal level.

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.

Goose Creek State Park campground is one of the newer state parks in North Carolina. The RV part of the park has a great layout with large sites. The park is very flat with full hookups and a large patio/picnic area. They also have cabins.

We stayed at one of the full hook up RV sites with our Riverside Retro 199FKS and it actually looked small in the site. We had more than enough room.

You are far enough away from Washington, NC that you don't get great cell coverage so, it is almost like going off the grid. I think I had service if I sat outside with my left leg propped up (just kidding). 

Since this park is so new, there are not many trees or vegetation to provide privacy between sites. I think this park will be great once the plants grow in - don't skip for this reason - still go, just know that you won't have a lot of privacy.

This place is a gem of a state park!!!!

Since it's not right next to the coast it's relatively quiet and not crowded. I went here on the tail end of a mid September weekend and found the entire campground to myself! That is unheard of on the West Coast! There is a beautiful sound access.

This is boutique car camping! There are only 14 camping spots all nicely spaced from each other and in a wooded location. Sites 11-14 are around a little peninsula on the sound so all have some water view. There are a handful of water spouts around the campground, and each site has a parking spot, campsite, table and a lamp hanger. The lamp hanger took me a while to figure out since we don't have these on the west coast it is a suspended hook that looks a bit medieval on first glance.

Bring your paddle boards or canoe to float around the sound. There is a great outline of a 3 mile canoe trail mapped out by the put in. (see my photos)

Ohhhh and it goes without saying near the North Carolina sound BRING BUG SPRAY. This is serious deet country.