Best Cabin Camping near Richlands, NC

New Bern is a really wonderful little town on the coast of NC and this KOA is close to all the action. I really enjoyed our stay and the local town. We stayed in a camping cabin that overlooked the little pond area. The bathrooms were nice and clean and cabins were nicely appointed.

I have camped in this state park several times, including with the Boy Scouts. Other than the park itself, I really enjoyed the camaraderie when our Scout troop and another Scout troop that was camping were playing“Capture the Flag.” I say all of this because it is a great place for group camping. However, it also has conventional camping and cabins. When I first started camping at Cliffs of the Neuse, it did not have more than a mile of trails. Now it has added some more trails. It also did not have showers or cabins in times past. This park has improved significantly over the years and now has showers that are frequently maintained. One of the things you have to be aware of is that this park is sandy, so when you are camping, you will probably want to put some kind of rug in front of your tent or RV to minimize the amount of sand that you track in. Don’t think choosing another site will move you away from the sand. It won’t. Another thing you have to be aware of is that in eastern North Carolina, fire ants can be a huge problem. Some of the trails are easy, but the Spanish Moss Trail is quite steep in some places. Also, the Galax trail is almost always flooded during the spring or after a series of rains. There is a lake for swimming and a large picnic shelter. On weekends, it is not unusual for there to be lots of people at the picnic shelters, so you will have to reserve them. The sites have picnic tables and fire pits as well. This is a great park for swimming and boating, but the hiking is limited. If I am not mistaken, the total length of trails is fewer three miles. However, the main attraction is the view over the Neuse River and the new visitor’s center. Even with limited trails, it is still a great park for relaxing.

I think this is only the third time I have stayed at a cabin at a campground, and it was all right but I like tent camping better. Because of the intense heat and health concerns, we chose to stay in a cabin here. I wish I had taken more pictures of the campground, but my buddy(seen in the photos) and I are photographers who look for scenes of beauty. It’s not that the campground was not“pretty,” but when you are this close to New Bern, there are better things to photograph. There’s Tryon Palace, Union Point Park, the historic Confederate cemetery, the fireman’s museum, the Pepsi Cola museum(New Bern is where Pepsi was born), etc. The New Bern KOA is perfect in every way. The sites are large with full hookups, Wi-Fi, cable TV, etc. It has all the amenities of a top notch campground that you would expect from KOA. I have stayed at several KOA campgrounds, and they all seem to have the oversized chess; and I have never seen anyone playing it with seriousness. They have two pools, a pavilion, a bouncer… and I could go on and on. IF you want to spend your time at the campground, there is so much to do that you don’t need to go anywhere else… HOWEVER… Did I mention New Bern and Tryon Palace? You can’t come this close to New Bern and not go to Tryon Palace. The campground is located on the shores of the confluence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers. Since they join here, you seem as if you are closer to the ocean. It looks more like a bay. There is a really nice pier at the campground beach for fishing, and the KOA here has outdoor boat rentals. There is also horseshoes, pedal bike rentals… Did I mention there is also New Bern and Tryon Palace? Seriously, the New Bern KOA is about the best campground at which I have stayed, but my buddy had never been to New Bern. There was more to see. If you go, make sure to make reservations. New Bern is a historic town with lots of vacationers during the summer. Looking for something to eat? My favorite place to eat in New Bern was Captain Ratty’s, which has great clam chowder. However, New Bern has lots of other great places to eat as well. The downtown area is also a great area for shopping. Back to the campground… the first time I stayed at the New Bern KOA was over thirty years ago, but it has grown in size and amenities. Now, it is more like a resort than a simple campground.

Very nice state park with rv and tent sites. They have electric and water hookups. There are picnic tables and fire rings at each site. Firewood is available from the ranger. There are showers and toilets also. Many hiking trails with cliff overlook of the Nuese River. There is a swimming area and Connor rental also.

I hesitate to give it five stars because of my particular campsite. It was difficult to get into because of the trees, especially since I had a full sized truck. I had to back up, pull forward, back up, pull forward, etc., the first time I pulled in. I love trees, but taking one out would be a lot better for the campsite where I was. 

With that said, the campsite did have many good things going for it. It had a sheltered picnic table with a light, a charging station, and power outlets. However, if you are planning to run a cord between the power outlet and your tent on the tent pad, you need something long than twenty-five feet. I didn’t realize how far away the power was going to be, so I had to go to a store in town to get another extension cord. The site is sandy and level. The tent pad was also sandy and fairly level. If you are going to set up a tent on the tent pad, I suggest making sure it is not too big of a tent. My 8’ x 7’ tent fit, but larger tents may have a problem if there are tie-outs. 

Another problem with my tent site is that it was so close to the bath house, which may not seem to be a problem to most. However, the lights on the bath house are on all night, and they light up the area as if it were a ball field. The bath house itself is really nice—one of the cleanest and well-kept bath houses I have used in my camping experiences. They are individual toilet/shower combos and can only be accessed via a code. However, the water pressure in the shower is so weak it would barely wet a frog’s back(slight exaggeration, but it was still VERY disappointingly weak). The bath house is handicap accessible and has a ramp. 

Another problem I experienced was the noise. If it wasn’t the barking dog, it was what sounded like a garbage truck at 4:00 in the morning. There was also road noise from Market Street. 

The reason most people come here is because of its proximity to Wrightsville Beach and other attractions, but there are things to do at the campground. There is a swimming pool, a playground, a beach volleyball court, and more. It also provides information about tours, and I believe it also has kayak rentals. 

Overall, I would recommend this campground, but I believe it is better suited for RV campers rather than tent campers.

The whole place is so very clean: the bathrooms, camping areas, swimming pool area, even the dumpsters area. The grass is very well kept, the roads and signage, well maintained.

Pickleball! And there's the bar/lounge, swimming pool, gym, laundry but most of all, space. You're in the south, so friendly folks who give you all the time in the world is a given. Yes, southern hospitality is palpable here. We're just a few miles from the beach, walking distance to a restaurant and or convenience store; crawling distance to Dales Pub across the road. It's like a KOA here, without the big trikes, lake and boats- but there are a couple ponds where the turtles come and go. Highlights for us; 1.) The laundry will run off an app on your phone. 2.) The pool and patio is truly awesome; we hang there almost every afternoon(weather permitting). 3.) Did I mention pickleball?! Downsides? Well, there is the price, but that's relative. We're getting a$1200.00 monthly rate which makes it do-able. Sometimes, when the winds blow out of the east, every camper smells the sewage treatment plant across the back fence- Check Google maps satellite view. Truth be told, it is rare, only a few days out of the month. The large majority of the time we get the cool coastal breeze. We camped at Oceans RV Resort in a Fifth Wheel.

If you are looking for a friendly, affordable campground, open all year long, then Lake Leamon Family Campground is for you. There are no bells and whistles, but you won’t miss them when staying in this little diamond-in-the-rough campground. The manager, Pops as he is affectionately called by his employees and long-timers, goes out of his way to accommodate everyone’s needs and may even bend your ear with a story or two during your visit. From the massive 50 amp Class A rigs, to the aged or new 30 amp Class C Motorhomes, travel trailers and conversion vans to the die-hard tenters, there’s a spot for everyone. With a bath house sporting lavatories, showers and a laundry room; an arcade room over looking the lovely lake, fire pits and picnic tables, diving platforms, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing and the famous Duplin Winery only nine miles away, this little campground is easy on the wallet and a sight for sore eyes when looking for that campsite you’ll want to come back to again and again!

Jake from the Dyrt here!  Your host Kathrine is an experienced host and is ready to make your next camping trip a memorable one!  There's a spot for everyone, from the onsite camper, to bring your own tent/RV sites, check them out and share some pics from your stay on the Dyrt!

Started the year out on some trails. Had the place almost to myself except for the campers. Very well maintained. River is up, so some areas are flooded but still able to get a few miles in today!

Nice newly renovated shower house . Nice visitors center. Several easy trails. Helpful staff. Firewood available. Love the tall trees, the river, the swim area.

This state park is small, but it does not lack things to do. Unfortunately, the swimming area was closed because of the pandemic. However, the visitor’s center is fairly new and has several historical and geological exhibits. Although there are not a lot of hiking trails, there are enough to make it interesting. I have been to this state park in decades past, and it has changed significantly. The bath house is modern and now has showers. The road is paved, and it seems to have moved into the 21st century. Even though the swimming and boating area is closed, you can hike down to the river for fishing. During the summer, it will be hot, but when I went, the weather wasn’t too bad. The main concerns are mosquitoes and ticks. Overall, I recommend this campground but probably not during the heat of summer.

Stayed here with my family on site 1. Really enjoyed the space between sites and the size of the sites. If you’re looking for some trails to hike this campground has lots to explore.

We were camping on the OBX and needed to escape some awful weather. We found this gem of a campground on The Dyrt. We arrived on a Monday and only a few sites were occupied. The campground is really pretty with large, private sites. We stayed in site 17 and it was spacious and private with lots of trees. The bath house is new and the cleanest we have ever seen. Highly recommend!

We really had a good time exploring this park. Very spacious sites that weren't on top of each other.

First time camping at cliffs of the neuse and it was great. They sell firewood for $7 (cash only at the camp store) and the park staff was friendly. Our spot was shaded by the trees and even had a little path to the bathroom in the brush. We were surprised by two kittens who cautiously watched us from the bushes. Bathrooms were also very clean. Cleanest I might have ever seen at a camp.

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.