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Located in Gates County 10 miles south of North Carolina's northeastern border with Virginia, Merchants Millpond State Park centers on a 760-acre millpond more than 190 years old. Hiking the surrounding trails or paddling the placid, shallow waters of the pond offer a great way to explore this wetland environment. Old-growth cypress trees adorned with Spanish moss create an "enchanted forest," particularly at Lassiter Swamp. Visitors have even spotted the American alligator here, at the northernmost point of its range.
$15 - $110 / night
Traveler
Plenty of room..showers/bathrooms huge..water NOT at all sites but easy to fill tanks. Some sites close to main road but not a lot of traffic.
Ranger
We went for Valentine's Day weekend. Only a couple of other people were there, and we hardly saw them. We used site 11. I still think it's the best one, it's the largest, right next to the main trail head, & bath house trail right ahead of the site. The bath house was real nice. They had heaters running and they were so toasty, also very clean. Trails were nice too, we used our ebikes on the bike trail.
TravelerOverall amazed at the cleanliness of the campground. The staff is very friendly. The park was very quiet going into the night.
ScoutStayed on Friday and Sat nights at family campground. Bathrooms ok but in need of maintenance. Park clean and well maintained. Biggest issue is the noise. Neighbors played music and were loud until well after midnight. Other neighbor had dog barking all night. Not a great campground for people with young kids like we have. We will be looking for campgrounds with onsite hosts in the future.
LegendIn the middle of nowhere, but it was peaceful and everyone was friendly. The trail system was magical. We hiked early in the am and it was such a therapeutic hike through the forest and swamp. Stayed in our Tepui tent and had a great time.
Traveler
The website tells a much different story than the camp itself. Mostly long term here and they don’t do a great job of making sure the sites aren’t full of junk. Can tell it used to be pretty nice but seems very run down now. A storm hit right after I got here and now I’m sitting in about 8 inches of water! Good for a night if you just need a stop over, but can’t say I’d like to be here any longer than that.
GuideStayed a few nights leading up to Memorial day. Our site was a good size, and tent pad was nice. Lovely shaded site, and large picnic table. Did not have to use our popup shade. Downside were the large gravel throughout the site - tough for small dogs and crawlers. Nice 0.7 walk from the campsite to the visitor center to rent canoes! Just a short drive to some other trails. Enjoyed the Cyprus Point trail which you access at the boat ramp section of the park. If you canoe long enough, you'll come across two alligators who live in the pond.
TravelerThe campsites are great with ample room for privacy, and easily accessible to the restrooms and trails around the pond. The visitor center is fantastic and offers canoe rentals as well as a spot to unload your own canoe or kayak.
I would recommend visiting in the cooler months of spring or fall. In April, the site was probably only 25% occupied and it’s still cool enough not to be bothered by mosquitoes.
Taking a canoe or kayak out to explore the pond and swamps is a must and total unique experience. Turtles, birds, cypress trees, and alligators.
GuideWe tented here and really liked the campground. We stayed in the family campground since we had a vehicle. There are float-in and hike in spots we did not investigate. Our site was clean and separated well. The bathhouse was nice and warm and clean. The rangers were very nice. This has a much better swamp experience than the Great Dismal Swamp.
ScoutGreat staff. Very helpful and keep the park clean. They have firewood at $6.00 a bundle. We went on a sellout weekend but was still pretty quiet
ScoutGreat campground. Very quiet and each tent site is very far from one another. You could have music or a generator going and not disturb your neighbor
Legend
Arrived shortly after 8 pm after a long day's drive. The sun was going down but it wasn't dark yet. The campground office was locked and deserted. No posted instructions about after hours registration, no pay box. Ran into a park ranger who informed me the campground was closed for the evening; as in, would not take my money. Seriously? The campground is behind a gate with a keypad, so no chance of driving in and talking to the camp host. The ranger was kind and apologetic at least.
Drove a little further south and found a nice site at Bells Island Campground. The host there was happy to take my money.
ScoutBath houses were clean & the trails were awesome!
Legend
Great little site right on the river! Short walk to other great river put-in sites for kayaking and swimming. The campground has loaner kayaks 🛶
Cute little bathhouse with flushing toilets. Slightly tricky getting to the site in the dark - just follow the host’s directions really well. We had a great time and bought some homemade wine from the farm store. They also left us drinking water on the picnic table at the site. Beautiful wildflowers all around the property! Want to return in the spring.
ScoutWent for 1 overnight. It was great. The campground was quiet, we were able to fish, and even got out on the kayaks. The host was super friendly and was always there if we needed anything. Definitely coming back, and with more people
ScoutPlenty of things to do for the active camper. Put put golf, kayak, hiking and much more.
ScoutThis is our go-to campground since it’s only a few miles from our house. Great park and nice campground with plenty to do. The only downside is that they don’t have any hook ups and it gets pretty hot in the summer months.
GuideSo we arrived pretty late. Around 7pm because we had a late start. Unfortunately we didn't stay because our site was hike in and I thought I did drive in. So we ended up getting a hotel instead. The staff were very nice and very knowledgeable. I wish we could have stayed. Next year we will definitely be more prepared and will visit this beautiful Campsite again.
GuideSite was shaded, private, and right next to the river, so we had our own private access for swimming and bathing. Plenty of room for several tents and lots of parking space. Plenty of land to walk around and check out the farm.
Bathrooms were very clean and just a short walk from the site. Hosts are friendly and generous, especially with the use of the kayaks. We took kayaks out on the pond and the river and caught lots of fish!
They're building a farm store and allowed us to shop during our stay.
TravelerLove this camp ground. Just love how clean it is. Bathrooms, showers are a big plus. Nice trails and fishing. Will be visiting again.
TravelerI enjoyed my stay at this beautiful park. Couple of suggestions, when I went they were not renting canoes so doing any pre trip planning wasn't easy. The kayak/canoe round was not easy to navigate so bring your 3rd party map/GPS. The maps they provide are almost useless because it outlines the terrain but because it's a swamp the terrain changes with the water level. Islands can appear out of nowhere. The campsite was clean and enjoyable. I would go again.
TravelerA few of my friends and I try to camp every autumn, and this private campground was perfect! The owners were very welcoming and do their best to work diligently to upkeep their farm and all their campers needs.
TravelerA great nights sleep. Lovely setting, shady and quiet. Bathrooms were brand new, showers were clean & HOT. Coin laundry available. They are in the process of adding another bathroom/shower building so only running at half capacity when we visited. Lots of fun activities for families!
TravelerThis park was great but do recognize that is a true swamp. Alligators included. The water there does not move therefore is not recommended for filtering for consumption. The campsights are pretty close together so don't expect privacy on a busy weekend. The scenery is TOP KNOTCH! Absolutely beautiful in the lake which is not well marked due to limited visibility in the swampy environment. Lots of underwater obstructions so use caution. U DO NOT want to end up in that water.
TravelerWhat a great camp! A small family farm with 5 sites around the property. We chose site 2 for our family of three and a dog and it was the perfect size. The hosts were so friendly, and we were able to walk around and see the chicken coop, small lake, and barnyard with goats and geese. The campsites are great (about a 5 min walk apart), with a fire pit, picnic table, trash, and ours had a set up for a hammock. Even with what it looked like every campsite full, it was peaceful and pretty. Our toddler had a blast! They are a working farm so it was fun to have the option to buy eggs, herbs or wine. We picked up a t-shirt on the way out and will be back for the troller :)
GuideMy group and I stayed at the Benett’s creek high ground primitive camp sites 1-3. It was a 4.5 mile paddle to the site, then roughly 1.5 down to the dock with a staged vehicle. The only complaint is the houses near the sites had a dog that barked all night. Super annoying.
ScoutAfter seeing some of the pictures I decided to call them ask how bad all the algae and overgrowth was and was told it was pretty clear. That was not the case, if you don’t plan on paddling with a kayak or maybe a canoe don’t risk it. I was going to take a Jon boat with a trolling motor and there are countless limbs and the overgrowth is terrible you will not make it through. Not the place to consider going if you want to camp out and fish
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near South Mills, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near South Mills, NC is Merchants Millpond State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 23 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near South Mills, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near South Mills, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
