Top Tent Camping near South Mills, NC

Recent Tent Reviews In South Mills

382 Reviews of 3 South Mills Campgrounds

• 

  Valenica A.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area - Park and FamCamp

  Frequent Policing for Black People

  I arrived at the location and, within 10 minutes, police officers showed up to monitor me, despite my behavior being no different from that of others around me. The next morning, I returned and, once again, within 10 minutes, the police were called to watch me. I plan to document these incidents and file a formal complaint, but I want to warn other Black individuals to exercise caution when visiting this place. I'm unsure whether the issue lies with the organization itself or if it's the Bethel campers falsely reporting my actions, but it’s striking that simply walking to decompress has led to repeated police presence. I plan to document each experience, timing my arrival and the police arrival and then look into why I believe I'm being racially profiled. While this isn't blatant racism, it sure aligns with interpersonal racism is much harder to detect if there isn't a pattern and you know how it operates.

• L

  Lawrence L.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 2, 2024

  First Landing State Park

  Good campground, boardwalk to beach needs maintenance.

  Good campground as usual. bathrooms well maintained and cleaned twice a day when we were there. Campsite is right next to the bathroom and has a good amount of shade. Bathrooms had two sinks to clean dishes. Boardwalk nearby to the beach was very convenient, however quite a few boards look like they need replacement. One highlight was watching the school of dolphins from our kayaks, not far from the beach. Never saw that before.

• 

  Christine

  Guide

  

  Aug. 10, 2024

  First Landing State Park

  Right on Chesapeake Bay with Sunset!

  Most of the sites have shade a few do not have any shade. If you do not like traffic noise, stay far away from the main road that the park is located off.

  You can not see the water from any campsite and all sites are a little walk to get to the beach of the bay.

  Light waves on the bay. It has beautiful sunsets with dolphins playing there in the evening.

  We stayed in site 5 which is literally in the bathroom front yard with NO SHADE.

• 

  Stephen B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2024

  Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA

  Nice site by the water

  We stayed here for two nights during our trip along the Outer Banks. We had a great time and enjoyed our stop here. Our site had a great view of the water and we could see the Currituck lighthouse at night. Our boys enjoyed kayaking around the sound and riding their bikes to the playground. It seemed like they are working to add more amenities and upgrades so I’d stay again next time we make it that way. Also, Diggers Dungeon is only a few miles away so if you have kids make sure to stop and let them see the monster trucks.

• M

  Michael D.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 24, 2024

  Virginia Beach KOA

  Amenities but…Traffic Noise!!!

  Great pad sites but sparse vegetation and zero privacy. Road noise was constant and lots of traffic on the beach access highway.

• 

  Clinton R.

  Scout

  

  May. 28, 2024

  Holiday Trav-L-Park

  It's what you make of it.

  This is a wonderful spot if you want to avoid the high dollar hotel stays in Virginia Beach. There are a lot of amenities at this place, however you have to pay for some of the activities. This should be included in the price. The RV spots are not even 20 to 25 ft apart from each other. If that. It seems that this park is more in it for the money than the camping experience. That being said, there are a ton of things to do if you have a young family or just want to be rowdy. Lol. I went during memorial weekend, but I was told it's like this all of the time. The site that I had was very uneven. I had to put a 5-in lift on one side of my travel trailer and drop the tongue nearly to the ground due to the uneven pad to park on. Only room enough for one car. Overall it was a good experience, and you can't help but get to know your neighbors. Lol maybe that's what their plan was. Know your neighbors.

• 

  Bjoern

  Traveler

  

  May. 28, 2024

  Carova sands

  Fantastic adventure

  That was a great experience! Go there only if Greg says it's ok. He knows how demanding it can be to get to his ground if you're not used to driving off-road. You need a 4x4 car. Wonderful five star primitive campground. No water, no toilet. Bring your own. Explore the property, the sound and the sea. We saw deer, wild horses, coyotes, eagles, turtles, dolphins but also mosquitos and ticks. Bring repellent. I will never forget the two days camping. Greg is a great host! Thank you for this incredible experience!

• M

  Michael C.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 24, 2024

  Carova sands

  Incredible beautiful place

  I am so thankful to Greg and Mary for humbly allowing me to stay on their beautiful property. What a unique and incredible place. The wild horses came to visit me daily, bald eagles, osprey...kayaked on the calm waters of the sound..hiked the beach and biked the trails up through false cape state park. Just an incredible opportunity I am so thankful that I was given, and by the nicest of people you can find. And I'll be back one day for those tires Dave! Haha, thanks to everyone that showed me around, a memory to be cherished.

• 

  Eleanor the Airstream R.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 4, 2024

  Little Creek MWR RV Park

  Utilitarian

  Overall, this campground is utilitarian at best. We stayed for five nights in April in a 25' Airstream. It is on a military installation so you need to have access.

  - RV office does not open; if you have any issue, you have to call the reservation line or see the camp host...but there was nothing to mark who the camp host was and they never stopped by.

  - Roads are decrepit with major potholes and in need of repair. The roads and some sites flood when raining. There are two one way roads in, but without a map of the campground available, you don't know which one to turn down in advance.

  - Bathrooms are dated but clean.

  - Dumpster not emptied in timely fashion. It was overflowing the first two days here and people were piling trash around it until it was emptied on a Wed.

  - Full hook up (electric/water/sewer) on sites; some have fire pits, some don't. Also the connection boxes are set back pretty far on the sites, so you need longer hoses/cords. We had a long electric cord that reached and had to add a second water hose and second section of sewer hose to connect. Water pressure was good.

  - Concrete pads and free laundry were nice. Ground around the concrete pads were rutted where folks either parked off the pad or didn't know how to park on it.

  - Free wifi if you sign up for MWR's, but we used our T-Mobile home internet with good connection (4 bars). AT&T on our phones was 1 bar at best.

  - Several small hiking trails nearby on base that were good for walking the dog.

  - Traffic getting off base starting around 1500-1600 is bad, so plan accordingly.

  - Expect to hear aircraft all the time. You get used to it quickly, but can be loud.

  - Seemed like some active duty personnel were staying here, as we saw them leaving in the mornings and coming back at the end of the day in uniform.

  - We didn't find firewood for sale on base and bought some out in town near another campground. 

  - Follow the signs on base to the golf course and keep driving past the driving range to find a small beach on base.

  Not the best look for a military campground, but if you just need a place to park to access the other amenities of the base and area cheaply, this is it.

• B

  Brendan M.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 30, 2024

  First Landing State Park

  Very nice facilities

  Good: Beautiful campground. Very clean facilities and close by. Easy access to water. Close proximity to beach and hiking. 120 - was able to get two RTT on one site.

  Bad: close proximity to other sites. Busy campground in general. Kids running around. Lots of standing water, once bugs start coming out would be a ton of mosquito.

• J

  Joseph H.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 23, 2024

  First Landing State Park

  Great campground but a lot of road noise

  Great campground with nicely shaded sites. If you want quiet and peaceful stick to the spots on the beach side.

• 

  Taylor P.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 17, 2024

  Carova sands

  The best and most unique camping spot!

  I had the privilege of getting to stay on this property for a week while camping and exploring the outdoors in the obx. It was not only beautiful, but felt very safe as well! Greg and his wife Mary were extremely kind! They made an effort to help familiarize myself with the area while checking in and giving tips! I was also lucky enough to see the wild horses at camp & at the beach 3 out of 4 days i was there. This was truly one of the best camping experiences i’ve ever had. If you are ever in the area and craving a unique experience, I recommend reaching out to Greg and considering staying here.

• N

  Natasha L.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 25, 2024

  Carova sands

  Perfect Getaway

  First, Greg is an amazing communicator. He gave great instructions for finding the camp site. Plus, checked in to make sure everything was going ok and gave tips.

  It was such a peaceful location and I even had the privilege of seeing a horse on the grounds on 2 different nights.

  I’m so glad I had a chance to stay here and hope to have the opportunity to visit in warmer weather.

• 

  Charli R.

  Ranger

  

  Feb. 21, 2024

  Merchants Millpond State Park

  Peaceful and quiet

  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.

• J

  Joseph H.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 25, 2023

  Northwest River Park and Campground

  Very clean campground

  Overall amazed at the cleanliness of the campground. The staff is very friendly. The park was very quiet going into the night.

• 

  Connor D.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 5, 2023

  Carova sands

  First camper

  This is a must see spot. It is located right on the sound and the beach. It is located on private property that requires 4 wheel drive capable vehicle to access. You have to drive down the beach to reach this spot. Greg and his wife were extremely friendly and wanted to share the amazing property that they own. They have a dock with access to the sound which I used to explore the sound on my kayak. I recommend giving Greg a call if you want to experience a very unique and amazing camping experience.

• 

  Tyler C.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 10, 2023

  Merchants Millpond State Park

  Ok campground, needs hosts

  Stayed 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.

• 

  Kathleen

  Scout

  

  Oct. 8, 2023

  Rocky Hock Campground

  Beautiful campground with many amenities

  We loved staying here for the weekend! We were the only ones in the tent area underneath beautiful trees. We kayaked in their creek that goes out directly to the Chowan River. Large fishing pond, firewood available, clean shower house, game room and tidy clean sites. Will return!

• G

  Geri B.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 12, 2023

  Cashie River Campground and Treehouse Village

  Quick stopover

  Wooded location with Kayak access to the low country. Water service is inadequate, it’s a water meter box that is in the ground under water itself. Quiet place with clean restrooms.

• K

  Kimberly F.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 11, 2023

  Military Park Langley AFB Bethel Recreation Area - Park and FamCamp

  Great for Families

  We tent camped here over Labor Day weekend as our first family camping trip, and we all had such a good time! Our boys (8, 6, & 4) had so much fun on the big playground and paddle boating. Ask for Bill! He’s awesome and treats everyone like they’re special :)

  The tent sites are clean, closely grouped, and the lights from the bathroom shine on them all night (so bring a sleep mask). But for $10/night with full bathrooms, sink to wash dishes in, and laundry? Worth the lights! Will definitely stay here again.

• L

  Lawrence L.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 9, 2023

  First Landing State Park

  Enjoyed camping here

  Went for Labor Day weekend. Great campsite with good shade. Beach was nice and bay water was good temperature. Plus while Virginia Beach had red flag conditions, we could still swim. Had my crocs stolen at the beach though. Bathrooms next to us were completely renovated and are very nice.

• B

  Ben P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2023

  Virginia Beach RV Resort

  Prices

  I just called and inquired about pricing. I was told that RV spots were $130/night. Not the $30-100

• 

  liz J.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Sandy Bottom Nature Park

  A great place to hike and camp if you can't get out of the area

  The park is centrally located with easy highway access.  Plentiful parking, lots of trails to choose from.  The staff was top notch and super kind and helpful.  They were very insistent about the "no alcohol" rule.    

  Sites are first come, first served.  Must reserve in person.  Visitor's center is open 9-6.  

  The sites were located about 1/4 mile from the parking lot down a trail.  They were spaced nicely apart and had nice sand tent platforms with a picnic table and a fire ring with a grate.  Trash cans were very close by, which was super nice.  The bathrooms were flush toilets and running water faucets and located behind the parking lot, so a bit of a hike in the dark if you need to go.  Other than that, expect no amenities.  Bugs weren't terrible but were present.  Definitely bring bug spray.  

  The biggest negative was that no matter where you were in the park, there was significant noise from the highway.  Horns honking, sirens blaring, the general rush of cars going by.  There is no sound barrier between 64 and the park so every noise just filters right through the trees.  Not anyone's fault, but definitely a downside.  

  Overall when you consider the dirt cheap price of 10.60 per night, this campground delivers as advertised.

• M

  Maddy G.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 4, 2023

  First Landing State Park

  sweet people, less then ideal area

  If you are looking for a beach day in virginia beach but don’t want to spend ridiculous money on a hotel then it’s perfect!

  Now for the down sides…… there is an air port like 8-10 minutes away which means constant fighter jets passing over the camp from like 4-10. It’s a very busy camp ground so there’s not a lot of privacy BUT people are respectful of quiet hours. Then at about 8 am the base starts doing their morning wake up songs which will wake you up…

• 

  beka S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 31, 2023

  Holiday Trav-L-Park

  Fantastic family vacay spot

  Just spent 5 days here and loved it. Wish we had stayed longer. They have 4 pools, lots of old shade trees that provide nice screen during the hot summer, fun activities, and a parking lot near the beach for easy access that was clutch! We are already planning on coming back next year.

• T

  Tom P.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 21, 2023

  Outer Banks West - Currituck Sound KOA

  Waterview

  Paid for a water view spot, got a spot obscured by trees. Internet kept cutting out TV last night. Other than that it has been ok so far.

• S

  Stephanie F.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2023

  North Landing Beach

  Favorite Campground

  We love this place. They are always hosting activities, there's a beach and a pool, playground, movie nights, pizza and ice cream shop. We stay here multiple times a year.