The best EQUESTRIAN camping near
Spencer , NORTH CAROLINA

We only stayed for 1 night as we were passing through, but we plan to return one day.

Positives are it’s a newer campground, nice and shaded, full hookups (w,e,s), lots were wide, Easy to get in and out of, plenty to do within the park (hiking, fishing, kayak/canoe, etc), has a nice dog park, hosts were very welcoming and kind, VERY clean.

Negatives are unlevel lots (we had to lower ours by over 4” and still weren’t level, but couldn’t adjust anymore), sites aren’t exactly private - but there was a bit of space between sites.

The tent sites nice and clean and level. The host drove through many many times in the 3 days I was there. Bathrooms are what you can expect from a state park clean with little bugs here and there but nothing you can do about that in the middle of the woods. Overall great place good four-wheeling and nice accommodations

Canebrake Horse Camp has 28 sites with parking spurs for horse trailers. Four of these sites are double camp sites. Each site has a picnic table, grill, fire ring, lantern post, tie posts, tack tables, and electrical hookups. Up to two vehicles are allowed at each site.

Morrow Mountain State Park is a family camping ground for all ages and has an in ground swimming pool plus a boat launch.  I enjoyed tent camping with my family and fishing on the lake.  There is a large public swimming pool and each camping area has toilet and shower facilities.  You can burn fire wood in pits and there are grills for charcoaling BBQs.  The highlight to a early morning wake up are having deer walking through your camping site.  There was a loud whipperwill sounding off with echoes coming from the hillsides.  It is a first come first serve and there is a small fee collected by a Park Ranger.  

We hit this campground right at the perfect time of year, BEFORE the opening day of off-road vehicle season in April.  When National Forests post on their signs “Land of Many Uses,” I get it; there’s a lot of stuff people like to do in the woods. I have a lot on my list, but OHVing really ain't our thing.

If it is your thing, then by all means come on down, cuz this place is made for it. There are trails for days within these stunning mountains that serve as the foothills for the Appalachians. Horse trail riding is second on the list of activities within the park judging by the number of trails. Sharing these trails with horses isn’t difficult if you’re just hiking, but remember to be kind to those riders since horses can be skittish. Mountain biking is also not to be left off the list, and there are some great trails through here as well, that you don’t have to share with the motorized enthusiast. 

The campground is a quaint, and only $5 per night!  With only 6 sites and what appears to be an over-sized parking lot right next to it, the lot accommodates the OHV trailers. The campsites are rustic, grassy and comfortable, though no privacy in between.  Most sites are a short walk from the parking lot, so you might have to do a little bit of schlepping, but not much. The campground had a couple spigots and the pit toilets were clean.  We also found the campground itself very clean, but it was still early in the year and we were the only campers in the area in early March. The hunt camp is closer to the OHV trails than some other campgrounds in the forest so I suspect during the season this is a popular place to bring the side-by-side. 

There is a small convenience store in Uwharrie, offering sandwiches and made-to-order food, but not much in the way of groceries. Another 10 miles and you’ll be in Troy which has a bigger grocery store, and restaurants.

A great historic piece of Central NC. Plenary of water activities, hiking, and sightseeing in the area. Nestled up to the Uwharrie National Forest and Albemarle. Plenary of camp sites and home to a Native American mining operation. Within a short drive there is Town Creek Indian Mound that you can visit as well. Badin Lake is nearby as well.

Great place to camp! Quite, clean campground

Morrow Mountain is a favorite destination for our family. We have been going for 20+ years. Trails, water, old homestead, just a great place

Uwharrie National Forest-Arrowhead Campground

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48934 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5368418.pdf 

Uwharrie National Forest is fairly vast, but several camping areas are located in one general area. Equestrian campgrounds, hunting camps and then Arrowhead and Badin Lake campgrounds, along with the boat launch area. Arrowhead Campground has had a bigger budget compared to its lesser sibling Badin Lake Campground. 

Campground roadways are paved, as well as the campsite parking pads, The restrooms are newer, larger and offer paved parking for users. 

Sites are reasonably large and offer a picnic table, firepit, charcoal grill and metal hanging pole for lanterns, etc. some foliage exists between Campsites, but you still have a visual of your neighbors. 

It appeared during my visit that most users were off-roaders with either 4x4’s or quads. The onsite host advised that it is very popular with the off-road enthusiasts. Enclosed and flatbed trailers filled most of the sites. 

Caution: During hunting season, the National Forest is open to hunters…wear brightly colored or hunter orange clothing especially dawn and dusk.

Reserve well in advance if you desire a site…these campgrounds fill quickly. 

Arrowhead also offers an inner-campground paved walk/bike/stroller trail…and the drive down to the boat launch(which has a fairly sizable paved parking lot and latrines). You can also pick up the lake loop trail by the Boat Ramp.

Being located so closely to the Raleigh/Durham area…and the Fayettville area…I can see this being filled to capacity most days and definitely weekends. Mid-week it was filled.

Along the Uwharrie trail. Water available on both sides of camp / trail.