Best Equestrian Camping near Spring Lake, NC

This area is such a short drive from the triangle area of North Carolina, yet this park feels quite remote. Like many state parks, this one excels in the services department. 

Bathrooms and showers were clean and comfortable, as were the campsites. 

Each camping loop felt tucked away into its own little neighborhood, and the large campsites offered space so that you aren’t stacked right next to your neighbor.  We camped in the nonelectric loop (we always bring our solar panel) for 3 nights in mid-February and there were very few campers around, but the neighboring loop with electrical hook-up sites were 3/4 full with large rigs. 

Hiking, biking, paddling, are all great things to do during your stay. There is also a boat launch within the park in case power boating or fishing is your thing, but kayaks and canoes can easily launch from the lakeside campsites.  It was a bit too chilly to get on the water in February, so we opted for hiking and biking.

The closest services for gas or a few extra snacks are within 5 minutes of the park.

Located just 30 miles west of Raleigh, Jordan Lake provides 7 different access points throughout this amazing natural preserve.  And while I’m not a kitesurfer or windsurfer, I’m positive that this campground was named for the pretty amazing headwinds that are enjoyed coming off Falls Lake, which Crosswinds Campground @ Jordan Lake SRA sits on. Take my word for it though, this outdoor nature preserve is truly a slice of heaven carved out in some of North Carolina’s finest camping countryside. If you find yourself in the hustle and bustle of nearby Raleigh and looking to get away from the crowds and pavement in exchange for some nicely shaded nature, hiking trails and humble peace & quiet that only God's green nature can offer, then make your way here to Crosswinds Campground, where this heavily wooded forest paradise will embrace you with its inclines, switchbacks and snakelike, swerving road circuits. 

All of the basics are provided in spades – from picnic table, fold-up fire ring / BBQ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice pebble-strewn and long-leaf pine shadowed patch of well-maintained nature that offers pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer Tar Heel sunshine. While there’s a suitable amount of brush between campsites, surprisingly, it’s the steep inclines and declines between each site that makes one feel that they are truly in the center of their own private wilderness. The on-site bathroom & shower facilities are just slightly north of passable and only a smidge better than you’d expect from a state-run campground, and so this campground gets its only mediocre marks on this front. But that said, there’s plenty of hiking trails to explore and the on-site rangers are incredibly helpful and positive folks that want to ensure you have a great time, but the best amenity on this property is the access to Lake Jordan itself, where there is a perfectly sectioned off swimming area – complete with life safety vests resting on hooks near the shore - as well as boat launching areas for those that want to fish or simply drop a kayak or canoe in the water and take enjoy a lakeside cruise. 

Insider’s tips? Here's a bundle: (1) Be sure to get down to the lake from wherever your campsite is just after sunset and bring a couple of folding chairs and a telescope (pre-planning here is needed!) to catch a glimpse of one of the most amazing star-studded night skies you’ve ever seen in your life!; (2) While IMHO there are no bad sites per se here, certainly there are some that are better than others, amongst which, I would highly recommend those that are closer to the tree fall lines as well as those that place you closest to either lakeside or lake view.  With 3 loops to choose from (A, B & C), I recommend the following sites: Loop A - #18-19; #21-22; and #44-47; Loop B - #33, #36, #37, #39, #40,#43; Loop C - #19, #21, #23, #24, #26, #32, #34, #36, #40, #42; (3) If you have a boat, you may want to consider calling ahead of time, while you are reserving your campsite and reserve a boat slip - we just thought that they would be readily available, but as it turns out, there's quite a few daytime boaters that don't camp here and are simply looking for a slip to occupy for the day, so plan ahead!; (4) SUPER INSIDER SECRET: there's a little pathway next to site #32 that will lead you to a hidden beachhead where all the cool kids hang out and party; (5) The showers are pretty annoying in that they are regulated by body movement - so as a hack, we applied duct tape and VOILA! the hot water stayed on the whole time! (but remove when you are done or the water won't stop running!); and (6) When you grow tired or anxious after digging through what remains of your Cordova cooler and / or want to sample some local fare, be prepared to drive a short distance (20 minutes or so) back to Apex, where I would recommend The Peak on Salem that serves up some pretty mean Caribbean conch & shrimp fritters as well as some very nice seafood entrees like NC clam bucatini or sweet tea ginger whiskey braised beef short rib.

Happy Camping!

This is a pretty nice campground, similar to other state parks in North Carolina. The sites are spacious, we stayed at a double site that allowed up to 4 cars. The site was level and stayed dry during the heavy rain, however we saw other sites that had big puddles, with tents in the water. The bathrooms were cleaned regularly, but they were not very nice. The shower didn't look good at all, we didn't use it.

A great things about the campground is that it has its own kayak/canoe ramp, just a few minutes drive from the site. We saw people fishing from the ramp as well. On our morning paddle we saw a couple of bald eagles, they were amazing. We stayed at the campsite after heavy rains, so the beach was closed. It must be nice when not flooded.

This is a state campground, so alcohol is not allowed.

Not everyone's idea of a great camping experience involves being completely surrounded by farm animals on an actual working ranch - so if the thought of this bothers you, then stop reading this review and mosey on to another campground. For my entire family, we absolutely loved the cows, horses, donkeys, chickens, guinea hens, ducks, turkey, cats, dogs and other animals we came across during our stay. In fact, our daughters thought the farm animals were the best part of our camping trip!

As for Double L Farms Campground itself, this place is located outside of Lumberton and just a 20 minute or so drive from the heavy trafficked I95 highway corridor, but here at Double L, you'll feel a million miles away from the hectic realities of urban life. The campground is fairly modest in size and has only enough space for a couple dozen RVers / tent campers, but I don't really get the feeling that you'll ever have a problem finding a spot here, so it's up to you whether you want to make a reservation by calling ahead or just 'wing it.' The hosts, Brian & Lisa, were easily some of the best campground hosts we've ever had and they definitely make this experience a 5 star encounter as the duo went out of their way to ensure we had everything we needed and even provided recommendations on local spots in the surrounding areas.

From an amenities standpoint, there's a quaint, well-maintained bathhouse with showers and toilets. Inside you'll also discover that the bathhouse is actually multi-purpose and equipped with A/C, washing machine, has WiFi and even a microwave. Of course, there's full RV hook-ups with 30 / 50 electrical amp, sewage and water lines. The best amenity though? The free rooster alarm clock you'll hear around 5:30am every morning! All this for $25 a night? Yeah, it's a very good price for what you get.

Insider's tips? Here's a few: (1) I think the best sites are those located furthest back on the property near the field, where you can gaze up at the stars at night with an unobstructed view, but really, all of the sites are pretty good, so you can't really go wrong with any of the sites; (2) There does appear to be some more permanent residents living in trailers here, but it wasn't that big of a deal and we didn't mind; (3) With 46 acres of farmland, there's plenty to explore and we really enjoyed hiking around the place, but if you want to venture out and try some different locations for hiking, I highly recommend Luther Britt Park where there's some pretty good lakeside hiking trails; (4) For the kiddos, if you need to get away and see something a bit more educational then try out Exploration Station in downtown Lumberton; (5) Should you run out of any supplies or find yourself in need of anything, the closest store is Family Dollar which is just due west of Double L and while no frills, they should have just about everything you need to tied you over in a fix- and if not, head on into Lumberton for many more options; and (6) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or on-board mini-fridge and want to explore some great local fare, then check out The Governor Place for brisket burger and duck fries with alioli or Tony B's Chicken & BBQ for superb brisket where Tuesday is chicken & pastry day (which is pretty much like chicken dumplings).

Happy Camping!