We all love roasting marshmallows over a campfire—and you can often still do that while cabin camping in Stem. The Dyrt is the ultimate place to find cabins for your next outdoor adventure near Stem. Each cabin offers quick access to one or more of Stem's most popular destinations.
This recreation area is part of Falls Lake
Sites are meant for tent/pop-up camping only. No RV or Trailer is accessible.
Located in Wake County 10 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh, William B. Umstead State Park is a cherished retreat from bustling urban life. The park features an extensive network of hiking and multiuse trails, as well as three manmade lakes and their tributaries that are perfect for fishing. Both park entrances offer picnic shelters, and Crabtree Creek offers camping areas. Group camps and the historic Maple Hill Lodge let visitors experience a rustic overnight experience without typical modern camping amenities.
This recreation area is part of B. Everett Jordan Lake
$30 / night
This recreation area is part of John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir
Campground and Cabins: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/staunton-river#cabins_camping
$12 - $25 / night
This recreation area is part of John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir
Lake Gaston RV camping is located in a nicely wooded area on the shores of Lake Gaston, a man-made lake hugging the exterior of a beautiful RV campground in North Carolina. The Gaston Dam forms an inland lake 34 miles long and 1.3 miles across at its widest point, providing more than 350 miles of shoreline to partially access from Lake Gaston camping sites and campground in Littleton, North Carolina. The Lake Gaston RV camping resort offers plenty of fishing, swimming and lazy days in the sun, plus the sites at this RV campground in northern North Carolina offer 30/50 amp service. At Lake Gaston, you'll find a family oriented environment with planned activities and seasonal entertainment. Lake Gaston RV Campground in North Carolina Whether you're planning a retreat for the whole family, a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Lake Gaston RV & Camping Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
Traveler
Spent 4 nights here (during a heat wave, no less) and really enjoyed it. Campsites are large and not right on top of each other, and especially if you can book one of the campsites that are on the water, they really do have beautiful views (see pictures).
Pros:
Kid-friendly. We spent an afternoon at the splash pad, which is a great way to cool off in the summer and free once you're in the park. I never felt unsafe with my kids running around up to the bath-house or the loop, felt very secluded and safe.
Lake is scenic, we saw fireflies at dusk, it was a great setting for a camping trip.
Everything seems pretty well-maintained. Bathrooms are aging but were cleaned at least once a day, it was fine. There is firewood at every bathhouse you can take on the honor system and pay for via cashbox, which is nice. Campsites are clean and well-maintained.
Lots of lake recreation options (boat rental, fishing, etc.) in or near the park.
Cons:
Maybe it was just our campsite, which backed up to a large wooded area, but they were the most aggressive squirrels I've ever come across. If we went to the bathroom for five minutes and left food on the table, the squirrels would be there eating it when we came back. And would hover at the edge of the campsite or get into the car if the hatchback was open.
Camp store is....fine, pretty minimal in terms of provisions. But not a big deal because Clarksville is five minutes or so away and has plenty of stores.
Tents pads are all gravel. Didn't bother us but definitely would not want to tent camp here if you didn't have a good high-quality sleeping pad.
The biggest con was that there is no swimming area/beach in the park. You can try to wade in from the campsite but that generally requires scaling up/down some fairly treacherous rocks, and navigating driftwood and rocks in the water. We drove a few minutes away outside the park to find one, but would be really nice to have some kind of little swimming area inside the park, very strange to me they don't have one.
But all in all a lovely place for a camping trip, we all had a great time.
Traveler
Overall a great place! I tent camped and it’s really nice being right on the water. Nice to fish right from your campsite. Staff is friendly and the store was nice for last minute things. Bath houses were nice and clean but are definitely a decent uphill walk away.
Traveler
This was our very first full-time RV park. We loved being in the park and it easily accommodated our 39ft. Class A. Back-in site but with plenty of room to do so. Each site has water and electric hook-up. Sewer however is a dump station. The sites are big with a picnic table, fire pit and lantern hook. Plenty to do here with the lake at your fingertips. Great first experience.
Guide
This place is relatively small, but surrounds a small lake. Sites are close together, but everyone is respectful. Bathrooms leave something to be desired, and there is no family bathroom, but otherwise decent and the water is hot. With a little work this place could be great.
Guide
Wet
TravelerLoop C site 19 is a great location. It’s flat with a few good locations off the gravel for tents. Good trees for hammocks are present. There’s no other site within a couple hundred yards to the east. East access to the lake shore and plenty of woods for kids to play in. The bathhouse is a short walk away.
Guide
Rv sites are really nice and not on top of each other. Some are close to the water. Lots of clearly marked hiking trails, 3 playgrounds, Frisbee golf and horshoe pits. Really preety and lots of boat docks. Staff are super nice. The only negative is the state of the showers and bathrooms. They are in need of a lot of repair. Heater in the showers and bathrooms didn't work. Water was hot though. Overall, this place is really good for the price. With good restrooms, this place easily be double the nightly rate.
GuideGreat place. Plenty of shade and view of Lake Jordan. Restrooms were clean.
Guide
This park was beautiful and amazing. The views were phenomenal. We were water front. Bath houses super clean and staff very friendly.
Ranger
The campground needs some updating- there’s only one bathhouse with just 2 showers- if the campground would’ve been full, it would’ve been miserable. Also only one dumpster and it’s on the way out of the campground. BUT it’s a designated dark sky park & the stars were amazing. They also lend out telescopes. They also have nice walking trails & if you like to paddle, the river is nice & flat. There is little to no cell service.
RangerThese sites are mostly reservable on the state website, there are many of these campgrounds within the Kerr Lake State Rec Area. 8 in total i believe, we have visited 2 so far, but plan to visit them all. Bullocksville, has Electric and non electric sites, for the most part, the electric sites are more level and developed. We do notice some non electric good sites, but many of those are hillside sloped to the lake. When on site to reserve if you check amenties, it gives you many details, level, length, width, tent pads, etc. so just pay attention to those things and you should be able to book a wonderful campsite in a pretty lakefront campground. Great hot showers, sandy beach area here, boat ramp and launch. Paved roads around campground loop with nice gravel lots on many. We stayed on site 34, 80 feet long, level gravel site, squared gravel picnic area off to side attached to back in site. Picnic table all on mostly shaded site. It was about as close to the bathouse as you could be and while not lake front, it had nice lake view. Many nice sites right on the lake however. We booked the day of our stay, so many where reserved for the up coming weekend.
LegendLocated 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!
ScoutNice well kept park and campgrounds. Most of the sites looked pretty level. Sites in B are small and mostly have deep drop offs beyond the railroad ties. Sites are a little more spread out in C but still pretty small. But plenty of oversite parking. Both campgrounds very wooded. Beware there are LOTS of squirrels and not too afraid of humans. If you have dogs like we do that hate squirrels they drove them nuts- squirrels running around in our campsite and up trees in our campsite. And while walking around. They also climbed on a small table right next to the rv door and shredded my paper towels! Lots of areas to walk. Campground C had only two clean bath houses with only two toilets and two showers. Which I imagine with the many no hookup sites could get pretty busy.
RangerJust stopped for one day/night on the way through, and I am amazed with this place. All three loops have great sites. Our site is fantastic, really large and overlooking the lake. The path to the fishing dock goes right by our site, giving great access to the lake. Cool rocks along the lake to climb on and swim off of. There are nice trails winding through the campground, a large sandy beach, and several playgrounds. Lots to do and very serene.
LegendThis is a pretty standard campground. Sites are extremely close together and campground is kind of tiny. One bathhouse for the whole campground. This park would probably appeal to equestrians, boaters, and RVers over tent campers. Unfortunately the promixity of other campers was stressful this weekend because of the screaming family right next to us. River views are nice. Probably won’t return.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Freedom Hill Resort is a converted old prison grounds that is now accepting campers. Check out this new campground and make sure to post a review on the Dyrt with some photos of your trip.
GuideWe stayed in a tent, and enjoyed the quiet and the bird, but especially the skies. This is part of the International Dark Sky Association. We brought stargazing folding chairs (Nemo Stargaze Luxury Recliner, find on Amazon, et al) and binoculars. The campground will loan very easy-to-use telescopes, too! That was really cool. It was clean and quiet. The camp host was very nice as were the rangers and the Park Manager.
They have public star parties there, so check with the park on when they are.
Guide25 ft motorhome fit nicely into
Site, very wooded nice and peaceful, showers clean and within walking distance
LegendI camped at this campsite in the fall last year and the colors as I drove in from the main road were stunning. Very clean and well maintained campsite, with lake front sites. There were spots for tents and longer ones for large rigs. There were also Yurts to rent to stay as well. Clean bathroom facilities. I fishing from my kayak and had a very relaxing stay here.
Legend
Ashley with The Dyrt! We're happy to welcome your host, Melissa to our platform. Miles of mountain bike trails within 30 minutes of the property. A great basecamp after a day of adventuring. Check them out and leave them some love.
GuideSites are decent size and somewhat spaced out. Planes can be a distraction if you’re not used to the sounds, but the biggest distraction is the noise from other campers. Super popular spot for young families which is cool, but there’s little to no quiet time.
Guide
Stayed here for a quick overnight during the NC RV Show. Easy setup and check in. They let us in a couple hours early which was great. Bathroom facilities were a little questionable at times. We had toilets that constantly weren’t flushed and one that even spilled all over the floor and my feet. Hot water but the toilets just left me a little meh.
The lake is great, roped off area for swimming with a great little sandy beach area next to a playground and toilets.
Scout
We stayed for BRRF nearby. The site was big and good for the short amount of time we spent in it. Down sides were the grill and picnic table were on opposite sides of the space and the closest bathrooms were locked for a couple days.
GuideNice park. Huge lake. Peaceful fishing. Enjoyed the hikes. History is interesting.
TravelerWent tent camping here. Employees are friendly and they have a small shop on site. Bathrooms were clean but had to drive to them from the tent sites. Luckily they have a set of porta potties closer to the sites for easy use. The tent only sites are on the water so the view is pretty, but not private. The picnic tables and fire rings are at the bottom of hill so when it rained, water ran down the hill and it became very muddy where we eat. My kids were able to play in the water and we could fish right from our site which was the best part. Another plus is they pick up trash right from your site.
Guide/wo areas to camp B is small and sedate with clean bath house. Camp host was the best Camp C is larger and some sites are close to the water. No camp store.
TravelerWe decided to check out this park and really loved it. We like quiet site and the person helping my husband on the phone did a great job suggesting such a site. We had easy access to the lake from our camper where we did some kayaking. Priced extremely reasonable. If you have to have cell phone service it is very spotty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Stem, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Stem, NC is Rolling View — Falls Lake State Recreation Area with a 4.6-star rating from 30 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Stem, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 cabin camping locations near Stem, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
