Wake Forest, NC is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that North Carolina camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Wake Forest, NC. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
This recreation area is part of Falls Lake
This recreation area is part of B. Everett Jordan Lake
Sites are meant for tent/pop-up camping only. No RV or Trailer is accessible.
Please note: Campground closes for the N.C. State Fair in October.
$30 / night
This recreation area is part of B. Everett Jordan Lake
$30 / night
$10 - $32 / night
Located in Durham and Wake counties 15 miles east of downtown Durham, Falls Lake State Recreation Area provides seven access areas to the reservoir. More than 300 campsites offer a variety of overnight experiences. Trails include a portion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, as well as one of the premier mountain bike trail systems in the Triangle area, located at Beaverdam access. During the spring and fall, migrating monarch butterflies add to the picturesque beauty of the lake.
Not every access has all the listed facilities. Please check the General Information page to view a table of the facilities at each access: https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/falls-lake-state-recreation-area/plan-your-visit
$25 - $35 / night
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: https://www.campendium.com/camping/boondocking-101/
Sites are meant for tent/pop-up camping only. No RV or Trailer is accessible.
Please note: Campground closes for the N.C. State Fair in October.
$30 / night
$30 / night
Located in Durham and Wake counties 15 miles east of downtown Durham, Falls Lake State Recreation Area provides seven access areas to the reservoir. More than 300 campsites offer a variety of overnight experiences. Trails include a portion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, as well as one of the premier mountain bike trail systems in the Triangle area, located at Beaverdam access. During the spring and fall, migrating monarch butterflies add to the picturesque beauty of the lake.
Not every access has all the listed facilities. Please check the General Information page to view a table of the facilities at each access: https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/falls-lake-state-recreation-area/plan-your-visit
$25 - $35 / night
Scout
My dog Indy and I spent a night here just to try it out and it was the perfect spot. The site is #64 and there's water access right next to the pad. We will definitely be back.
Traveler
Weather was perfect for near the end of August. I camped in loop A. Many of the sites in A are not very level for vans. A23 was okay, but I would check the site description next time to be sure.
Scout
We’ve stayed at Jones Station many times since it opened 10 years ago. Kay, the owner, is just wonderful and Dave and April are both friendly and helpful.
This is absolutely the nicest privately owned RV Park we’ve visited anywhere in the country. It’s immaculately maintained, the spaces are large, and many of them are shaded.
If you’re visiting the Triad or Triangle areas of NC, this park is a great place to stay.
ScoutBeautiful space with nice facilities!
Just be sure to avoid the crotchety old dweeb riding around in his golf cart. I assume he’s the owner, but that doesn’t excuse his cringe and rude behavior to people patronizing his business.
Traveler
The sites are level, not much shade. Garbage cans everywhere. Convenient to get into and out of with full hookup. There are no amenities at all but security drives around. Felt safe. Across from stadium. Price is worth the value.
Traveler
The state park has excellent hiking trails and the RV park is located in an excellent location to use them.
The sites are huge, level, and clean. The bathhouse is clean and modern. While there aren’t many recreational amenities besides the hiking, the price makes this park an excellent value.
Legend
If you find yourself in the hustle and bustle of nearby Raleigh and are looking to get away from the crowds and pavement in exchange for some nice shaded nature, hiking trails and calm, peace& quiet that only nature can offer, then make your way here to Shinleaf@ Falls Lake SRA. You’ll discover all of the basics are provided– from picnic table, fold-up fire ring/ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice pebble-strewn patch of well-maintained flat pitch, perfect for striking camp for the night in your tent amongst the best of what nature has to offer along with pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer North Carolina sunshine.
The only real down-side I could find to Shinleaf is that there’s not a whole lot of brush between the campsites so you will be exposed to neighboring sites, which wasn’t a problem when we visited as the place was fairly vacant, but during high season, I could see how this would be a bit of a turn-off. The on-site facilities(limited to just bathrooms& showers) are typically better than you’d expect from a state-run campground, and so this spot gets high marks versus some others– and there’s even a designated‘pot wash’ spigot that is near the campsites making for EZ clean up after any meal. 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.
Insider's tips? Here's a few: (1) If you like to fish, there's tons of different varieties here to catch, including: walleye, crappie, white bass, large- and small-mouth bass, blue gill, striped bass as well as catfish; (2) There is no need to go anywhere else to look for a boat launch as Shinleaf has its very own kayak/ canoe launch that is fantastic and located on the eastern side of the property; (3) If you are looking for some really cool outdoors adventures while in these parts, check out Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park that offers treetop rope trails and adventure courses - our kiddos loved it!; (4) When you grow tired of attempting to conjure up your next meal from the depths of your roto-molded Cordova cooler and want to try out some local fare, then I highly recommend nearby Carolina Ale House in Wake Forest or Buffalo Brothers Restaurant & Bar - both have fantastic local cuisine and nice iced area craft beers to pair with; and (5) IMHO, the best campsites here at Shinleaf are: #6, #14, #16-17; #30-33; #37-39; #40; #42-43; #45-47.
Happy Camping!
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.
ScoutThe sites at North bend are far superior than other campgrounds in the area. The shower houses and bathrooms are always clean and taken care of. Sites in B and C are the best.
GuideIt’s ok. Semi secluded and has necessary hookups. Quit packed for what it is. I would not stay here for weeks. Just a stop and go kinda deal. But price is very good.
Traveler
We camped overnight making our way south. There are a number of sites right on the lakefront, so snag one of those if you can! Many of the sites offer good flat terrain, and electric hook-ups are available at many sites. Nice, shady and quiet, the campground is very clean. Pretty convenient to I-85. Be sure to go out near sunset to see the beautiful reflections in the lake waters! We will be back!
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
Nice campground. Nice people/hosts. Bathroom not so much. Long backup to get to the site. Hookups on wrong side. But lots of beautiful sites. Mostly all waterfront. E/W
Guide
Very nice campground. Lots of trees for shade and the park is very quiet. I would recommend staying here. The spots are big and not right up on each other. No laundry facility.
Traveler
The site is directly on the lake. Mere steps from your door. Beautiful view on the adjacent shoreline and bridge. Rocky shoreline. Easy to back in. I only have 2 complaints. The proximity of neighbors. The only thing separating you from site 24 is the tent pad. And the site length listed is a little misleading. It says 40 feet which I assume is true. But we fit our 27 foot travel trailer in there and had a really hard time wedging our tow vehicle (F250) in there. Parked at an odd angle on the tent pad. Wouldn’t choose this site again but definitely recommend for a smaller trailer.
Guide
first time doing any type of dispersed camping but it was really easy to find, just off the road in the woods, just follow the coordinates and its a lil past, look for the signs, with lil sites to pull my car up to deeper in the woods, though you can still see the headlights coming from the road.
I'm not a hunter but no one else was there and I pulled up at 10pm and left 6am on the first day of open season.
Traveler
We camped here at the end of March ( Easter Weekend ) and it was wonderful. The sites are spread out and not on top of each other. The restrooms were immaculate and the staff was courteous.
Guide
I came here with a large group and really liked it! We were all at crammed into the 4 large group sites so I admittedly can’t comment on the size of a regular site. However the bath houses were adequate. The staff was helpful. And the trails were nice. I wish I would have explored the park a little more as well as the surrounding area. But nice little get away.
GuideWe camped out the first night the campground was open for the season. They were performing controlled burns but nothing bothered us. Sure, we heard the planes overhead but it didn’t keep us up. We tent camped at an RV site just for some extra comfort with the water and power. Bathhouses were super clean. And we were a short walk to the lake to fish and hang out near the water. Absolutely will come back
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.
Traveler
Excellent place to camp overnight or for a couple days to rest while traveling the I-95 corridor. Full hookups to empty your tanks (heated water to avoid freezing in cold), level sites - mostly pull through so you can get in and out with ease. Large open areas to walk the pups and a decent sized dog run so they can get exercise (I can’t run that fast :) ). They has a small pool for hot summer months to cool off and refresh. Camp store has needed essentials but don’t expect to find everything a camper can desire. Campus is sparsely appointed but it has all that travelers really want which is a quiet place away from the noisy highway that is safe and has the site amenities of bigger and fancier campgrounds. I rate 4 stars because it serves its intended purpose, has level sites (didn’t even need to unhook to get level) with full hookups, and it’s priced for a quick overnight or even long-term stay if you are of humble needs. We will make it a regular stop on our journeys south and north again.
GuideThis campground appeared to be very clean and well kept. I am disappointed that we were only there for a night traveling south. If I'm in the area will definitely come back.
Scout
Popular Point campground is one of my favorite places to pitch a tent in the Jordan Lake area. It's often not as crowded as the others at Jordan Lake are, esp., during the week and outside of holidays or summertime. The views are nice, with sites next to the water. Tents and RVs can camp in the same areas. We normally camp in a tent here, but never in the hottest part of summer, which is most of the summer in the Piedmont area of the state. You gotta go up to 3000 feet, as in the mountains of NC, for a cool weather experience in summertime, but for a night to get away from your regular routine or a weekend when the weather is nice, this is a suitable place. Locals like it because the drive isn't far from Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham or Pittsboro.
TravelerThis is our favorite campground in the area. It is clean and quite with easy back in sites. The bathhouse is well maintained as is the camp road. We have stayed here during all four seasons and there isn't a bad time to stay. I can't say enough good things about this campground
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.
Scout
I’ve camped here twice now. The hike in and out is very easy. Only about 2 miles each way. The spots are clean and well spread out with a hook to hang things on, a fire pit, and a picnic table at each site. The pit toilet is central to all 6 sites. It’s a pit toilet so it’s nothing glamorous but it’s there if you need it. The river is a short walk away from all the sites if you want to get a great picture with the sunrise. Overall, I definitely recommend.
Camping near Wake Forest, North Carolina, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy nature, whether you're in a tent, RV, or cabin.
Camping around Wake Forest, NC, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for adventure or a peaceful getaway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Wake Forest, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, Wake Forest, NC offers a wide range of camping options, with 76 campgrounds and RV parks near Wake Forest, NC and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Wake Forest, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Wake Forest, NC is Falls Lake State Recreation Area Holly Point Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 33 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Wake Forest, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Wake Forest, NC.
What parks are near Wake Forest, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 parks near Wake Forest, NC that allow camping, notably B. Everett Jordan Lake and John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir.
