Best Tent Camping near Swan Quarter, NC

Recent Tent Reviews near Swan Quarter, North Carolina

331 Reviews of 2 Swan Quarter Campgrounds

• 

  Riley F.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 17, 2020

  Goose Creek State Park Campground

  As expected

  We made reservations online, got there Tuesday and left Thursday. We stayed at site 7 in the primitive tent camp ground. It was well shaded and not right on the road. The boardwalks and beach are closed, but at the end of the primitive campground (if you are staying there, only) you can access the Pamlico River and Goose Creek.

  The toilets were clean, and the camp site was clean. The have have firewood available in the primitive section just before sites 5 and 6, it’s $5 per milk crate, but bring cash and exact change. The rangers drive through regularly if you need anything.

  There wasn’t anyone near us and only one other occupied campsite while we were there so it was really peaceful. No issues with cell service from AT&T.

  All in all, it’s your basic primitive camp site. We plan to return, and will probably try to stay closer to sites 12, 13, or 14 since they are closer to the dock and water.

  If you have small children there’s not much they can do (we didn’t go to the visitors center) so be sure to bring things to occupy them.

• 

  Rachael H.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 3, 2020

  Cape Hatteras/Outer Banks KOA Resort

  Very nice

  They claim to be a camping resort. Well, their definition of resort and mine are different...The grounds were very well-kept. Their property is Right on the beach and has direct access. Nice sandy beaches. There is a freshwater shower at the entrance to the beach so that you can rinse off when you’re done. The bathhouse was nice and clean. The shower area is co-Ed. They have a cute little play area for the kids, and had scheduled fun activities throughout the week. (some required an extra fee) Office doubled as a little camp store with some basic groceries, cold drinks, and souvenirs type stuff. All of the staff that we came in contact with were extremely friendly and helpful. They have a really nice pool area with zero entry and two small waterslides for the kids. Plenty of chairs on the pool deck, and a small area of shade where you could eat or get out of the sun.They had sites for RVs all the way to tents. We splurged this time (heat, salt, and sand!) and opted for a camping cabin.(I somehow forgot to take pictures of the cabin, but it is identical to the one in my Arkansas review… Except no TV. I really thought there was a TV… But no matter, we didn’t miss it.) The camping cabin was basic one double bed one set of bunkbeds, there was air-conditioning and plenty of room. A nice swing on the covered porch. Picnic table, grill, and fire ring. The cabins were very close together, but it wasn’t an issue. This campground also offers deluxe cabins which look like your typical Beachhouse type rental. We were visiting on the holiday, I had looked into tent camping over the Fourth of July weekend and they wanted $150 a night for a TENT site. Yeah, I don’t think so. The beach at the Outer Banks is lovely, it’s not commercial and trashy (like I would describe Myrtle beach) and as far as I could see everyone on the beach was good about observing social distance, and Nobody crowded each other. We stayed three nights and had a wonderful time. Overall we will definitely stay here again. Oh, dogs are welcome year round on the beach, only restriction being they have to be leashed. They are also welcome at the campground and there is a dog play area and a dog bathing area.

• C

  Crystal K.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 28, 2021

  Frisco Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Beautiful

  Drove down for 2 nights to camp in a tent with our toddler. She had a great time camping out, going to the beach and riding her scooter on the paved roads. Beach was a short walk from the campground and park was clean and quiet. There were a lot of sand spurs and ticks at the site, but other than that it was lovely.

• N

  N I.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 21, 2021

  Sands of Time Campground

  Great Stay

  30- 50 amp, free cable, laundry Concrete pads, level area, picnic table, full hookups, nice spacing between sites with some grass over the sand. There are some nice wooded sites under the squatty trees, great shade.

  They also have a 2 bedroom cottage to rent. Campers and RV's are welcome. Site is well maintained and staff is great. There are 57 sites with full hookups and they have tent sites that have water, electric along with shade. No more than 2 dogs per site.  $54.00 full hookups per night $37.00 tent sites with water and electric $35.00 tent dry site LNT 

  BTYFI 

  Travel safe

• A

  Anna B.

  Traveler

  

  May. 30, 2020

  Goose Creek State Park Campground

  Nice spot in eastern NC

  Booked a tent site and later a cabin as well since we were unsure about the weather. The tent sites were nicely situated and far apart from each other. The vault toilet was very clean. The site is peaceful and since the weather was pretty bad, it was quiet and only a few sites were occupied. 

  The cabins are new and clean, with AC/heat and electricity and a nice outdoor setup with a grill and fire pit aside each one. They are located in the cleared RV park, not the woods, so don't expect to feel like you are staying in nature if you book a cabin. The shower facilities are very nice too. Overall, cabins are a great option if the weather is bad or you don't want to stay in a tent. 

  Plan for bugs - ticks and mosquitoes are a given in the summer. Also, the swimming beach is closed as of May 2020.

• 

  Brandon M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 26, 2020

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Absolute joy!

  I had a wonderful late November five night, tent camping, surf fishing week at a wonderful, clean, quiet campground. I stayed in site D-17 and recommend any of those sites on the outer perimeter of D loop.

  The bath houses were always clean. The park hosts were friendly and accessible. The town of Ocracoke is only a five minute drive yet a world away from this peaceful place.

• J

  Joseph H.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 12, 2021

  Frisco Woods Campground

  Awesome camping!

  I’ve just started going here tent camping while down in Hatteras pursuing my kiteboarding passion. I’ve camped all over the US in various times of the year and I must say that this is one of my favorite places. The sunsets over the sound are spectacular. The camp sites vary depending on what you want. I wanted to be out of the wind which can be quite intense for tent camping in Hatteras, which is why I come here lol. The owner lives on site and is doing a great job in making his place one of the bests around. That speaks volumes over places like KOA. The sites are very spacious. Fires are allowed only if you bring a pit as fire rings (fires on ground) are not allowed. The camp store seemed well stocked and the showers and toilet facilities were new and in good order as well as well maintained. I will continue to come here in the future. This is now my go to place. You can do primitive (P sites) or have water and ele for around 10 bucks more. Both areas have great settings. Try it and you will like it! I absolutely love the people of Hatteras and would love to live here full time. Maybe one day!

• 

  Jeremy C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 18, 2021

  Cedar Island Ranch

  Great access to white sand beaches for $30/night

  I'm tent camping. The lady in the welcome center was in a rush to get out of the building and go work in a next-door diner so she didn't have time to answer any questions about this campground. I paid $30. There's a beautiful place to walk my dog along the water. White sand beach. The site itself has hookups if you need them. It has a picnic table, a fire ring and plenty of space for my vehicle and tent. I'm about 15 feet from the water. Nice view.

• 

  Cannon W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2020

  Tranter's Creek Resort

  One of the cleanest pools I have ever laid eyes on.

  Tent sites with electrical hook ups right beside the river. There is a fish cleaning sink and a pier to fish from also. Small cabins are for rent here as well. This facility has one of the cleanest pools I have ever been in. Very well kept bathroom facilities with a laundromat as well. Very friendly staff and guests here as well.

• 

  Jeremy C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 19, 2021

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  $28 for tent camping

  Its not a bad spot, but $28 is a little high when you're just using a tent. you can't see the ocean from your camping area, but its a 3 minute walk there. When I came here I thought we'd be allowed to tent camp (without having a fire) anywhere on the beach, so the need to pay a fee was a let down.

  T-Mobile DOES have service on most of this island, as I am writing this review from the camping area.

  Bugs were not an issue.

• 

  Kaitlyn F.

  Traveler

  

  May. 18, 2021

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Incredible

  While we only stayed in this spot for a night, the place was absolutely amazing. We tent camped in section D and had direct access to the beach with our tent tucked behind the sand dunes. My only actual issue with the campground itself was our site had some residual trash left over from people before which is quite disappointing as we always pack out. Also, the bathrooms were kinda meh.

  Do be prepared to have a way to keep nats away as our tent was filled in the morning.

  Overall, this visit was spectacular and we will definitely be back

• 

  Stirling C.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 24, 2021

  Pettigrew State Park Campground

  Beautiful campground with some short distance trails along Phelps Lake

  We camped in the State campground at Pettigrew State Park. It is a small campground with just a few camp sites. We usually overnight there on the way to the NPS campgrounds on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, though it is nice enough to justify a stay if you find yourself in the area. We visited in March, so insects were not a problem, though your experience may be different if you visit during the warmer months, as much of the area surrounding Lake Phelps is cypress swamp.

  I little about the campground amenities: it is modest and good for tent camping. Though there is room for RVs, there aren't electrical and water hookups, though most who were there were in RVs. Each site has a fire ring with a grill and firewood is available for a nominal fee. There is a bathhouse with toilet and shower facilities.

  The natural beauty is worth the visit. From the campground it is an easy walk to the lake. We were able to see an impressive sunset from the lake shore. There is an out and back 1.5 mile trail, for a total of 3 miles, that follows the lake, taking you through the Somerset Place State Historic Site. The walk passes through the swamp with many large cypress and sycamore trees. At the end of the trail is a walkway to the lake along an irrigation canal.

• 

  Joshua M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 24, 2016

  Frisco Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Pleasant surprise

  Originally intended on staying at another campground but it ended up being closed. This was the closest alternative and what a pleasant surprise it was. Commodities are the cleanest I've seen. Full bath house with showers as well as a swimming pool. Nestled right along the beach. We stayed in the "rustic" tent sites. Decent amount of trees for shade. Plenty of stuff to do in the area. Highly recommend.

• J

  Joseph H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 26, 2021

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Invigorating

  Ocracoke is a great place to “recharge” the batteries of life pure and simple! Falling asleep listening to the sounds of the ocean; to look up at night and see our galaxy the Milky Way and all the stars revolving around Polaris is simply awe inspiring and a slice of heaven! We tent camped D-28. The steady breeze kept the bugs away all 3 nights. 4x4 to the many beach gates is a definite must. Lower tire pressure to 15-20 psi is highly recommended

• 

  Ashleigh M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 12, 2018

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Beautiful but HOT

  This is a beautiful campground and we had a site with it’s own path to the beach which was very convenient. The bathhouse was clean but got VERY hot during the day. The campground Is very close to the pony pens and Is a quick drive to Ocracoke village. The biggest con of this campground is the lack of shade and the fact that the manmade dune blocks most of the wind. In the summer heat, it was stifling for tent camping. It was too hot for my northern blood. If I come back here, It would have to be earlier in the season or I would bring an air conditioner.

• N

  N I.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 20, 2021

  Frisco Woods Campground

  End of the Road

  Open: Mar 1- Dec 1 Rates: 42.00 - $2,025.00 

  Tent sites/RV/cabins 30-50 amp, daily, weekly, monthly rates, Wifi, camp store, no fire pits or grills Swimming pool and a nice water front area, pets with a fee and leashed. This campground is at the end of the island with great views. A paved road with concrete sites but parking a large rig might be difficult because of the narrow width of the road. Full hookup. Bring in your supplies for shopping is on the thin side. LNT

  Travel safe

• N

  N I.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 21, 2021

  Island Hide-A-Way Campground

  Peace on the Island

  Stays up to 14 days. 

  Loved this campground. At the front of the campground you will see a lot of what is probably monthly or seasonal RV'er then they have several, nightly, weekly sites and even at the end of the campground you will have a wonderful primitive tent area with picnic tables and wonderful shade. There are also tent sites that have water and electric. The campground is well maintained and the family is very friendly. Quiet and secluded and the campground is actually the owners backyard. Can't beat that. Full hookups, great cell service, great stay all round. Pets welcome and grocery store nearby. LNT Travel safe

• 

  Megan A.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 28, 2019

  Green Acres Camping Resort

  Not the best I’ve been to

  This campground is in an okay location. There is not much to do in the surrounding area and the only thing that I remember them really having to offer is a swimming pool. They had little paddle boats and stuff on the water but I’m not sure if they get used. You can’t swim in the water because it is just too nasty. The tent site we were given was awful. It is very stumpy and bumpy throughout the entire campground. Lots of roots and tree limbs. May have been the worst camping experience of my life.

• 

  Chip G.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 28, 2015

  Ocracoke Beachcomber Campground - CLOSED

  Season opener...

  Camping on Ocracoke for their April 5k / 10k race has been my camping season opener for several years. The Beachcomber is a good campground at the north end of the village conveniently situated behind the gas station and near the grocery/hardware/liquor store. Park your car, set up the camp site (19 and 20 are the best tent sites) and unload the bike. Everything on the island is walk/bike distance.

  The owners have been doing a good job with this campground since they bought in a few years ago. Each year there are improvements. And Ocracoke is just a special place.

  I'll remind myself to take some pictures this year and update this post.

• A

  Allen S.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 3, 2019

  Frisco Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Great sound views.

  First time staying here in early November and what a nice campground. Reserved a site but when I pulled up to my spot it was all muddy and rutted up. Back up to the office I went and she said to pick any of the sites but the ones already reserved. Clean bathrooms. Hot showers. Cool tent sites in the trees. One thing I will say is I didn’t expect the mosquitos to be this bad in November. They are a different breed than what we have back home. Other than that just a normal good campground with added features to make your stay great. Would stay again but next time to try the cabins.

• 

  Kyle I.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2019

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Great Beach Camping

  Drove down from our 4 night stay in Kitty Hawk, took the ferry over to Ocracoke. Tent camped for the night. Our little spot (D25) had a paved drive that I could back into, a grill and a picnic table. So everything you need really. It dog legged off to the right into to smaller trees witch we took advantage of as a wind break.

  We walked over the dunes to the beach, water was warm but the surf was a bit rough so I only went out about waste deep (Rip current). Wind was up that day too, a lot of sea shells on the beach if your into that.

  Grounds had shower stalls with cold water, no problem for us and they had men's and women's restrooms that were clean and well lit.

  We would defiantly recommend this campground and I hope to stay there again some day!

• 

  Diane T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2020

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Remote, Bring your bug spray!

  This place is such a hidden gem, on such a remote island!  Though we did hit some snags - We tent camped and unfortunately there was a horrific thunder storm one of the nights. The campground is right next to the beach on low ground so does flood easily. We stayed in B010 and our tent ground did not flood, but the parking spot did (no big deal) but sites around the back half of the campground further from the beach were completely flooded. It is also terrifying to tent camp during a lightning storm here because your tent is the tallest thing around. Also the mosquitos are AWFUL. But with the negative experiences aside, we would absolutely stay here again (perhaps with an RV instead...).  The campground is located a bit down the main highway, so you are still a short 5-10 minute right to town if you so please, or you can escape into the coast for a truly remote experience. All sites are separated from the beach by the sand dunes, and it's a short walk up/down the dunes to the beach. The beach itself is very private - we went during Fourth of July weekend and still only saw a few others on the beach (I imagine because it's a bit further away/ hard to get to for non campers.) There are amenities (bathroom, and a separate shower stall) but the showers were cold and mosquito-infested (they bite you as you are trying to shower - another reason I think I'd come back with an RV... lol!)  There was also no water source here  - I believe NPS turned off all water fountains due to covid, and water is hard to come by / expensive on the island, so bring your own jugs!! The campground itself is a mix of more shaded, secluded spots, and wide open grassy field sites. It's a mix of RV, pop ups, and tents. There are no fires allowed but each site comes with a picnic table and charcoal grill. The campground is very quiet and dark after dusk so you truly feel like you're remote, and you can even hear the sound of the ocean crashing beyond the dunes as you sleep! Definitely bring LOTS of bug spray and citronella candles, I lived in Florida so am no stranger to mosquitos, but the bugs here are no joke. I also suggest bringing a screenroom with fine netting for your site - I never believed in these screen canopies before but I am now converted. It was a life saver!

• 

  El Rhino C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 9, 2019

  St Clair Landing Family Campground

  Very accommodating

  Didn’t know it was the weekend of the wind surfing competition, rodanthe in general was booked, called the number she was obviously at home but that didn’t stop her from getting up and meeting us there, we got there and it was just beautiful right on the inlet side but you could see the atlantic from there as well, the sunset is amazing, the park was full but it was quiet the duck pond was pretty and it was home to the ducks, the view of the sunset was an hour of beautiful sunset pictures if you every look at a framed picture of a beautiful sunset that how it was at this camp site for a solid hour i love this spot and will forever go there we tent camped the breeze off the inlet made it perfect at night during the day its wide open no trees or shade suggest bringing something to create shade but otherwise beautiful

• J

  Jen B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 20, 2020

  New Bern KOA

  Beautiful campground

  This was a very nice, well maintained campground. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. We stayed from Aug 11-14, 2020. The pool was nice on a hot humid day. They have gem mining. You buy the bags of dirt in the camp store. The bathhouses are all very new due to a recent hurricane and they were kept clean. The dock/pier was picture perfect as the sunset over the Neuse river. The playground and jump pad looked like they would be a lot of fun but were closed due to Covid 19 restrictions. They had horseshoes and Gaga-ball that were open. They had 2 fenced in dog parks and a dog washing station. We chose this campground for it’s location near historical downtown New Bern and we would definitely recommend it to others. They have RV sites, tent sites and cabins.

• P

  Peyton A.

  Traveler

  

  May. 15, 2022

  Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Phenomenal Camping Experience

  My wife and I love to tent camp, and this is our second visit here.  Here is the breakdown:

  • $28/night

  • Showers are cold water only, but they do have great pressure

  • No matter where your site is located, there is easy, easy, so much easy access to the beach

  • Park Rangers seem attentive, as we have seen her/him patrol each day of our visit

  • Dogs and cats and I imagine other animals are welcome

  • Cell Service is spotty for both Verizon and T-Mobile

  • No shade

  No complaints with this campground, but I do want to elaborate on cellular coverage.  I think The Dyrt mentions that T-Mobile has availability.  This is kind of true.  It comes and it goes depending on your location at the campground.  I am a T-Mobile customer and I have been connecting to U.S Cellular towers during my trip🤷‍♂️.  I am on. the sound side of the campground (west side), and last year, we were closer to the ocean and our coverage was "better".  Point is, your mileage my vary.

  Don't hesitate, put your phone away, bring a sunshade, and relax.  You will not regret it.

• 

  Kirsten J.

  Legend

  

  May. 9, 2019

  Rodanthe Watersports & Campground

  Sound front campsites with rental equipment available!

  Rodanthe Watersports Campground is both a campground and a rental site. The campground is small - about 25 sites or so, some near trees while others are soundfront. This campground offers unbeatable, gorgeous sunsets - which make up for the closeness in proximity to your neighbor.

  As we pulled in, we noticed a sign - which informs you that you pay by the person at this campground. We also noticed kayaks, surfboards and stand up paddle boards for rent! The rental hut was precious and the employee just as kind as can be.

  Some of the sites had campfire rings, but most did not. We found out later you had to request one when booking if you wanted one…live and learn! We also learned you could have a bonfire on the beach (with a permit), which made up for that.

  RV and tent sites were both offered, yet either way, you were within earshot of your neighbor. All that aside, we would come back for the sunsets alone. They were FANTASTIC!

• 

  Melissa W.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 10, 2018

  Frisco Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore

  Frisco is a win.

  We tent camped on the first weekend the campground opened this spring and brought our dog. We had our choice of campsites. Sites along the back side of the perimeter loop have a view of the ocean while sites on the front side of the perimeter loop are closer to the boardwalks leading to the beaches. Sites are on the larger side for the most part and many have some sense of privacy. This is the only Park run campground in Cape Hatteras National Seashore that has any bit of shade. Showers are not heated and bath houses are clean but basic (they do have soap). Watch out for cactus and sand spurs. There were no bugs yet so our screen room was not necessary. The rangers were extremely helpful and kind, suggesting local restaurants and activities. There is a trail to the Cape Point Campground and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse but it is quite long. There is a beach access ramp right next to the ranger station if you want to drive your 4wd vehicle on the beach. If you need ice, gas, basic groceries, a sweatshirt, or fishing gear, Frisco Rod and Gun is only about a mile and opens early and closes late.