Best Tent Camping near Swan Quarter, NC

Site: mixture of grass and sand. Has fire pit and wooden picnic table. Gorgeous view of sunsets and water sports. Water is a leg high walk to the hammock. Bathroom: showers were clean! Would benefit of having an fan unit to help cool off while using the toilet. Loved having the option of using outdoor shower (yes even had hot water option). I was able to enjoy a brew in the shower and get dressed and ready in front of a mirror was was provided in the same outdoor shower space. Location: loved that it wasn’t located in a touristy area. It was on the sound. We enjoyed the pizza at the local Italian place right next door. Note: there is a ice vending place that charges affordable rate.. you have the option of ice in a bag or fill up your cooler there.. can walk there if need be. It’s across the street. Other towns over were a 30-45 min drive.

Some things to keep in mind: The wind was really strong and it made setting up our tent a challenge! Thanks to our friendly neighbors, they were able to get it grounded for us. Bring rope/canopy weight in case this happens. There were no bugs due to the wind. However.. we heard that if it wasn’t windy.. bugs were a big issue so canopy/mosquito net would be wise!

Bring water shoes to be able to walk in the sound. Water was at perfect temperature.

Dogs are allowed, even in the water! They require pet deposit.

They also had charcoal grills for you to use if you need one.

North Beach Campground is located behind a gas station and a small general store, that has everything you could possibly need! It is part hard ware store, part bait and tackle shop and has many beach and cooking items available.

The campsites are small sites, with picnic tables for each. There is a small pool with many permanent RV sites. A couple pull through RV sites are available, as well as grassy sites immediately behind the store, close to the laundry room. The bath house is located right off the beach, only steps from a beautiful, quiet, peaceful beach!

We were here in April, 2019 and the weather was fantastic! We had come on the heels of a strong wind/rain storm and sites were dry and the facilities were clean. Traditionally, this is not our style campground, but in a pinch, we would camp here again. Waking up on the ocean is priceless - and the sunsets in the Outer Banks were fantastic!

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get to test products on our adventures. Our kiddos were able to try out their new Wenzel sleeping bags this week. They both enjoyed their sleeping bags quite a bit, staying nice and toasty in the evenings with 50 degree weather. They were warm, the kids said "soft and fluffy" and especially loved the mummy style, which was new for both of them.

After sleeping in these bags for a week, we are able to discuss 2 challenges that presented themselves. First of all, our 9 year old slept half in and half out one night and the next morning she could not zip back up the bag herself. The zipper is challenging to rezip after coming completely unzipped - and the material on the inside catches in the zipper. But yet, a challenge grown ups could easily take care of. Secondly, our 6 year old had an accident one night on/in his sleeping bag - which easily wiped up - and then washed out beautifully in a front load washer (NOT at this campground). I was pleased with the way the sleeping bag fared after being washed - which is not always the case! I would recommend these sleeping bags to anyone looking for a warmer sleeping bag for their kids. It is rated until 30 degrees and we look forward to trying them in colder weather!

The campground is wonderful. There were plenty of spaces available during my stay (6/6-6/9), especially the field lots. If you would like a dunes site, get there just before or at checkout. Also, check the winds before setting up a tent (15mph winds added an hour to set up).

The campsite is very dark and quiet after 10p, which makes it very peaceful. Make sure you have a small flashlight ready for the late night run to the restroom, otherwise you may run into one of the grills.

The park ranger I checked in with was very friendly and informative, letting me know all the rules, including the wood fire ban during my stay. You will be asked to choose a few spots before you set up, so I would suggest looking at the map posted in the photos for possible locations.

The village of Ocracoke is two miles from the campground, about seven from the Hatteras ferry. If you forgot or don’t have room to bring your bike, many places in town have bikes for rent by the day, and many told me I could ride and keep the bike out at the campground. 

If you are looking for a getaway from everyday chaos, definitely stay on the island and at this campground.

Campground is 1 of the 4 within the Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore. Cost here is only $20/night (the others are $28). No hookups available, but there is a dump station and potable water fill on your way out. Cell service is good. The walk to the beach is a bit long, maybe about 1/2 mile or so. 

We stayed here for a night in early November and the place was nearly empty. There were one or two campers per loop, so the campground was nice and open and quiet. I think that during the busy season it would be an unpleasant stay, as the sites are all right next to each other, side by side, just big grassy area. Sites are large though, which was nice. 

We didn’t use the showers but I believe they are cold showers. The set up is almost like an outdoor shower, with a short door and a pull rope for the water. Watch out for spiny sand spurs (?) that stick in your dog’s paws and your socks- very painful and they’re all over the grassy areas. 

Sites must be reserved through recreation.gov. It was easy to pull up with no reservation, pick a site, then reserve and pay online. No service fee through this site. 

No wood fires allowed here. Each site has a picnic table and grill, nothing else.

Dumpsters available, but no recycling bins. Not sure if North Carolina segregates recycling after pickup.

Frisco: The best camp sites in all of Hatteras NSS are in this campground. It is just north of Ocracoke- Hatteras Ferry. There are some sites with views and some sites with privacy - Every site here is better than the open park like setting at the other Hatteras NSS campgrounds. . Dense oak and juniper shrubs break up the campground and give a degree of separation to sites….. Frisco closes for the season on Nov 27. Sad. Oregon Inlet and Ocracoke remain open. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer). Desire for at least moderately secluded campsites to be offered is important to me. Overall Rating: 4.5. More privacy offered here than Oregon Inlet where we also stayed. Least of campsites are better, in my opinion, than Oregon Inlet. No electricity here, though!
Beach Access: boardwalk P1 and P 29: Price 2023: $14 w interagency pass Usage during visit: Light Site Privacy: Some great sites Site Spacing: Good Site surface: Blacktop. Our site was pretty level. Reservations: Required. Campground Noise: Quiet as can be.
Road Noise: Far from a road Through Traffic in campground: No reason. The perimeter road on the right side is going to see more traffic. That’s because campers will be driving to their sites on the one way interior roads - when it’s busy. However, there are great sites on the perimeter . Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: Yes Dump Station: No. We will use the dump station at Oregon Inlet when we drive out of the Outer Banks. Potable Water Available: Yes. At restrooms. Generators: Allowed.
Bathroom: Clean. Flush Toilets. Showers: Cold water and breezy. Pull Throughs: A couple. Cell Service (AT&T): 1 to 2 bars. Setting: Dense low shrubs between sites. Weather: Sunny and cloudy days. Highs are low to upper 60s. Always some wind. Lows are in the 50s Bugs: Not this time of year Solar: Great when sunny. Host: I don’t believe there was one furing our stay - late in the season. Rig size: Large rigs okay in selected sites. Sites: P6 is cozy little sight, no view, but the picnic table is in a cozy little very shaded area. Ideal for warmer weather - tables in SHADED/PRIVATE picnic area: P8, P10, P40, to a lesser degree-D4, D5 , F1 PRIVACY: A2, A3,A4(picnic table and grill down a short hill from site.) A6 D2, P46, P48,P49,P50, P55,P56 through P62 even, P9(picnic table, a few yards from trailer site.) P17, P65, P67, P69, P71, P22, P24, B1, B5, B7, B4, B6, P26, P28, P26, P30, VIEW of distant ocean: P66, P57, P51( our delightful sight - splendid view), P61(a peak of a view- less privacy), P73(pull over site, no privacy- great view of ocean.), P67(very splendid view of dunes, not ocean)

I’ve been riding my bicycles on the the trails around Flanner’s for years. This was my first camping experience here.
We brought our T@G Boondock XL for my wife and I, and a side tent for my grandson. Decent sized spot for our camper and 10x10 tent, and it included a fire pit (very tall sides) and a picnic table. We spent the first day setting up, preparing food and enjoying the fire. Ended the day in the tent playing guitar and singing, while my grandson played the Djembe. Day 2, was fresh ground Death Wish coffee in the Chemex and breakfast. Then we went for a 3 mile hike. Ate lunch and played ladder ball. Another 2 mile hike in the afternoon, some card games, dinner over the fire and pudgie pies. Played music around the fire until bedtime.
Day 3 was Coffee, breakfast and tear down/pack up. The grounds were clean, saw the hosts throughout the park, and they were very friendly. Showers/bathrooms were good. Water was plenty hot in the shower. It was cold at night and in the morning, and the facilities have screens for ventilation, so it can get quite cold (or hot) in there. The beach is closed indefinitely. The trails are great.
Great first camping experience for our grandson. I will be back. The sign at the gate says NO ALCOHOL. Not sure why this is an issue, but it’s their rule.

Neuse River Flanners Beach Campground: Most sites have visual privacy (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer with a desire for a campsite that has at least some visual privacy offered - after the trailer is in the spot.)

Overall Rating: 4.5 Price 2023: $ $10 + $5 per night for electricity w interagency pass Usage during visit: Pretty full. Unable to obtain a reservation for an extended period.
Site Privacy: Almost all sites has a nice degree of privacy with trailer in site.
Site Spacing: Very good Site surface: Gravel Reservations: Yes. You better. Campground Noise: Quiet. Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Available Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes. At entrance. Potable Water Available: Scattered spigots Generators:
Bathroom: Yes Showers: Yes Pull Throughs: Not that I saw.
Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars Setting: Deciduous forest. Weather: 70 degrees today. Bugs: Not noticeable. Solar: Too much tree cover Host: Yes Rig size: Some sites will fit large rigs. A careful drive in Campground will surely be required. Sites: Almost all sites are good. Some of the least private sites are: 13,20,27,29

Not bad this is called a holiday one but I would say this is more like a journey one it doesn't seem very resort-like.

Bathrooms: 5/5

Sites: 4/5 upgrades are nice but really expensive for just a concrete pad next to someone else

Pools: 3/5 they have one but it's pretty meh. Like a 70s motel 8 pool.

Beach: 2/5 there is an inlet beach and a pier but it's like marshy Mudd not sandy beach

Waterfrontness: 0/5

Closeness to other sites: 1/5 you are up each other's buttcracks

Dog rating: 4/5 plenty of poop bags

Internet: 2/5 no wifi and no hookups but our AT&T router worked

Cell service: Google fi and ATnT worked

Water quality: 1/5 potable but tastes gross

Extra amenities: they have a shuttle some seasons. It was not here during October so who knows. Bike rentals Kayak rental Laundry Host station