Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tarboro, NC

Nice level pull through concrete site with paved road. Good hook ups, clean facilities, nice dog park and clean pool/hot tub. Close off 95, but far enough you don't hear it at all. We even got a gazebo site, which was awesome. They even allow you to wash your rig. Only negatives, are not much in the area to do, no cable or wifi and absolutely no antenna service. Shopping, Walmart, gas and chain restaurants close by. Would definitely stay here again.

This was my first visit, I plan on going back so I will update as I learn more about this site. There are RV and primativr sites. They are literally right next to each other. The RV sites have power and water hookups, fire pit, and picnic table at each site. The RV sited are also numbered. The primitive sites are not so well kept. They are not clearly marked and no dedicated fire pits. There is a little highway noise pollution, but not terrible. There is a free onsite dumpster. Fires are allowed. I had alcohol one night without any hassle. Showers/restrooms available on site are free. You pay by the day (in cash or check) at the Nature Center (during banking hours Mon-Thurs I believe). Prices are fair ($10 primitive site and $20 RV site). Campsite is riverfront (keep in mind for the bugs). I didn't see or hear much wildlife aside from an owl, a rat snake, and one good sized spider. Campgrounds are pretty clean. There is a large communal fire pit with plenty of seating and little private-ish decks overlooking the river. There is free wifi. Multiple people had their pets with them. Good cell phone reception with Verizon.

This campground is nestled in the tall North Carolina pines. There isn’t much shade though because the branches are mainly at the top. The camp sites are long and have plenty of room between camp sites. The campground has been recently redone and includes some cute cabins. We went on a boardwalk hike there. It said that red wolves and bear live on the area. We only saw deer.

Goose Creek State Park campground is one of the newer state parks in North Carolina. The RV part of the park has a great layout with large sites. The park is very flat with full hookups and a large patio/picnic area. They also have cabins.

We stayed at one of the full hook up RV sites with our Riverside Retro 199FKS and it actually looked small in the site. We had more than enough room.

You are far enough away from Washington, NC that you don't get great cell coverage so, it is almost like going off the grid. I think I had service if I sat outside with my left leg propped up (just kidding). 

Since this park is so new, there are not many trees or vegetation to provide privacy between sites. I think this park will be great once the plants grow in - don't skip for this reason - still go, just know that you won't have a lot of privacy.

This place is a gem of a state park!!!!

Since it's not right next to the coast it's relatively quiet and not crowded. I went here on the tail end of a mid September weekend and found the entire campground to myself! That is unheard of on the West Coast! There is a beautiful sound access.

This is boutique car camping! There are only 14 camping spots all nicely spaced from each other and in a wooded location. Sites 11-14 are around a little peninsula on the sound so all have some water view. There are a handful of water spouts around the campground, and each site has a parking spot, campsite, table and a lamp hanger. The lamp hanger took me a while to figure out since we don't have these on the west coast it is a suspended hook that looks a bit medieval on first glance.

Bring your paddle boards or canoe to float around the sound. There is a great outline of a 3 mile canoe trail mapped out by the put in. (see my photos)

Ohhhh and it goes without saying near the North Carolina sound BRING BUG SPRAY. This is serious deet country.

I have camped in this state park several times, including with the Boy Scouts. Other than the park itself, I really enjoyed the camaraderie when our Scout troop and another Scout troop that was camping were playing“Capture the Flag.” I say all of this because it is a great place for group camping. However, it also has conventional camping and cabins. When I first started camping at Cliffs of the Neuse, it did not have more than a mile of trails. Now it has added some more trails. It also did not have showers or cabins in times past. This park has improved significantly over the years and now has showers that are frequently maintained. One of the things you have to be aware of is that this park is sandy, so when you are camping, you will probably want to put some kind of rug in front of your tent or RV to minimize the amount of sand that you track in. Don’t think choosing another site will move you away from the sand. It won’t. Another thing you have to be aware of is that in eastern North Carolina, fire ants can be a huge problem. Some of the trails are easy, but the Spanish Moss Trail is quite steep in some places. Also, the Galax trail is almost always flooded during the spring or after a series of rains. There is a lake for swimming and a large picnic shelter. On weekends, it is not unusual for there to be lots of people at the picnic shelters, so you will have to reserve them. The sites have picnic tables and fire pits as well. This is a great park for swimming and boating, but the hiking is limited. If I am not mistaken, the total length of trails is fewer three miles. However, the main attraction is the view over the Neuse River and the new visitor’s center. Even with limited trails, it is still a great park for relaxing.

Have waited six months into our RV life to start reviews for fair comparisons. Spent four nights. Loved this campground. Small, quiet, great mountain biking trails that you can ride to from the campground. No direct water hook-up, which was a bit surprising for the cost. But you can get water there. Great dog walking areas.

We camped on the primitive side. Hardly anyone here. We took spot 4. Across from the clean pit toilet. They do have water. The area for rvs were packed and it wasn’t as appealing as the primitive. Follow the signs to primitive tent camping. Is a loop and the closer you get to the loop the more bugs cause of the water. On our walk with the dogs seen deer and a raccoon visited us during the night. Internet is spotty. Turn your cellular data on.

A friend and I spent a wonderful weekend with our dogs at Goose Creek State Park. We camped there for 2 nights and enjoyed every bit of it. The campground has no showers or hot water. It didn't bother us. The campsites are very private and spacious. We walked from the campground to the beach with no problems. There are also a lot of trails around to hike and explore. The only thing you need to be aware of are, the ticks, mosquito's and bugs. We definitely would camp there again.

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.

The good news about this RV park is that it is conveniently located next to Interstate 95. The bad news about this RV park is that it is conveniently located next to Interstate 95. Needing to stop for the night on the way home, I found this place along the way. The rate was reasonable, and it was close to fast food places. It was late, and I didn’t want to cook supper. I think that most people stay at this campground for one of two reasons. One is that they are traveling either north to south or south to north, and it is just off the Interstate. The other reason is for the shopping. This area between Selma and Smithfield is a mecca for shoppers, especially during November and December. There are dozens and dozens of outlets, and people from hundreds of miles stop at them. That’s why this RV park is a great place for people who fit into one of those two categories. This RV park does NOT accept tents. It is strictly for RVs. As far as amenities, there is a clubhouse and a large swimming pool. I didn’t see anyone in the swimming pool, especially since it was December. However, I can imagine that it would feel great during the summer, and it seems large enough to handle lots of people. Some of the“picnic tables” were interesting. Many of them looked more like patio furniture, which is a nice touch. All of the spaces that I saw were pull-through sites, and they were level with water, sewer, and 30 and/or 50 amp hookups. The campground roads were paved, and the RV sites were gravel. There was also a dump station. Other than the swimming pool, there is also a large pond in which you can fish without a license. For the younger children, there was a swing set, which surprised me. For a campground this size, I would have thought they would have had a large playground. On their website, they list a playground. Either I missed it, but I don’t think I did, or they don’t expect too many children staying here. There is also a fenced area for owners to walk their dogs. Although there is Wi-Fi, I got the message that the internet was not available. I was happy to see that their bath house was heated, although I never could get warm water to come out of the faucet. Fortunately, the shower had hot water. The only complaint I would have about the showers is that they are small. The area to dress and undress was just large enough to turn around in. I would imagine that most people who are overweight would have a difficult time, but then again, this is an RV park. Most people would be taking a shower in their RVs, so if you are in a teardrop like I was, you would appreciate a larger shower. The worst part about this campground, for me, was the noise from the Interstate. I thought it would die down during the night, but I was wrong. There was also the sound of trains—at least seven or eight times during the night. In the campground office, they have a little store with canned food items and a few other necessities. I got there late, but the hostess was very nice and pointed out everything I needed to know. Overall, it is everything you would expect from a top notch RV park, including the amenities and the services, but I wouldn’t want to stay there for several nights unless I wanted to hear traffic 24/7.

Great place to stay, safe location, and has a family atmosphere.  Space was large and I was able to pull through without having to de-attach my car trailer.

We stay here occasionally when we head south on I-95, and it’s a decent place to call home for a few nights. You can reserve this campground online, which is always handy. The staff are helpful and pleasant.

The campground itself is not huge, but a good size and easy to navigate. Just watch when you are arriving as the driveway is a bit hard to see and turning around can be tricky if you go too far. It would be good if they marked the entrance a little better, but that is a nitpick.

The sites are pretty big and level, and it seems most of the sites have sewer, water, and electric. There are lots of pull through sites as well.

I noticed that the police patrol the area frequently and even park their cars there, so that is good for security.

The campground has a nice sized pool, a camp store, and a few other amenities. It is also gated so you can’t just drive in. When you check in you need to call the office and they will come out and move the barrier and then escort you to your site.

This campground is certainly nice enough; it is conveniently located, has good sized sites, and all the necessities. We will definitely stay there again!