Tent Camping Wilmington, NC

Looking for an adventure where you can explore Wilmington and then fall asleep in your tent? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Wilmington. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Wilmington, North Carolina's most popular destinations.

Best Tent Sites Near Wilmington, NC (10)

    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area

    1. Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area

    11 Reviews
    29 Photos
    100 Saves
    Kure Beach, North Carolina

    Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area (FFAFRA) is Federal land owned and managed by the United States Air Force, the Army National Guard, and MOTSU (Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point). FFAFRA's primary purpose is to offer recreational activities and lodging as well as training events for DOD eligible groups. There are cottages and lodge rooms along with RV and tent sites for rent by authorized persons with proper DOD identification. There are also meeting rooms, a Military Museum, and facilities available for special events, team building, and official exercises. Come and see why “Ft. Fisher is One of the Military’s Best Kept Secrets.”

    • Pets
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    • Tents
    Camper-submitted photo from Freeman Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Freeman Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Freeman Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Freeman Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Freeman Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Freeman Park

    2. Freeman Park

    8 Reviews
    42 Photos
    222 Saves
    Carolina Beach, North Carolina

    Residents and visitors have long enjoyed the beach area now known as Freeman Park. In fact, the area has become one of Carolina Beach's major attractions as it is one of the only beaches in NC that you can drive your 4X4 vehicle on.

    Whether coming to the area to swim, camp, fish, or go boating, crabbing or casting for minnows, people love Freeman Park. Visitors are drawn to the beautiful beach with its variety of wildlife, dunes and majestic sea grasses indigenous to the region.

    Overnight camping is only allowed in designated, reserved camp sites Labor Day through the Thursday before Memorial Day each year. Reservations are on a first come/first service basis. During this period, there is a $50.00 per night fee for a campsite permit.

    NO OVERNIGHT CAMPING is allowed the Friday before Memorial day through the Sunday before Labor Day.

    Visitors and campers driving 4-wheel drive vehicles must have a valid Freeman Park access pass at all times to enter the park (can be purchased online or in person at entrance to park). Camping permits can only be purchased on-line.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Group

    $20 - $90 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites
    Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites
    Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites
    Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites
    Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites
    Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites

    3. Onslow Beach Campsites

    15 Reviews
    34 Photos
    104 Saves
    Hubert, North Carolina
    • Pets
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    • Tents
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Black River Camping Ventures
    Camper-submitted photo from Black River Camping Ventures
    Camper-submitted photo from Black River Camping Ventures
    Camper-submitted photo from Black River Camping Ventures
    Camper-submitted photo from Black River Camping Ventures
    Camper-submitted photo from Black River Camping Ventures

    5. Black River Camping Ventures

    2 Reviews
    11 Photos
    32 Saves
    Ivanhoe, North Carolina
    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    • Tents

    $45 / night

    • No image available

      6. Whispering Pines Nudist Resort

      1 Review
      10 Saves
      Sunset Beach, North Carolina
      • Electric Hookups
      • Tents
      • Cabins
      • Standard (Tent/RV)
      • Tent Cabin
      • Glamping
      Camper-submitted photo from Cypress Ranch Glamping
      Camper-submitted photo from Cypress Ranch Glamping
      Camper-submitted photo from Cypress Ranch Glamping
      Camper-submitted photo from Cypress Ranch Glamping
      Camper-submitted photo from Cypress Ranch Glamping
      Camper-submitted photo from Cypress Ranch Glamping
      • No image available

        8. Closed permanently

        2 Reviews
        4 Saves
        Swansboro, North Carolina

        SORRY: CLOSED PERMANENTLY.

        • Tents
        • Standard (Tent/RV)

        $35 - $55 / night

        • No image available
          Camper-submitted photo from The Pine Tree Retreat
          Camper-submitted photo from The Pine Tree Retreat

          10. The Pine Tree Retreat

          1 Review
          2 Photos
          6 Saves
          Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina

          104 acres of peace and quiet for your enjoyment. This site would be best suited for tent campers at the moment due to no bath houses or electricity for the time being. Come enjoy your stay bring a kayak or canoe and float around the 6 acres of ponds and catch some of the many bass, bream or crappie that occupy the waters. My property is located 7 miles off highway 74/76 in Whiteville and 10 miles to Lake Waccamaw. 32 miles to Ocean Isle Beach, 45 miles to Wilmington, 36 miles to North Myrtle Beach. Also in the pictures the grass hasn’t been cut and the tin hasn’t been put back on the picnic area by the pond. These things will be done before your stay! The road is grassy/dirt I would recommend a suv or truck for your stay. When there’s no burn ban in place or lack of rain i do try to keep firewood on-site but I recommend checking with me before your stay. I am new to this so please give me a chance to get everything squared away on the page. If you have any questions feel free to e mail me! I am currently working on getting the new roof installed on the shelter and the well operational upfront. If you book you will have the entire property for you and your party.

          • Reservable
          • Tents

          $30 / night


        Recent Tent Reviews in Wilmington

        211 Reviews of 10 Wilmington Campgrounds


        • M
          Camper-submitted photo from Nick’s Nook Family Campground
          Oct. 30, 2024

          Nick’s Nook Family Campground

          Small quiet Campground A++

          Small quiet campground that has some adorable amenities. Pet and child friendly. Nick (the owner) is super helpful and they even have item you may have forgotten they will lend out. Firewood is provided. We stayed I. Their little cabin on a whim. Cozy but small. AC and heat both worked well. Their camp store has very affordable gifts and some supplies one might need. We came to this area to try some unique restaurants. The cabin allowed us to stay and try all of them. We went to the Mad Boar on Friday night for some amazing prime rib and unique appetizer. We went to The Country Squire and enjoyed a wine tasting before a dreamy colonial meal. The atmosphere here was so realistic. They even have an inn. And of course we had to go to the Duplin Winery. Next time we will bring the kids to enjoy the craft hour and playground.

        • Claire O.
          Camper-submitted photo from Wilmington KOA
          Sep. 7, 2024

          Wilmington KOA

          Clean and Family Friendly

          Such an awesome KOA, bathrooms were immaculate. Free coffee everyday and so many activities! Great communication, they text before every event, and if something is lost they send out alerts. Loved our stay!

        • Christine The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Surf City Family Campground
          Aug. 10, 2024

          Surf City Family Campground

          Located right on the beach

          The spots are very close together. There is no shade, but a constant beach breeze.

          You can not see ocean from the campground due to the dunes, but it is about 300 feet to the water.

          The owners are very nice. He will even help park your rv with his tractor.

          Same price for full hookups verses no sewer. You will have to go across the street to their other campground to dump and there is no water for rinsing, only a sewer drain.

          The public bathroom stalls only go as high as shoulder level.

        • j
          Camper-submitted photo from Surf City Family Campground
          Jul. 30, 2024

          Surf City Family Campground

          Right on the Beach!

          A gem of a place! Call to reserve a spot. The staff is super helpful and friendly. We loved being right by the beach. There are spots for RVs and tents. You could still hear the waves even with RVs running air conditioners.

        • Bobbie S.
          Camper-submitted photo from Camp Clearwater
          May. 24, 2024

          Camp Clearwater

          Busy Campground

          This is a very large campground with mostly full-time people. Nice laundry facilities, decent sized transient sites, beautiful beach and piers. It was "off-season" but the weekends were quite busy. There is a 5mph campground rule that most definitely is NOT followed. Kids and adults drive golf carts like it's the Indy 500. Was a nice stay, but probably won't go back.

        • BThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Brunswick Beaches RV Resort
          May. 5, 2024

          Brunswick Beaches RV Resort

          Very Nice!

          I’ll definitely be staying here again! Beautiful and very well maintained landscaping, clean facilities, very helpful and friendly staff. Really close to the beach, a good selection of restaurants as well as other points of interest. My only regret is that I didn’t have time to stay longer. Thanks again for a wonderful weekend!

          Brian Leonard

        • Maya C.
          Camper-submitted photo from Brunswick Beaches RV Resort
          May. 1, 2024

          Brunswick Beaches RV Resort

          Ideal shaded sites, close to beaches, fishing, and good food.

          This is a relaxing, natural campground. Many bird songs at sunrise and Whip poor will calls at sunset every night. We have dogs and there are nice places to walk along the pond, and grass areas all around the campground. The dog park is nice for some off leash time. The facilities are great with a store, laundry, and clean restrooms and showers. A very nice pool is available, but with Sunset beach, and Ocean Isle beach just minutes away we have gone there daily. I am fascinated by Bird Island that is a nature preserve and reachable from Sunset beach, this is a day trip we are looking forward to taking the dogs on. Calabash is another town we have visited and it is a gem. We didn’t expect to want anything but seafood but the Peruvian restaurants’ line out the door was intriguing and we ended up there for a late lunch and loved it. My partner is an avid fisherman and had a great day fishing on a Hurricane charter out of Calabash.

        • @HomegrownRV 😎.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Holden Beach RV Campground
          Nov. 28, 2023

          Holden Beach RV Campground

          Great Stay!

          We loved our time at Holden Beach RV Park! The staff is so friendly, and the campground is beautifully maintained. It’s in a perfect location too.

          Upon check in we were escorted to our site, and they even helped us back in. The bathrooms and laundry were clean and kept up well during our stay. There’s a small playground and a pretty big dog park. We were there during Thanksgiving, so they had a potluck meal for all of the guests in the park. We really enjoyed that!

          The gift shop is super cute, and they have the biggest DVD library for free rentals!

          The only negative was that our site seemed to be one of the few that directly faced another site even though it did not show that on the park map. We ended up being super close to the other campers (so much so that we were basically all around the same fire pit) which was a little uncomfortable since they were strangers.

          Overall we really enjoyed our stay and will definitely be back! We will just make sure to pick a different site number next time.

        • Timothy M.
          Camper-submitted photo from Closed permanently
          Nov. 24, 2023

          Closed permanently

          Safe and spacious

          Talk about Southern hospitality, the hosts were amazing and the campsite was a safe place for Luna and I to spend the night!

        • Shela C.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from JCO Campground at Lee Baysden Pond
          Nov. 21, 2023

          JCO Campground at Lee Baysden Pond

          1st camping trip

          My husband and I recently purchased a small RV and decided to do a short trip close to home. This campground is amazing. Beautiful views fishing is good and the hosts are very nice and informative. Will be returning to this gem of a campground!

        • MThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Wilmington KOA
          Nov. 5, 2023

          Wilmington KOA

          Surprisingly quiet

          Just off the road. Close to lots of places to eat and beaches. Seemed to have lots of activities some places even had chimaeras and Weber grills.

        • Jeff K.
          Camper-submitted photo from Carolina Beach State Park Campground
          Oct. 10, 2023

          Carolina Beach State Park Campground

          Fantastic Location

          After hearing about the mosquito situation, I was worried, but have not seen one yet - October 9. We hiked a trail to see Venus flytraps in the wild. A short peddle to the ocean beach. Very nice sites.

        • Jake C.The Dyrt ADMIN User
          Camper-submitted photo from JCO Campground at Lee Baysden Pond
          Sep. 12, 2023

          JCO Campground at Lee Baysden Pond

          Check out this spread out campground!

          Jake from the Dyrt here! JCO Campground has some amazing sunset views and tons of space to explore around the pond!  Check them out and share some pics from your stay!

        • Jake C.The Dyrt ADMIN User
          Camper-submitted photo from Happy Haven
          Sep. 5, 2023

          Happy Haven

          Stay in an onsite camper or bring your own RV/Tent

          Jake from the Dyrt here!  Your host Kathrine is an experienced host and is ready to make your next camping trip a memorable one!  There's a spot for everyone, from the onsite camper, to bring your own tent/RV sites, check them out and share some pics from your stay on the Dyrt!

        • SThe Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Onslow Beach Campsites
          Jul. 29, 2023

          Onslow Beach Campsites

          Glad it was cheap!

          Campground was within close walking proximity to the beach. Beach was clean and we had fun hunting for shark teeth. Water was fairly clear and nice temperature.

          Camping sites are close together but fairly level. Lots of barking dogs, even in their units. Shower/bath house was DISGUSTING!! Showers were full of sand, hair stuck to the walls, torn and stained curtains. Water was hot though. By the end of the week it was out of hand soap.

          The bridge that is right behind camp about 60 feet was under a full rebuild. Construction noise started a little before 0700 each day. Dump trucks and heavy machinery while drinking your coffee. A warning before arrival from the reservation office would have been nice. I understand the bridge needs work but warn people.

          Glad we got to visit with friends on the base but we won’t be back.

        • Jake C.The Dyrt ADMIN User
          Camper-submitted photo from Closed permanently
          Jul. 10, 2023

          Closed permanently

          Kid Friendly Spot to Camp

          Jake from the Dyrt here!  Home on the Range is new to the Dyrt but they have a great escape for the family to enjoy playing around the playset or socializing around the communal patio!  Check them out and share some pics of your stay!

        • Sara H.
          Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground
          Jun. 26, 2023

          Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground

          Great way to unplug

          We stayed in site 5 for 11 days. The Yurt had been removed but the platform stayed. We were able to get up our large tent on the platform and have enough space for our chairs. The lake is beautifully kept and clean. Very shallow. You can walk out a good 300 meters. We kayaked and fished while we were here. The rangers were helpful and checked in to make sure we didn’t need anything and kept the trash can empty. All the locals we spoke to we friendly! The down side is you are a long walk to the toilets. This is primitive so no power or water at the site. We absolutely loved it and plan to come back again!

          Bring mosquito netting or pop up to keep the horse flies away!

        • Jessica R.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Holden Beach RV Campground
          Jun. 14, 2023

          Holden Beach RV Campground

          Simply….. THE BEST

          We stayed here for one night and I cannot say enough good things about this place ! First of all, we weren’t even supposed to stop here but my mother got sick and we could not continue, so I found this within a 5 min search and book a deluxe spot within 10! We showed up no more than a half hour after that and they were already ready for us. Secondly, I locked my keys in my with the car running and with my sleeping kid and cat in it…. while I was freaking out, their INCREDIBLE staff, I don’t use the word incredible lightly they truly were the most caring people I’ve had at a campsite, tried to find a car kit and when they couldn’t called the fire department for me (shoutout to the firefighters for being so fast) and checked in on us the whole time. Definitely felt embarrassed and mad at myself but the staff was so kind to me I couldn’t thank them enough. Some of my favorite things beside the staff was the welcome packet which includes a free gift at the general store (has everything you forget lol) as well as the tide tables, amazing bathrooms (Pristine and even had linoleum with an outdoor light for nighttime), small shrubbery between the spots so even if you are right next to someone you have still feel like you have your own space, firewood delivered to your sight upon request (obviously you pay for it lol), a free trolly to the public beach and shops, and all amenities were so nice and so clean. Will 100% be back again and if you are looking for a myrtle beach style of vacation, check out Holden Beach and this amazing RV park!

        • J
          Camper-submitted photo from Holden Beach RV Campground
          Jun. 1, 2023

          Holden Beach RV Campground

          Great place

          We come here a couple times a year. They are always making improvements along with keeping it clean and comfortable. Nice sites for a private campground with meticulously maintained facilities. They also have a new pool that is wonderful.

        • Laurie H.The Dyrt PRO User
          Camper-submitted photo from Waterway Campground
          Mar. 16, 2023

          Waterway Campground

          Stayed for a night while traveling South

          This was one of our stops during our trip south from New Hampshire to The Keys…We were the only campers during our stay. We met the managers who made us feel welcomed. We had power and water but no bathroom during this timeframe. We are set up for dry camping so it is not an issue.



        Frequently Asked Questions

        • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wilmington, NC?

          According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wilmington, NC is Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area with a 4.1-star rating from 11 reviews.

        • What is the best site to find tent camping near Wilmington, NC?

          TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Wilmington, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.