Best Tent Camping near Winnabow, NC

Tent camping options in the coastal areas surrounding Winnabow, North Carolina include both beachfront and inland lake sites for outdoor enthusiasts. Freeman Park offers primitive tent camping directly on the beach near Carolina Beach, while Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground provides more secluded tent sites set around a natural lake environment approximately 20 miles northwest of Winnabow. Both locations emphasize tent-specific accommodations with minimal development and natural settings.

Freeman Park requires four-wheel drive vehicles for beach access, with tent sites positioned directly on the sand. Campers should check tide schedules before setting up, as high tides can occasionally reach camping areas. One camper noted that "it's important to air down tires and bring proper sand anchors instead of traditional stakes." Sites lack running water but include basic portable toilets. Seasonal restrictions apply, with camping generally permitted from Labor Day through Memorial Day, and permits are required during peak periods. Weather exposure is significant, with wind often challenging tent stability on the open beach.

Lake Waccamaw State Park offers more protected tent camping with sites spaced far apart for privacy. The primitive tent sites feature fire rings, picnic tables, and food preparation counters, though they require a substantial walk from parking areas. A recent review mentioned that "sites 4 and 5 are very far from the bathroom - don't forget anything in the car." The campground provides access to swimming in the exceptionally shallow lake, which extends hundreds of yards from shore with gradual depth changes. Hiking trails range from short nature walks to longer lakeside routes. Mosquitoes can be abundant during warmer months, particularly at dusk, so proper repellent is essential for tent campers. While flush toilets are available, they require a significant walk from most tent sites, with pit toilets positioned closer to camping areas.

Best Tent Sites Near Winnabow, North Carolina (8)

    1. Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area

    11 Reviews
    Kure Beach, NC
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 500-6465

    "No shade in this campground, but the location is everything! Basically a manicured field with cement pads and hookup poles."

    "Nice tent sites. Very close to the beach. Great view of the river. Has shop, rental center, and fishing pier within walking distance of the camping area."

    2. Freeman Park

    9 Reviews
    Carolina Beach, NC
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 458-4614

    $20 - $90 / night

    "Freeman Park is a beach area located in Carolina Beach. It's the place to take your 4x4 vehicle, your friends, kids, and dogs, and have some fun in the sand, wind, and waves."

    "Winds can be high and tents are a challenge to secure in loose sand. Also CRITICAL to be educated about beach weather and TIDES!!!! Super high tides were present during my visit."

    3. Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground

    4 Reviews
    Lake Waccamaw, NC
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 646-4915

    $17 / night

    "This campground is very beautiful - clean amenities, and only a few well-kept campsites with fire rings, grills and several picnic benches."

    "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."

    4. Whispering Pines Nudist Resort

    1 Review
    Sunset Beach, NC
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 287-6404

    5. Cypress Ranch Glamping

    1 Review
    Sunset Beach, NC
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (910) 880-2256

    6. Black River Camping Ventures

    2 Reviews
    Ivanhoe, NC
    30 miles
    +1 (910) 669-2392

    $45 / night

    "This campground is situated right along the Black River in Bladen County NC. Approximately 1 hour from Wilmington, Fayetteville, and Jacksonville."

    7. River Island Adventures

    3 Reviews
    North Myrtle Beach, SC
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (843) 882-7487

    $40 - $65 / night

    "The workers were a joy to be around and very attentive. Our campsite was amazing"

    8. Virginia Creek Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Holly Ridge, NC
    35 miles
    +1 (910) 329-4648
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Tent Camping Reviews near Winnabow, NC

263 Reviews of 8 Winnabow Campgrounds


  • Joe B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 10, 2022

    Jones Lake State Park Campground

    Nice spot with lake and trails

    I stayed here the night before a mountain bike race at Brown’s Creek. I only needed one night, but wished I would have stayed a couple more. When I got to my site, I didn’t realize that I reserved a handicap spot (my mistake). The site was on concrete so I couldn’t stake down my awning. I rode my bicycle around the park and found the hiking trail right by the campground. It went around the lake, but since it said hiking, I stopped at the trail head. After dinner I started a fire, pulled out the guitar and played for a bit. I would have had a beer, but there is a no alcohol policy. (Still don’t understand this policy at state parks). The bathrooms/showers were great. Clean, heated, private showers. Quiet hours start at 10pm, but there were kids running around the park yelling. No too bad though. Never had to talk to anyone from the office. Just reserved online, pulled into my spot and left in the morning. I’ll come back to stay longer and hike the trail, check out the lake and go mountain biking down the road.

  • Kevin M.
    Mar. 18, 2017

    Carolina Beach State Park Campground

    Love Carolina Beach State Park!

    Our family has tent camped here twice and recently reserved a camp cabin for a week this summer. This is a quiet and spacious campground mere miles from Carolina Beach at a price that's hard to beat. We tent camp here around $30 a night for a tent site. Each site is very large and spacious. It could could comfortably fit 2 tents and a car.

    This Campground offers bathhouses, picnic tables, and fire rings. Dogs allowed, but not in the cabins. Plenty of walking trails.

    Campground is flat and shaded, although there are some primative group sites away from the main campground but they don't have as much shade. Grocery store is maybe 6 miles away.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 5, 2025

    Jones Lake State Park Campground

    Campground near a lake but NOT on a lake

    General: Small campground (20 Sites) around a circle with the bathhouse in the center. Although you can walk to the lake (about a half mile away), the sites are not lakefront. There is also a group campground.

    Site Quality: Camper driveways are very generous in size and level. Sites are spaced far enough apart to provide reasonable privacy/separation. Sites vary. Two ADA-accessible sites have a concrete pad; most others have gravel pads, but two are just open grassy sites. Some are FHU, while some have no hookups. Some are pull-thru, and some are back-in. Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, and lantern hook. Most have a raised tent platform. 

    Bath/Shower house: Very clean. Three showers, including one ADA-accessible one. The spray was not very strong, but the water was warm. 

    Activities: In season, there is boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing, but we were there at the beginning of April, and the weather was in the 50s. We did the four-mile Bay Trail, which was really more of a walk and not a hike. The signage was good, and the trail weaved back and forth from the gravel road. We were disappointed that there were not many views of the lake (there are three overlooks, but access to them was restricted due to flooding). Due possibly to recent rains, the last mile of the trail (we went in a clockwise direction from the campground) was flooded in several places, making passage challenging. There is also a short one-mile Cedar Loop trail as well as a spur leading from the Bay Trail to Salters Lake. 

    We chose this campground primarily because of its location - it was a good stopping point for us. In early April, even during spring break, only a handful of sites were occupied. I imagine it would be a much different story in the summer months.

  • Kathryn  W.
    Aug. 8, 2018

    Carolina Beach State Park Campground

    Beautiful coastal forest on the banks of the Cape Fear River

    The group campground is isolated from the rest of the camping areas and is quiet at night. There are a lot of park visitors who walk through the area, but the trail through goes around he main campsites. The pit toilets are in need of some attention, but have always been well stocked. It’s about 400 yards to hike in, so we used a wagon to bring in gear. No water on site, but a really nice fire pit with grill top and 2 picnic tables. Shady tent sites available, but really hot and buggy in summer. Group camp site is about .5 mile hike from the river which is great for wading, but swimming is not allowed.

    Many species of carnivorous plants grow here and abundant wildlife.

    in the summer months there is a place to rent kayaks and paddle boards at the marina.

  • M
    Apr. 1, 2019

    Carolina Beach State Park Campground

    Great Family Spot

    The camp ground was really easy to get around with kids, plenty of trails that preschool kids can enjoy as well as adults. Lots of beautiful views just a short hike away. We camped in a primitive tent site, plenty of shade with nice picnic table and fire ring with grill grate. The bathrooms were so clean, we were really impressed. The rangers are super helpful and very nice. One of our best camping trips ever. Fort Fisher Historic site and Aquarium are less than 15 minutes away. Beach accesses are less than 5 minutes away by car. I would highly recommend visiting in early Spring or late Fall. I live a short distance away and the mosquitoes are unbearable in the warmer months.

  • Sam M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 24, 2018

    Carolina Beach State Park Campground

    beach + camping = awesome

    Carolina beach state park is one of my favorite places to go in North Carolina. Not only does it have an awesome campground, but it's right near one of the best beaches I've ever been to. The sites are nice and secluded, just how I like them. Most of the sites are tent sites, but they have a few full hookup sites for RVs and some cabins to rent too. All of the sites have picnic tables, fire rings, and drinking water.

    Within the park, there are tons of hiking trails through a really beautiful area. I hear the fishing is also really good within the park, but I've never done it myself. The only downside is you can't swim within the park, because the currents can get dangerous. The beach is only like 5 minutes away though, so not really a big deal.

    As for the beach, it's my favorite one to go to in the states. I like it because it's not really touristy like the outer banks or myrtle beach. Not a whole lot of people come to it, so it's always pretty secluded and clean. In July, the water temperature is perfect, the waves are nice, and it's great all around.

    Awesome spot in NC.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 13, 2024

    Lake Leamon Family Campground

    Good campground, but outdated.

    The campground is in a nice area. The small lake is beautiful and full of fish. It is near a small bustling town with everything you need. The staff is friendly.

    The only drawback is that the camp itself is outdated. The so-called bathhouses need a severe update. The bathhouse does not have HVAC in it. There’s one male toilet and one female toilet for the entire camp. There are two portable toilets on the back end of the property. There’s one shower of the two that works and it is a small shower. Do not weigh more than 175 pounds going in that shower.

    All in all, it’s a good temporary campsite. This is not set up for long-term, even though there are multiple long-term campers here.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 25, 2021

    Jones Lake State Park Campground

    Interesting State Park

    Our GPS wanted us to take Jones Lake State Park Rd, that was closed off, about 300 yards before the main park entrance. They have good directions on their website to follow. Check-in was easy. We proceeded to site 8, back-in with FHUs and 50 AMP. The roads were narrow but one way. Our back-in was a little challenging with our 39’ 5th wheel due to brush across the road, but very doable. Utilities were centrally located to the pad. Water pressure was good at around 50 psi. We got 2 bars on Verizon, a variety of OTA channels, and clear shot to the southern sky for satellite. Six of the CG’s back-in sites are FHUs with both 30 & 50 AMP. However, there are very spacious pull thru sites, but no hook ups, not even electric. We could have extended our stay and dry camped in one of these spots but there’s no dump station. This made us wonder if the state ran out of money or if they are still building? This was a very nice CG with well spaced campsites and a good trail system. There are no water views from the CG but the lake is a short walk. The CG is essentially a large circle with even numbers to the inside and odd numbered pull thru sites and some smaller tent sites to the outside. There is also a group tent camping area. FHU sites are 2, 4, 6, 8, 18& 20 and are long enough for large rigs. Back-in site 18, which is a handicap spot, could be a tight back-in for a trailer over 38’. Eighteen is pretty much a 90 degree turn plus there’s a water spigot and metal recycle container directly across the street to contend with. There are water spigots about every 4 sites(near sites 3, 7, 11, etc.) throughout the CG. There is a newer looking shower house conveniently located between sites 16& 18 that we didn’t use. The 3 nights we stayed over a weekend, the CG was maybe half full so very quiet and peaceful. If we could book one of the FHU sites or they add a dump station, we would stay here again.

  • Kelley K.
    Oct. 12, 2020

    Carolina Beach State Park Campground

    Great place, mosquitos are brutal

    We camped here Wed through Sat for my son's fall break. We arrived on Wed afternoon around 4pm. I was wearing leggings and the mosquitos literally landed on my leggings and bit me through them. I didn't even know that could happen. I should have left the campsite then and gone to Walmart, 17 min away, and bought enough bug spray and candles for the weekend but we set up the campsite instead. We just got back so camped the first week in October, site 17. For the four days, I had two citronella candles, one on the picnic table and one near our camping chairs, a thermocell fogger in the tent (ran for about an hour before we went in to go to sleep)  and then two bottles of 40% deet spray...one for our car when we came back to the campsite and one on the picnic table. We brought our kayaks and launched from both the Carolina Beach State Park marina and also Trails End public access (intercoastal waterway). Both were great with plenty of parking while we were there. There are VERY large yachts in the trails end area which are cool to see, just be careful when paddling that area. We fished at both places and also at Carolina beach from the surf. I caught a HUGE drum there. Lots of dogs off of leashes (rules change Oct 1st) so that was cool to see. We mostly cooked at the campsite but ate dinner at Sea Witch Cafe one night. The place is dog friendly, which we needed, and the food was reasonably priced and so good. The park rangers lock the gates at 9pm and they don't open until 7am so you have to plan accordingly. This wasn't an issue for us, we just watched the clock and made sure we were back. Beach is about 6 min away, Walmart is about 17 min or so, several grocery stores nearby (Food Lion, Publix). Overall, it was a great trip, I just wasn't prepared initially for the mosquitos. I got 90 bites that first day. I even had to constantly spray down my dog to keep the mosquitos off of her. It was a bit much. Definitely put all of your food in your car or at a minimum in your tent. Raccoons come nightly. :) We lost a quesadilla, some dog food, etc.


Guide to Winnabow

Tent campsites near Winnabow, North Carolina offer diverse options within a coastal plain environment averaging just 23 feet above sea level. The region experiences humid subtropical weather with long summers and generally mild winters, creating extended camping seasons. Fall camping is particularly popular when temperatures moderate and coastal breezes provide natural cooling for tent campers.

What to do

Swimming in shallow coastal lakes: Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground provides unique swimming opportunities with extremely gradual depth changes. One visitor noted that "The lake is super shallow for at least a hundred yards in all directions from the dock. Where shoes when walking on the dock, lots of nail heads and splinters."

Beach fishing excursions: At Freeman Park, beach camping allows direct access to shoreline fishing. A camper mentioned "We were almost alone, only one other vehicle. Two nice guys just there to night fish. After they left we only had the police truck making his rounds every few hours."

Kayaking black water rivers: Black River Camping Ventures offers paddling on tea-colored waters with unique ecosystems. A reviewer explained "The tea-colored water provides excellent fishing, exploration by kayak or paddleboard, or it can be your next favorite swimming hole. Miles down river you can find the oldest cypress trees east of the Rocky Mountains."

Water adventure packages: River Island Adventures combines tent sites with optional water activities. A camper shared "This is a water adventure company that also has camping on the property. You can reserve a camp spot without signing up for any river activities, but camping does give you a little discount on activities if you do decide to rent a kayak or anything."

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Lake Waccamaw tent sites offer substantial separation from neighboring campers. As one visitor described, "The sites are all a far distance from one another so there's no chance of bothering one another at night. We had two neighbors during our stay but never heard or saw them, except when coming and going from the site to the parking area."

Fall and spring camping weather: Coastal tent camping at Freeman Park is more enjoyable during shoulder seasons. A camper advised "This is a great place where you can camp directly on the beach, but because it is located in Wilmington, NC it can get VERY busy. During busy times you have to apply for or get a permit. It's very hot and busy during the summer but if you go in spring, fall or warm winter days it's absolutely amazing."

Natural soundscapes: Black River Camping Ventures provides peaceful camping with minimal urban noise. A visitor observed "You cannot understand how peaceful, quiet and tucked away this campground is until you arrive. Be ready to be greeted by large oaks and pines that provide massive shade in the warmer months and beautiful, colorful foliage in the fall."

What you should know

Vehicle requirements for beach camping: Freeman Park requires proper vehicle preparation for sand driving. A reviewer warned "First and foremost, make sure you know how to drive in the sand and what to do when your car gets stuck. It happened to us, as well as to many vehicles on the beach."

Tide awareness for beach campers: Tides significantly impact beach camping areas at Freeman Park. A camper cautioned "Be aware of the tides, it's dangerous to be driving near the water when the high tide comes in. Also CRITICAL to be educated about beach weather and TIDES!!!! Super high tides were present during my visit."

Long walks from parking: Lake Waccamaw State Park Campground has primitive sites requiring substantial walks from parking areas. One reviewer shared "The only warning I'd give is you are permitted to drive to your campsite to set up, but sites 2-5 are a quarter mile plus from the parking area. I didn't read the key on the map, so that's my fault for not knowing."

Insect protection: Black River Camping Ventures requires proper insect preparation. A camper noted "This was not our ideal spot because it was very close spots to other campers. And so many bugs. Not just mosquitoes, but knats, horse flies, flies, etc. They were terrible."

Tips for camping with families

Shallow swimming for children: Lake Waccamaw offers safe swimming for families with young children. A camper observed "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. The lake is beautifully kept and clean. Very shallow. You can walk out a good 300 meters."

Team building activities: River Island Adventures offers structured group activities beyond basic camping. A visitor described "They offer kayaking, paddleboarding, tubing, camping, glamping, night paddles with 6 different kinds of smores!! And the super cool Escape River Island which is 10 challenges like survivor or amazing race or escape room or something. Great team building!!!"

Educational centers: Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area provides learning opportunities alongside camping. A visitor mentioned "Down the road is bald island a access to a ferry that will take you to Southport. There is also a aquarium, and museum down the road if you need a history or education fix."

Tips from RVers

Military ID requirements: Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area limits access to specific visitors. A camper clarified "You need a DOD ID card to stay here. It is affordable if you qualify to stay. They will check and make you leave if you are not a card holder. It was a good location near the beach and on the cape fear."

Hookup positioning challenges: Fort Fisher has site layout limitations for larger rigs. A visitor detailed "The sites themselves are extremely long, but for some reason the hook-ups are all near the front of the site, so you can't take advantage of the length. They were in the process of repaving the sites during the stay, so there were some that were pristine and others with bits of rebar sticking out of them."

Check-in logistics: Large RVs require planning at Fort Fisher. A camper advised "The check-in office is further down towards the river with no real place to turn-around, so I recommend calling ahead to know your site, unhook, then drive to check-in."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Winnabow, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Winnabow, 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 Winnabow, NC?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Winnabow, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.