Carolina Beach State Park Campground

From checking in until packing up to leave, my three night stay was very pleasant and restful. I disperse camp usually, but having the advantage of a very well maintained bathhouse was super nice. I have friends in Wilmington and frequent this area. This Campground will be my go to location when I'm in town!

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.

Just recently got back from a trip here and let me tell you the bugs were vicious! couldn’t walk away from our Thermacell Mosquito Repeller without getting attacked. the bathrooms are very recently re tiled but lost out on benches in the bathroom which makes it a bit inconvenient for changing after showers. the RV run the park and are bothersome at night. will still be going back been camping there since childhood.

This campground has plenty of curb appeal: large sites, nicely spaced; shade trees and privacy shrubs; clean, well-lit bathrooms with quality fixtures. I only realized my mistake once I started setting up my tent. The biggest drawback here is the mosquitoes. Out of 30+ campgrounds this summer, this is the first one where I've had to break out the picaridin lotion. (It worked, luckily.) Other wildlife included big black ants - lots of them - and spiders so massive I could see their eyes gleaming in the beam of my headlamp.

These are all natural parts of camping in this environment. What really ground my gears was the RV campers across from me who ran a generator. They turned it off at 11 pm, thankfully, but it came right back on at 8 am. I wasted no time getting out of there. Bad, bad campground etiquette. RV folks - please don't do this, even if you're technically allowed to. It ruins the experience for your neighbors.

I’ve been staying here every summer since i was a kid. So probably 11 summers now. It’s a great place. Clean bathrooms and cute well air conditioned cabins. You can ride your bike or walk to the boardwalk with some of the way having a paved bike trails. Gates close i think at 10 and open in the morning so remember to bring bikes. During the summer it is very humid and hot with lots of mosquitoes so remember to bring your bug spray. Try britt’s doughnuts of wake and bake before you leave, i promise you won’t regret it.

Great campground, excellent marina and paddling opportunities on the Cape Fear River with paddle access to many small white sand beaches.  Marine store nearby, Bath houses very clean and newish.  Sites relatively private and well shaded for the most part.  Be careful in site selection though a few would be very tight for even the smallest pop ups with someone with a PhD. in backing up.  I would avoid #60 & 61 in particular. While in the town of Carolina Beach, campground in not on the beach.  Beaches are a brief drive away. Nice hiking opportunities too.  Shopping and dining options only minutes away.

Great campground liked it so well I stayed a extra day. Site was clean easy walk to bathhouse and showers (showers with hot water) and clean.

This campground has about 10 sites with electric and water. The rest are dry camping with a lot of shade. Sites are large and separated by plenty of greenery. Showers are clean and hot.

Wonderful experience right next to the beach! Very private sites and clean bathhouse. Very secure and just gorgeous.

This is a really nice campground but it's definitely Woods camping you're not necessarily close to the beach and any of the RV campsites are really really far from the beach like you need a bike or a scooter or a car to get to the beach from there.

Here you will find alot to do. A marina if you want to boat, places for your campee/motor home, primitive camping sites, and beautiful nature trails. The park rangers were very nice and informative too 😎

On the inlet not the beach.

Good shaded spots but nothing close to the water. You need a bike or scooter to get around walking isn't enough.

Bathrooms; 4/5 clean but not AC

Waterfront : 0/5

Food delivery: 5/5

You have to enjoy campgrounds - meaning neighbors, bathhouses, and lots of rules. But it is very well maintained, lots of trees and shade, and decent enough space that you feel some sense of privacy. Not many options in this area so I’m pleased with what we got.

Absolutely stunning nature, nice trails, well maintained bathrooms

Great space between sites.....we can not see our neighbors! Bathrooms are semi modern....and plenty of hot water! And level.....we have been on the road for a couple weeks and this wins the level site award.

Easy bike ride to get to the beach!

Loved this campground. Easy to drive to and navigate and each campsite has their own path to the restrooms. There was plenty of space between other campsites, but there were no rowdy groups so wouldn’t have mattered. The sugar loaf trail is our favorite! Dog friendly too!!

Went tent camping and absolutely loved the spaciousness and privacy of the sites. Has excellent proximity to the boardwalk and beach which is a plus. The bathrooms and showers are a bit outdated, but definitely well-maintained and clean. We’re going to come back to this place with the camper next.

We camped here in February, so only certain sites were open - those for Rvs which had water and electricity and to our surprise sewer hookups, Which is a good thing because the bathhouse in our section was under renovation and only a port-a-potty available (this was not mentioned on the website or in any of our reservation emails). Despite that, it’s a very nice, wooded area with very spacious sites. Lots of hiking options and trails in the area, and a small marina to put in. We were there in February so didn’t avail ourselves to the beach area. Level gravel/stone pad with a nice picnic table and fire ring. We bought firewood from the store at the marina when we checked in, but were greatly disappointed to find out it was too wet or unseasoned to burn. We tried, even used lighter fluid, and no go. A waste of $8.00. Buyer beware! Buy your wood someplace else before you arrive.

We only stayed here for one night but from what we saw it was a great location to town and had its own marina. We hadn’t made a reservation ahead of time but the very friendly park ranger just had us make a reservation on the website as we found a spot close to the bath house that was available. Clean and friendly, would recommend!

This campground is located between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean. Nice primitive type of feel to this place. There is tent camping, RV sites, and even about 4 cabins (with more under construction) available at this site. Electrical hookups available for most of the RV sites. There are water pumps throughout the grounds and the bathroom facilities are new and clean with private showers. There are plenty of trash/recycling containers which the staff empty a few times a day, and a dump site for RV's.

There is a supermarket just a few miles away, and a brewery right outside of the campsite. 

The staff is excellent and always available, and do a great job.

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.

I stayed at the Carolina Beach State Park Campground a few times and enjoyed every moment. First of all, it provides an affordable option for those who want to be close to the beach but also enjoy camping, woods, and hiking trails. It's also a nice campground with clean nice bathrooms and showers with hot water. 

Sites 71 and 73 are connected and provide plenty of space for a larger group with several cars. The site doesn't have tent pads, it's basically just some gravel, pretty level and with a lot of space for tents.

The park has about 5 miles worth of trails. My favorite is the Flytrap trail, which leads to swampy areas with Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants. They are small and easy to find if you know where to look. Ask a ranger for specifics. 

BTW, if you're in Wilmington area, check out https://www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/listing/stanley-rehder-carnivorous-plant-garden/901/ - this is a cure little destination for kids and adults.

The weather can be hot and humid during the summer months. Bring a lot of bug spray!!!

Had a wonderful time. The people are amazing there. Campsites were great and the price was the best around. Great showers and clean campgrounds.

Carolina Beach State park has an awesome location if you’re looking for an inexpensive place to stay at the beach. It’s a short drive to Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Fort Fisher. There is no swimming area at this park. There is a marina and some great hiking though! We took a day trip to Bald Head Island as well! The campsites are large and well secluded from each other. The restroom and showers are centrally located, and clean enough. One thing I will mention is the pack of gigantic raccoons that kept us up all night while we were there. We accidentally left some food out one night and they were bothering us all weekend, even during the day! Some of the biggest raccoons I’ve ever seen. Don’t be like us and leave food out, lol!

Campground Review:

Carolina Beach State Park is located just over the bridge in Carolina Beach NC.  It is close to many restaurants and grocery stores, but offers a bit of seclusion with the large trees and overgrown shrubbery between sites.  

We enjoy the short hikes at Carolina Beach State Park, and the visitor center!  The visitor center has fantastic exhibits of venus fly traps with hands-on activities for the kids, explaining about the different kinds of carnivorous plants that live in the park.  We found both pitcher plants and venus fly traps on one of our hikes!  

This campground has 2 large loops - with affordable cabins scattered throughout.  It is a fairly large campground - almost 100 sites, with bathhouses, showers, spigots and trash through the park.  Camping costs around $26 a night for a tent site, or you could reserve one of their cabins (double bed and desk in the front room and bunks, or 2 bunk beds) for $58 - what a steal!!  

One of our favorite sites is number 45 - it backs right up to the river - and is slightly elevated, allowing beautiful views (while it isn't raining!).  This campground also has a marina - where boats can be rented as well as put in.  There are hiking trails, both short and long - the shortest being the venus fly trap trail - where you can see both venus fly traps and pitcher plants.  We hiked Sugarloaf - down to the private beach -  and hung out for several hours.  It was wonderful!  

Product review:

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I get to review items.  I reviewed the morsel spork XL while at Carolina Beach with my family. https://morselspork.com/products/morsel-spork

  I have had several sporks while hiking the Appalachian Trail, yet this spork exceeds expectations.  

First of all, the spork itself is sturdy, but pliable.  Secondly, the spatula feature on the side makes it easy to scrape every last bit of food out of your container or food pouch - and on a long hike - we don't want to leave one bite behind!  I have used this spork both with standard tupperware containers and also in dehydrated food pouches - and the XL is perfect! Lastly,  I dislike getting food on my hand when reaching in a pouch and the length of the spork is perfect! I can get a bite (with either the fork end, or the spoon end) and remove the utensil without getting slimy/sticky food on my hands.  I would highly recommend this spork for hiking/camping and my family is planning to use these in our lunches for the upcoming school year!

Are you on the sand beside the ocean? No, but this is a great campground with in the state park that has secluded campsites in the woods. This is a rare find this close to the beach/ocean. There are sites that you can not even notice you have neighbors. It is located in the town of Carolina Beach and is along the intercostal waterways. It has some nice trails for light hiking and is just down the road from the ocean. Being in town it is close to grocery stores, places to eat, and shopping. That being said once in the park you feel like you are far from the crowds of town. I like to use this campground/park as a landing spot. Hiking in the park but also adventuring out to the different beach things around.

This campground is well worth the visit!  Nicely wooded campsites that are very large and private!  The park has numerous hiking trails, a marina and a beach nearby!  Carolina Beach area has many things to offer; they have a boardwalk that in the summertime has bands playing free of charge, amazing restaurants, fun carnival type activities for the kids, and fireworks every Friday!  Weather you want to relax in seclusion in the forest atmosphere of the park or go to the beach and party the night away, Carolina Beach has it all!  From the state park the beach is only a 5 min drive, less than 7 miles!  You could almost walk there if you didn't have all that beach gear!  But you could certainly ride your bike!

I've been to the campgrounds at Carolina Beach State Park a lot over the years and nothing has really changed since the first time. Rich native wildlife and plants in a shaded setting.The sites themselves are easily accessible and closely located to restrooms. Rarely have there been rambunctious clientele and you're centrally located to a number of recreational opportunities. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

This place is amazing, which is why it is popular and peopley.

Carolina Beach is a beautiful and peaceful campground, with spacious and private campsites. Sites are easy to locate, easy to access. Plenty of shade and nice fire pits.

Bathrooms haven't been updated in decades. Showers don't offer much privacy, but do offer decent pressure and hot water.

Grocery store is half a mile away.

Loved the small town of Carolina Beach.

Highly recommend, and will return in the future.