Goose Creek State Park Campground

Reviewed Apr. 22, 2025

A nice find

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.

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Month of VisitApril

Wayne T.

Reviewed Nov. 19, 2024

Really nice place!

Such a nice and clean campground! The sites are pretty big so you can move around easily and there are tons of trails you can check out as well and water access. Campground host was very nice too!

Month of VisitMarch

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Tucker M.

Reviewed Mar. 14, 2023

Drive By!

We drove up to check the park out to see if it would be worth a trip to camp. We will definitely be making a trip there. The camp ground was nice and very clean. The sights are all gravel with full hook ups. But loop around the sight is paved. There are some cabins as well with a bath house. The tent sights are completely secluded drive in with some on the water. All the roads are paved and nice. Except the road back to the tents is dirt but very well kept. If navigating the tent spot the road may be tight for larger trucks. I have a F-150 that was fine but anything larger than a half ton truck it may get tight.

Activities: There is a nature center at the entrance of the park. A ton of trails with trail heads everywhere. A swim beach (we didn’t walk to). A place to launch Kayaks as well.

Careful There is four foot tall vegetation between the sites and they are spread out. When I was there a random fire started where myself and another camper fought it for 30 mins and my wife drove around getting campers to evacuate until the fire department came. Just be mindful if your smoker and any fires you may have while camping. If you were camping there March 5th, 2023 and came back to your house unhooked from your trailer, I’m sorry but I used it to contain the fire instead of burning your 5th wheel down. I didn’t hook it up because I was dragging it through fire and didn’t know if you would want it hooked up.

Month of VisitMarch

jeff B.

Reviewed Oct. 21, 2022

My go to site for tent camping

Have been several times the last being 2 nights last weekend. I sleep in the primitive site in a hammock and there were plenty of trees to hang from. Firewood is $8.00 a bundle. Although it was a busy weekend the sites are far enough apart that noise is not an issue. The primitive sites are well maintained and the staff is great. There is a dock that you can launch a kayak from and racks to store them. Nice touch. Water is from various spigots but no electricity. There are some bathrooms

I’ll be back

Month of VisitOctober

Melanie T.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 13, 2022

Piece & Quiet

Very small campground. We had an issue with the 50amp service. But they fixed it. The water pressure is low. Plenty of space between camp sites. Very very quiet!!!

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Month of VisitSeptember

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Dawn C.

Reviewed Jul. 2, 2022

Handicap Accessible !!

They have a cabin that is fully handicapped! It has a paved sidewalk to the bathrooms and they will allow you to drive your “person” down the access path to the water way!! My daughter loved it and we will be back! Even the picnic table has a cut out for a wheelchair!

Sitecabin 24

Month of VisitMarch

Brian P.

Reviewed May. 31, 2022

New and clean

New clean RV area in older state park. Bathrooms and showers were new and excellent for RV campers. Verizon 1-2 bars. Spanish moss in trees over the Pamlico. Can get buggy and humid when hot. Bring bug spray. Gravel RV pad.

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Month of VisitMay

Jennifer C.

Reviewed Oct. 25, 2021

Awesome campgrounds

Stayed for 2 nights. Very quiet. Price for campgrounds you can’t beat.

Heads up there are a lot of mosquitoes. So make sure you pack the good stuff and not anything for light coverage.

Firewood is 5 a bundle which was easily found in shacks.

Park does close at night so no going in and out or returning too late.

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Month of VisitSeptember

Lindsay D.

Reviewed Oct. 24, 2021

Back to my roots

I have a personal pull to Goose Creek State Park as it was once my family’s land going back generations and generations. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father carved out the trails used for hiking today and the road to the campground its self was made by my dad and his friends. The state bought the land in the 70’s and it became our state park. It makes me proud to share a part of my family history with the rest of the world.

Even without the personal connection I feel when I visit GCSP, it’s such a beautiful place to be during anytime of the year. Hiking trails equipped with boardwalks lead through the marsh and swampy areas while sporadic signs display pictures and information about the wildlife you are likely to see. The primitive campground has more than 10 sites, with the farthest sights sitting on the edge of the Pamlico River. It truly is an awesome sight to take in at sunset and sunrise. Bath houses with showers, hot water, and toilets are available. There are two group sites and, recently added, several rv sites and about 5-6 small cabins. I have not stayed in the cabins yet. They seem to be fairly popular so reservations should be made at least a couple of weeks in advanced. There heat and AC but no bathrooms or kitchen area inside the cabin. I believe there are two sets of twin beds and a full bed but you have to bring your own linens. There is also a very nice bathhouse available for cabin renters. The only downside to the cabins and RV sites is there is no shade. The sites are toward the front of the park, and, perhaps because of the recent construction, there is are no trees, woods, or shade around. As a personal preference, I want to be IN THE WOODS when I camp so the aspect of being out in the open is not as exciting as tent camping. That being said, the cabins are adorable and have a fire ring, picnic table, and everything you need to enjoy a night of camping.

SiteI have stayed at several of the primitive sites and one of the group sites.

Month of VisitNovember

Mark H.

Reviewed Feb. 25, 2021

Nature and Privacy

This campground was opened in 2019 so everything is very new. The sites are spread very far apart. There are no trees for shade and this campground may become hot in the summertime. Each site is separated by waist heigh field grass. The sites have course gravel for the RV pad and finer gravel for the “tent pad” / picnic table area. We were in a tent that connects to the back of our Honda Odyssey and I used two tarps to protect the tent flooring even on the finer gravel. Cell signal is almost nonexistent except for possibly AT&T which a neighboring camper told me.

I would recommend this campground except maybe not so much in the summer months

Deanna G.

Reviewed Jan. 11, 2021

Very cool campground!

Not only is this campground surrounded by tall pines and beautiful lakes it is spotless. The campsites are well spaced and give a bit of a community feel with cabins near by the bath house, which also is incredible!!! Heated bathrooms are a plus in our book! Highly recommend 👍🏼

Sara H.

Reviewed Oct. 1, 2020

Beauty in the Quiet

This was my first trip to Goose Creek State Park, but it certainly won’t be the last. We stayed in the new RV campground, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Large sites, a fire pit, and because we were there off season — very few fellow campers!

The staff was super nice, the restrooms were very clean and quite new. The trails were well maintained and well marked. Some features were closed due to Covid restrictions (the swim beach for example), but it didn’t lessen the experience at all.

Kat M.

Reviewed Sep. 20, 2020

I'll definitely be back

Very well maintained. Stayed at primitive site 11 to be close to the water but it's a little too close to another site (luckily I was the only one in the circle of sites). I'll probably choose a lower number next time. Bathroom was clean. It was very quiet the night I stayed. Absolutely perfect! I'll definitely be back!!!

Riley F.

Reviewed Sep. 17, 2020

As expected

We made reservations online, got there Tuesday and left Thursday. We stayed at site 7 in the primitive tent camp ground. It was well shaded and not right on the road. The boardwalks and beach are closed, but at the end of the primitive campground (if you are staying there, only) you can access the Pamlico River and Goose Creek.

The toilets were clean, and the camp site was clean. The have have firewood available in the primitive section just before sites 5 and 6, it’s $5 per milk crate, but bring cash and exact change. The rangers drive through regularly if you need anything.

There wasn’t anyone near us and only one other occupied campsite while we were there so it was really peaceful. No issues with cell service from AT&T.

All in all, it’s your basic primitive camp site. We plan to return, and will probably try to stay closer to sites 12, 13, or 14 since they are closer to the dock and water.

If you have small children there’s not much they can do (we didn’t go to the visitors center) so be sure to bring things to occupy them.

Jg W.

Reviewed Sep. 13, 2020

Goose Creek State Park - RV Camping

The RV park has full hook up which is wonderful. All the amenities are close together and accessible. We have stayed in some state parks where the water is literally 100' away! The bath house is heated which is really nice when going after dark. The shower water saver is ok but the water temperature from night to night is inconsistent; it ranges from tepid to really warm. The campsites are all setup on gravel and are fairly level. We got a good bit of rain while we were there but it didn't flood our site. The picnic tables are a heavy plastic so unlike the wooden at other campsites, should last a long time. The park grass is being allowed to grow to fill in the sandy area. The grass around the camping area is cleared. The camp roads are asphalt and great for walking and biking. The spacing between the RV sites is also good because they are spacious and setup in such a way you are not looking left at your neighbors window and he's looking at the neighbor beyond that! A short distance further into the campground are the'primitive' camps. Shortly after we stopped at the parking area, we were told by a park ranger to stay out of the rustic camp area. No explanation was given. The park has trails on the primitive side, a small dock for launching kayaks and canoes and a small beach area. None are allowable/accessible to the RV camper. From the water, later that day, we did see a small crowd gathered around a tent and being very boisterous. They were camped within feet of the water. Many RV campers were like ourselves, avid kayakers or canoers. Although a short drive(7 miles) to Dinah's Landing, it's still a drive. Go too late in the morning and parking will be an issue. We launched off of a sandy little beach area and had many options for exploration. Go far enough back and the real world will eventually disappear and it will be just you and nature. In the area surrounding the campground there are no local stores/gas stations available. We wanted to purchase some firewood but were unable to locate any closeby. There is a Food Lion and a Walmart located in Washington about 9-10 miles away as well as some food options if you don't want to cook. I think like any campground, there is room for improvement. Maybe, since the RV sites are so new, there will be new amenities coming in the next year. We sincerely hope for the RV side, access to the water is created. We have stayed there twice and appreciate the solitude just not having to drive to load/unload our kayaks just to get in paddle time.

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Month of VisitSeptember

Elizabeth V.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2020

Primitive camping

We did primitive camping, and they were way nice, very spread out and the kids brought their bikes and that's what they did most of the time, and we felt like it was safe enough for them to go bike riding. There was a place where we could put off on a kayak or go fishing

They have little cabins that are not too expensive either that have air and heating, if we go in the summer again we will probably do those

The only thing we mentioned was it would not be very fun if you went with a group because the places were so spread out and where not big enough to have more than one tent each

The bathrooms did not have running water, but they do a composting type of toilet and it did not stink at all and they were always very clean.

Great trip despite the flat tire!

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Elizabeth V.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2020

Great trails and hikes

The tar trail was a lot of fun for my kids to run and get some energy out! The educational center was great and had so many interactive activities.

Stephen M.

Reviewed Jul. 30, 2020

Great and New Campground

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.

Amy J.

Reviewed Jun. 27, 2020

Serene

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.

Anna B.

Reviewed May. 30, 2020

Nice spot in eastern NC

Booked a tent site and later a cabin as well since we were unsure about the weather. The tent sites were nicely situated and far apart from each other. The vault toilet was very clean. The site is peaceful and since the weather was pretty bad, it was quiet and only a few sites were occupied.

The cabins are new and clean, with AC/heat and electricity and a nice outdoor setup with a grill and fire pit aside each one. They are located in the cleared RV park, not the woods, so don't expect to feel like you are staying in nature if you book a cabin. The shower facilities are very nice too. Overall, cabins are a great option if the weather is bad or you don't want to stay in a tent.

Plan for bugs - ticks and mosquitoes are a given in the summer. Also, the swimming beach is closed as of May 2020.

Month of VisitMay

Brittany L.

Reviewed Oct. 8, 2019

Definitely a campground to visit at least once!

If you have a chance, definitely check out Goose Creek State Park. My husband, son, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and myself stayed at the park this past weekend, and we had a wonderful time. We stayed at campsite 11, and we had plenty of room for our two tents, two vehicles, a pup, a toddler, and the supplied picnic table, fire pit, and additional charcoal grill. The one negative about spot 11 is there’s a hiking trail that run directly behind the campsite, so it feels like people are constantly walking through your campsite. Spots 1-10 were definitely a bit smaller, and spots 11-14 are larger. If we were to stay again, I believe we’d try to stay at site 13.

The fishing dock is quite small, but it was fun to fish from with a few people. Be sure to bring bug spray! The worst for me was the biting flies. There is one outhouse-type bathroom near the dock with a spigot and dumpster nearby. There are about 10 steps leading up to the one-person, non-flushing bathroom.

There’s a wood station at the campground that uses the honor system. It’s $5 per bundle. We visited the visitors center in the hopes that they would have live bait for sell, but they sell nothing of the sort (no ice, bait, fishing rods, etc). So bring everything you need other than wood!

Overall, I’d give the campground 4.5/5, and I certainly recommend it! Try to stay in sites 11-14 if possible.

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Megan A.

Reviewed Jul. 28, 2019

Great little park!

The whole park is awesome! Just be prepared to see stinky, brown water lol Definitely suggest showering after visiting here (if you go swimming)

Stacey S.

Reviewed Jul. 3, 2019

Great sites on the water

Great sites right on the water . Will need bug spray.

Keturah K.

Reviewed Apr. 16, 2019

Favorite place to camp!

Absolutely love this campsite! It’s clean, quiet, and the views are hard to beat!

Laura B.

Reviewed Jul. 21, 2018

State Park with primitive camping

Great primitive camping, tent only. There are water spigots, no electricity, and very clean , non smelly vault toilets. There are several short hiking trails that I would rate easy. There is also a swimming area that is free. We did have a run in with fire ants at our campsite. Overall, clean and quiet.

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Month of VisitJune

chelsea S.

Reviewed Jun. 9, 2018

Great private campsite

awesome!

Katrin M.

Legend

Reviewed Jun. 7, 2018

What a gem in beautiful nature.

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.

Month of VisitApril

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Charles G.

Reviewed May. 14, 2018

Great place for a weekend

The camp sites are well maintained with a picnic table and fire pit area. Small gravel used on a dedicated tent area. We had a second larger tent on the site too. Bathroom near camp site. Wildlife walks right by, several deer on our trip. Took kayaks and paddle boards with us and put right in at the dock. Good places to explore around on the water. I had several 13 year olds for a birthday trip and they had fun. A separate beach area if you like for swimming. Ranger was very nice and kept a check periodically. Definitely recommend it for overnight or a few nights.

Month of VisitMay

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Maureen C.

Reviewed Jul. 6, 2017

Great spot with lots of things to do

Our campsite was right on the Pamlico river. There was a great spot to watch the sunrise/sunset directly behind our campsite with benches. Also close to our campsite was a dock to fish off of or to launch a kayak. The campgound has really neat hiking trails and a swimming beach. The park ranger told us about a neat program at the park, where they will loan out fishing poles for free, they are great poles and we ended up catching over 20 fish!

SitePrimitive Camp site #13

Month of VisitJuly

Tim H.