Canoe Landing Group Campsite — James River State Park

Not sure why this is showing up as “closed for the season” because we stayed here in June 2023. The “festival” Bateaux and Banjos was underwhelming to say the least. There weren’t any good places to swim besides the kayak/boat launch areas, which as you can imagine is crowded and busy. We stayed in the primitive campground and there is nearly ZERO ranger presence. Our neighbors were noisy, obnoxious, and trashy into the wee hours of the morning, and were up again at an ungodly hour carrying on and cursing. On more than one occasion during quiet hours they woke another neighbors kid, so that kid was screaming all night. If you want to camp at a redneck state park, go for it. Otherwise, stick to a day trip because the river is pretty and there are plenty of picnic tables and grills and shelters for day use.

Very fun place to camp and explore. Nice trails for the kiddos and adults. Clean restrooms and showers.

Campsite was right next to lake, beautiful views and easy water access. While we were there in April we only saw a couple other groups, and no other campers were anywhere near us. Bit of a walk to campsites from parking/bathroom. If hauling lots of gear it’s not very easy. Worth the peace and quiet of being away from cars, and in a great spot.

I love the camp site and the lake but the boat needs improvement

We kayaked to our camp site and it was private and secluded. The views on the lake are breath taking. Just make sure you are good with a map, the staff were unable to give us directions to the campsite.

Overall, Paddy's Creek is really nice. The bath house seems nearly new & clean. The sites are all nicely taken care of, & even though they're a little close together there are enough trees to separate them. Also, down the hill ~100 yards, through the forest, was a nice little private "beach" on the lake!

One note: The camping area for sites 6 & 7 are about 8-10 steps down from the parking pad. This wouldn't be a problem if you're ground camping, in fact, it may even be a bonus because it gives you even more privacy! But we have a roof top tent, so it wasn't ideal to have our vehicle & tent a little disconnected from the fire & table area. It's not a deal breaker, but I, personally, wouldn't book these particular sites for a roof top tent.

Snagged a site in the Paddy's Creek area last minute not thinking to check the weather... but we had a great time despite the storms! 

Lake James is huge and gorgeous, and the beach swimming area is really nice! Kids had a blast in the nice clear water on a HOT August day & got to watch the boats zip by while having picnic lunch. Did a little canoeing before thunderstorms began in earnest. Set up camp QUICK & the fam huddled in the tent while I stayed out and cooked hot dog dinner during a break in the storm 😂 had super lots of fun, rain felt great. Next day the weather was lovely, but we had to go. Wish we could have stayed longer.

Our site (P05) was kind of small, but it was really peaceful & set away from other sites. And because it was storming, there were hardly any people there! Really quiet and you felt like you had your own space. The tent pad & surrounding gravel area filled with water pretty fast in the downpour, but dried out quickly after. BIG mud puddle right beside us, though. 

Nice trail meandering behind the campsites that led to another part of the lake. Pretty blue water! Looks like there was a burn in the last couple years – many of the tree trunks were still scorched. 

Bathrooms were the nicest I've seen in a state park. Really big & modern.

Firewood is locked up, but rangers put some out periodically and you just put cash in a little box on the honor system. Snag some early if you see it so you're not sitting around like me at first, woodless. Signage around the park says that picking up fallen branches for fires is prohibited. 

P05's bear box did not lock or latch properly, so good luck if a bear does wander by... or just keep food in the car. 

When we go back (in good weather!) I'd like to try one of the paddle-in campsites <3

Awesome place. Crazy raccoons.

Boat in sites. Tent camping. Reserve early, especially weekends.

Have fun!

We typically camp at the Catawba location and enjoy the views of and access to Lake James. We have learned to steer clear of weekends, though, as the boating noise and traffic can be excessive and make paddle boarding and kayaking a little less fun. Site 10 has good access to the water for tubes, SUPs and kayaks, but there is also a dock if you want to bring a boat over from one of the launches. This is a hike-in campground and there are a few stairs, so pack lightly. Bugs can be an issue, so don’t skimp on the repellant. Otherwise the bathrooms are very clean and the showers are hot. During the week, the campground is fairly quiet and rarely full. There are 3 hikes of varying lengths, none difficult, all worthwhile.

This was my first-ever camping trip and I’m glad that it was here. We stayed at site 11 in location 2 on the Lake James campgrounds; it’s a paddle-in-only location. Getting there required canoeing in, which was easy for us to do on the lake’s dock. (We rented canoes from CBS a ways away.) The trip is beautiful, especially at sunset.

Our campsite was clean and came with a picnic table, a fire and a bear box. We were able to fit 2 tents and 6 camp chairs in the space; a little snug with 6 people and 3 dogs but totally doable. We bought firewood locally, but someone came by on a bike the first night offering to sell us some, too. A few other campers walked past with dogs but mostly it felt very private.

We canoed to the beach at Lake James on Saturday. The water isn’t the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, but it’s perfectly fine for adults to take a dip in. They allow floaties, which is great, but sadly no dogs on the main beach. We also got ice cream and iceees from the concession stand. Also, no alcohol allowed, but that was actually kinda nice because there weren’t loud drunk people anywhere. Lots of families were BBQing and picnicking at the beach.

The bathroom at camp was somewhat primitive—just a toilet with a hole in the ground. It didn’t smell terrible but it gets very hot inside. No sink, but there is toilet paper and Purell. Definitely bring lots of your own hand sanitizer and wipes, if you need to feel super clean. Our campsite was private enough that I felt OK peeing in the woods.

The bugs (mosquitoes)were not too bad with bug spray on. There were spiders and centipedes around and a no poisonous black rat snake. No bears, but lots of loud frogs at night. 🐸

James River State Park is beautiful! The Canoe Landing camping area is spacious with fire rings, and lots of room to set up tents right along the river. The parking area is very close by, and the bathrooms, while more primitive, are close by as well. There are tons of trails to explore in this park, and the views in this campground can't be beat!

We decided to do some cold weather camping so we made our reservation in December, packed up our bags and a canoe and went off to Lake James. It. Was. Awesome. For one, we were the only people at the "boat only access" sites. Secondly, the bathroom was super clean and the sites were awesome. Then.. last but not least a baby raccoon was hanging out nearby that we got to watch from a lil distance, and baby raccoons are adorable.

I'd definitely go back!

My husband and I car camped at Paddy Creek in Lake James State Park and were surprised to find such great amenities. The bathrooms were clean and convenient from all the sites. There was water available at our site and neat trails down to the lake.

We stayed at P33 in Paddy’s Creek. Site was super clean and short walk to the bathhouse that was pristine. Water pumps/faucets are at every other site so you don’t have to go far. The camp hosts were super friendly and informative on trails as well as assisting with fishing spots. They routinely monitored all the campsites for any issues and brought bundles of wood that were cheap to purchase and burned wonderfully.

Me and my boyfriend stayed here during our road trip through VA, we stayed in late January. It was COLD, but I love a camping challenge. We got there in the dark and had no clue what we were walking into. The bathrooms were compostable toilets, the sites were beautifully maintained. On the way we got a personal call that the campground was quite flooded and they recommended different sites. When we woke up it was beautiful! We saw in the early morning a coyote and a great horned owl. We also saw many types of hawks, song birds, and eastern bluebirds! I was amazed by the sheer amount of wildlife. The cabins on the other hand, were breathtaking. They were absolutely beautiful with amazing views. I felt like I was in the midwest! I will 100% return to this campground to just enjoy the park instead of rushing out!

Lake James is by far the clearest body of water I have been on in NC. Kayaked to the Long Arm camping are #1 and stayed at campsite #6. Great site along with site #5–both are premo paddle-in-only camping spots on the water and have a small beach front to tie up your vessels. Picnic table, fire ring and a very large metal storage cabinet to keep any would-be vermin out of your food. Very peaceful area for relaxing, fishing and enjoying the lake. Firewood for sale at $5 a bundle from the camp host if you need it. Communal privy. No running water. Must pack all trash out. 10/10, would do again.

Camping along the river at the Canoe Landing Campground is great in the slower seasons. The sites are pretty close together so I’m sure it would be much more cramped when it’s busy but it’s a beautiful place. And you can fish right off the bank less than 50yards from your tent.

Camping along the river is great in the slower seasons. The sites are pretty close together so I’m sure it would be much more cramped when it’s busy but it’s a beautiful place. And you can fish right off the bank less than 50yards from your tent.

Lake James is one of North Carolina’s most desolate locations. Hike in, hide your food, and wait for the bear. Right on the water way, the picturesque scenery of the lake is beyond compare.

Jrsp has activities and camping to accommodate everyone. Primitive camping loop, r.v.. loop, equestrian loop, cabin loop, and riverside camping and group available. Several shelters avail for use also. Several miles of trails in the sprawling park can be used by hikers , bikers, and horseback. Canoe livery rents tubes and kayaks for use. Boat launch and pick up service avail at end of float. No motors. Fishing opportunities include James river and a few ponds. Breathtaking views are plenty in this beauty of a park. Very nice quiet area at night. You can hear and see trains that parallel the river on the other side and can see a river crossing as goes over the tye river where it enters the james from the tye river overlook. Offers an amazing view of area from an elevated platform that can be accessed by hike bike or wagon ride! In any case much to see and do at James river state park!

A lot of effort was put into remodeling the bathhouses, making them surprisingly welcoming. Many variations of tent sites available and sites are easily located.

We stayed at a drive-up site at the east end of the Paddy's Creek campground. Sites were spaced apart well at the end. It was a rainy weekend, and I thought there were not enough trees close enough to our site to help with tying out a tarp for rain cover. There is a bear locker at each site for food that also came in handy for keeping firewood dry. Short walk across cul-de-sac for a water pump. Long walk to the bathhouse, easier to drive when daughter really had to go. Shower was nice, it just needed another shelf in the dry area or some more hooks. Had to drive a few miles each day for bags of ice. The lake was great, nice for swimming and kayaking. Overall, the negatives were minor and we had a good stay.

The view from our campsite was amazing. Right at the lakes edge with a view of Short Off mountain across the lake. Only thing is the camp site is a quarter mile from the parking lot so you have to carry everything to your site.

We spent one night with our dogs at the walk-in campground at James Lake. It is a wonderful piece of nature. The campsites are far away from each other. Everything was very clean and taken care of. Our tents were very close to the lake so the dogs had fun and enjoyed swimming. Hiking trails are near by as well. It's quit a walk to the campsites but they provide wheelbarrows to bring your stuff in. We would definitely recommend this campground.

Paddys Creek Drive-in Tent Camping 

I know you can't control the weather but the night we tried to stay here, it POURED! I'll get to why it is an issue in a bit. The park and campground are one of the newest in North Carolina. The facilities are nice, new and clean. The campsites are big but on a hill with parking below the sites. The camp pad is surrounded by a wood frame. That is the catch - the wood frame! When it started to rain, the water pooled up in the camp pad area since it had no where to drain. In a matter of minutes, our tent was floating in 6 inches of water. We could have toughed it out but at this point it was early enough in the night to just pack up, mud, wet tent, wet dog and all. I would try again but I hope it doesn't rain.

North Carolina certainly puts its state park system as a priority! I am very impressed. This park is beautifully maintained, has myriad opportunities for recreation, and is in a scenic setting along Lake James and the Catawba River at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains. The park is quite large, and has an extensive set of trails for mountain biking as well as hiking, and the National Intermountain Historic Hiking trail also runs through the park. Water recreation includes kayaking, canoeing and boating with rentals available right in the oark, fishing, including trout fishing on the Catawba and feeder streams to it, and just lying on their beautiful beach—yes, even in December! Ranger led park programs are offered year round, this week included a natural history boat tour in the lake, and a naturalist talk on loons. The park encompasses several peninsulas and bays on Lake James, we were at Paddy Creek where there are nice drive in tent sites, but there are also more secluded walk in or hike in tent site options. The drive-in tent campground has a year round campground host, a brand new shower house and nice bathrooms, plentiful water pumps, and each tent site has a picnic table, steel fire ring, tent pad, and a well built “Bear Box.” Yes, this is bear country! Your food needs to be locked away in a bear box or you will have visitors

This site was very peaceful right on the lake. There were trails that I had a very relaxing morning walk on. The sunrise and sunset was absolutely stunning. The bathrooms were clean. The only bad thing about these sites are that they are quite a walk for someone out of shape or carrying a heavy load of camping supplies. It's up hill from the campsite to the parking lot which gets extremely exhausting. They do have a wheelbarrow for you to use, but it's still a trek. Otherwise a very nice site.

We only stopped here for an afternoon, but it was a very cool park with a mile jogging trail, some small rock climbing areas, and access to swim in the James River. The water seemed clear and cool on a Summer day and we had fun fighting the current. Note though-- would be careful swimming with children. Most areas are very calm but the river can get rapid at times!