Hammocks Beach State Park Campground

First time here, and really liked it. Access will be a challenge for some. There is a state ferry that runs through the day 9in season), but does not allow a cart to carry stuff. It’s a long walk! We took a private ferry (Pogie’s in Swansboro 5/5 stars) so we could bring what we wanted. We took a lot! With food, coolers, camp stuff, stuff stuff, we took two trips to get everything to the campsite. A cart ($100 from Harbor Freight) was a key to getting to the site alive (we are older)! There is a paved path from the dock to the beachfront, but then deep sand bogged the cart down. Still helpful. The site was clean, with one picnic table. The bathhouse was clean and had a hot shower. Water is available. Cell service (Verizon) varied from none to 5G UW! Came and went inexplicably, but mostly there. I do not know about AC power for charging, so be prepared to have battery or solar recharge capability. There are important things to know:

• Some sites are accessible only by a kayak, etc. They do not have long walks to the site but are a very long walk to the bathhouse.
• Sites are widely spread out, so you could end up a mile from water and bathhouse
• There are NO trash cans or trash collecting points (even in the bathrooms), so you have to pack trash out.
• There is very little shade at the primitive site areas, so hot, sunny days can be challenging. You can hang at the large shelters at the bathhouse, I suppose. Carrying a pop-up shelter would be grueling. A light sunshade would be good.
• During on-season, when the ferry is running, there are LOTS of people that come for day-beach visits, so it can get crowded near the bathhouse. The sites themselves would be remote enough to not be a problem.
• Get up EARLY for shelling, as professional shelters get there early to find good specimens.

Bear Island’s seclusion and minimalist amenities are what make this place a hidden gem.

That being said, you do have to be comfortable being left on the island between 6pm-9am every night unless you kayak in. The ferry only runs during the day between 9ish-6pm.

Also, be prepared to backpack in all your supplies a minimum of a mile from the ferry drop to your campsite. Other campsites are a farther trek. Lightweight gear is a must.

Bring shade with you. It’s hot between 12-3 and there’s no natural shade. We took the ferry to the mainland during this time each day to pack out trash, bring more clothes from our car and stop at the grocery store for ice.

You also must pack out all trash. There are no trash cans on the island. The only other people on the island are interns studying the sea turtles and other campers. Day visitors come to the beach too.

The amenities were great for what was available. Small concession stand. Restrooms, outdoor showers, pavilions and a shower for campers.

My only suggestion would be to add an actual door to the camper only shower in the restroom with an interior lock. Having only a shower curtain to block from other people visiting the restroom does not work well. The curtain was opened multiple times while I was in the shower.

Still, you know it’s more of a shower-at-your-own-risk deal but it would make it more comfortable and practical. Especially when having to shower your toddler who want to escape Lol

It takes planning to go with kids but it’s totally doable. We had a 2 and 9 year old and they did great. We plan on returning next year.

We stayed at site 14, which is on the other side of the island and is only accessible on a boat. We kayaked from the park office and boat launch. The route was difficult for me, the tide was coming in plus a strong wind, it took us about an hour to get to the island. The site itself was perfect, much better than the rest as much as we could see as we looked around. It's located in the woods with a nice shady clearing, its own very private little beach. We kayaked to the beach and walked around to see the ferry dock.

Make sure you know the tide schedule. The water levels are changing pretty dramatically during the day. 

We also experienced a  lot of mosquitoes during the night on the island, but it probably depends on the weather.

The fires are not allowed on the island, which requires some thoughts around cooking and reheating food. 

Overall I would say it was a very unique experience.