$15 - $110 / night

Camper submitted image from Merchants Millpond State Park Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Merchants Millpond State Park Campground - 2

Nature

Camper submitted image from Merchants Millpond State Park Campground - 3

Water

Camper submitted image from Merchants Millpond State Park Campground - 4

People

Camper submitted image from Merchants Millpond State Park Campground - 5

Activities

Established Camping

Merchants Millpond State Park Campground

23 Reviews

About

State Park

Located in Gates County 10 miles south of North Carolina's northeastern border with Virginia, Merchants Millpond State Park centers on a 760-acre millpond more than 190 years old. Hiking the surrounding trails or paddling the placid, shallow waters of the pond offer a great way to explore this wetland environment. Old-growth cypress trees adorned with Spanish moss create an "enchanted forest," particularly at Lassiter Swamp. Visitors have even spotted the American alligator here, at the northernmost point of its range.

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Location

Merchants Millpond State Park Campground is located in North Carolina

Directions

Merchants Millpond is located in northeastern North Carolina in Gates County near the community of Gatesville. The park may be reached from US 158, NC 32 and NC 37. It is approximately 30 miles from the North Carolina cities of Ahoskie, Elizabeth City and Edenton and is also 30 miles from Suffolk, Virginia. From I-95, take US 158 east. Travel north on US 13/US 158 and turn right to follow US 158 east. Turn right on Millpond Road, go approximately 1/2 mile and turn in at the picnic area entrance. The Visitors Center will be on the right.

Address

71 US Hwy 158E
Gatesville, NC 27938

Coordinates

36.4453075 N
76.69409736 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Fair
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Equestrian

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
Showers
Drinking Water
Toilets
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Big Rig Friendly

$15 - $110

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

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Contact

General Info

Reservations

Charli R.

Ranger

Reviewed Feb. 21, 2024

Peaceful and quiet

We went for Valentine's Day weekend. Only a couple of other people were there, and we hardly saw them. We used site 11. I still think it's the best one, it's the largest, right next to the main trail head, & bath house trail right ahead of the site. The bath house was real nice. They had heaters running and they were so toasty, also very clean. Trails were nice too, we used our ebikes on the bike trail.

Site11

Month of VisitMarch

(8) View All

Tyler C.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 10, 2023

Ok campground, needs hosts

Stayed on Friday and Sat nights at family campground. Bathrooms ok but in need of maintenance. Park clean and well maintained. Biggest issue is the noise. Neighbors played music and were loud until well after midnight. Other neighbor had dog barking all night. Not a great campground for people with young kids like we have. We will be looking for campgrounds with onsite hosts in the future.

Site16

Month of VisitNovember

Kristi D.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 5, 2023

Quiet beautiful campgrounds

In the middle of nowhere, but it was peaceful and everyone was friendly. The trail system was magical. We hiked early in the am and it was such a therapeutic hike through the forest and swamp. Stayed in our Tepui tent and had a great time.

Site004

Month of VisitDecember

(5) View All

Kaylee G.

Guide

Reviewed May. 27, 2023

Wonderfully Shaded

Stayed a few nights leading up to Memorial day. Our site was a good size, and tent pad was nice. Lovely shaded site, and large picnic table. Did not have to use our popup shade. Downside were the large gravel throughout the site - tough for small dogs and crawlers. Nice 0.7 walk from the campsite to the visitor center to rent canoes! Just a short drive to some other trails. Enjoyed the Cyprus Point trail which you access at the boat ramp section of the park. If you canoe long enough, you'll come across two alligators who live in the pond.

Site8

Month of VisitJune

(7) View All

Boone

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 17, 2023

Amazing experience

The campsites are great with ample room for privacy, and easily accessible to the restrooms and trails around the pond. The visitor center is fantastic and offers canoe rentals as well as a spot to unload your own canoe or kayak.

I would recommend visiting in the cooler months of spring or fall. In April, the site was probably only 25% occupied and it’s still cool enough not to be bothered by mosquitoes.

Taking a canoe or kayak out to explore the pond and swamps is a must and total unique experience. Turtles, birds, cypress trees, and alligators.

Sitecamping spot 9

Month of VisitMay

Kent F.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 8, 2023

Quiet an calm

We tented here and really liked the campground. We stayed in the family campground since we had a vehicle. There are float-in and hike in spots we did not investigate. Our site was clean and separated well. The bathhouse was nice and warm and clean. The rangers were very nice. This has a much better swamp experience than the Great Dismal Swamp.

Site9 (no hookups)

Month of VisitMay

Harry F.

Scout

Reviewed Sep. 16, 2022

Close escape

Great campground. Very quiet and each tent site is very far from one another. You could have music or a generator going and not disturb your neighbor

Site17

Month of VisitOctober

Jim M.

Scout

Reviewed Sep. 13, 2021

Merchant Mill Pond

This is our go-to campground since it’s only a few miles from our house. Great park and nice campground with plenty to do. The only downside is that they don’t have any hook ups and it gets pretty hot in the summer months.

Siteseveral

Month of VisitMay

Smol W.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 13, 2021

Nice!

So we arrived pretty late. Around 7pm because we had a late start. Unfortunately we didn't stay because our site was hike in and I thought I did drive in. So we ended up getting a hotel instead. The staff were very nice and very knowledgeable. I wish we could have stayed. Next year we will definitely be more prepared and will visit this beautiful Campsite again.

Month of VisitOctober

Mark N.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 22, 2021

Alot extra time to find your camp

I enjoyed my stay at this beautiful park. Couple of suggestions, when I went they were not renting canoes so doing any pre trip planning wasn't easy. The kayak/canoe round was not easy to navigate so bring your 3rd party map/GPS. The maps they provide are almost useless because it outlines the terrain but because it's a swamp the terrain changes with the water level. Islands can appear out of nowhere. The campsite was clean and enjoyable. I would go again.

Sitecanoe in site 4

Month of VisitMay

Mark N.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 17, 2021

It's A Swamp

This park was great but do recognize that is a true swamp. Alligators included. The water there does not move therefore is not recommended for filtering for consumption. The campsights are pretty close together so don't expect privacy on a busy weekend. The scenery is TOP KNOTCH! Absolutely beautiful in the lake which is not well marked due to limited visibility in the swampy environment. Lots of underwater obstructions so use caution. U DO NOT want to end up in that water.

SiteCanoe in site 4

Month of VisitJune

todd B.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 7, 2021

Awesome canoe camping

My group and I stayed at the Benett’s creek high ground primitive camp sites 1-3. It was a 4.5 mile paddle to the site, then roughly 1.5 down to the dock with a staged vehicle. The only complaint is the houses near the sites had a dog that barked all night. Super annoying.

(4) View All

Edward H.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 9, 2020

Don’t consider going if your going to use a trolling motor

After seeing some of the pictures I decided to call them ask how bad all the algae and overgrowth was and was told it was pretty clear. That was not the case, if you don’t plan on paddling with a kayak or maybe a canoe don’t risk it. I was going to take a Jon boat with a trolling motor and there are countless limbs and the overgrowth is terrible you will not make it through. Not the place to consider going if you want to camp out and fish

William R.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2019

Not bad

Campsites are nice but be careful the wooden borders is included in dimensions. Nice bathrooms with hot showers. Over 5 miles of easy hiking good for everyone. Gas station right outside visitor center entrance in case you forget anything. Not very many people here so its nice and quiet.

Clayton T.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 13, 2019

Beautiful Hidden Gem!!

This cypress pond is a great place for anyone! They have a family campsite loop with a nice bathhouse in the middle, they have group walk-in and canoe in campsite and well as family canoe in. They have a fishing area and a on site canoe rental. The Millpond itself is huge!! They use a buoy navigational system on the water. No swimming though due to the huge Alligators that live there. Overall this is an affordable and momentous getaway that I visit every chance I get.

Myron C.

Legend

Reviewed May. 30, 2019

Campground with a Different Ecosystem--Woods and Swamp

Merchants Millpond is a great state park if you want to explore a different kind of ecosystem. The heart of the park lies in its swamps filled with cypress trees and cypress stumps. There are several camping areas of different kinds. You can canoe in to one of their primitive campsites, which is on an island in the swamp. There are other hike-in primitive sites, group camping sites, and there are also the family camping sites. I stayed at the family camping site and decided to set up my hammock instead of a tent. If you stay at Merchants Millpond, make sure you take and use insect repellent and lots of it. I had the biggest problem with mosquitoes and ticks. If you stay in a hammock, make sure it has mosquito netting. The family camping sites have tent pads, lantern poles, and fire rings. The bath house is centrally located within a short walking distance of all of the campsites. The showers have hot water, but the bath house itself looks outdated. The canoe-in site that I explored only has a pit toilet, but it did have fire rings and picnic tables. You can hike to the island by way of a wooden bridge across the swamp, but it is mainly for those who want to canoe in. If you can go off trail, you can see lots of wildlife. I had the opportunity to do so since I was invited to participate in a search and rescue exercise. I only saw one snake, which is unusual not to see more, but I also saw a deer and couple of turtles. There is a bicycle trail, but the one I hiked on the most was the Lassiter Trail, which has a few wooden bridges and opportunities to experience the eastern woodlands and great views of the swampy millpond. Fortunately, I did not run into any bears or alligators, which are common in this area. The visitors center is large and modern, and there is a meeting facility. The person that I talked to at the visitors center was pleasant and was able to answer my questions. The staff is great to work with, and I know this because I volunteered to teach camping skills to 4H kids a couple of years ago at this state park. Overall, it’s a great state park, but it lacks the amenities of modern RV parks.

Site14

Month of VisitJune

(17) View All

Rushell R.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 13, 2018

Amazing State Park

While this was quite a trek for us from Charlotte, it was worth it. We stayed five nights in March 2018 in the family campground. The site was clean and spacious, easy to maneuver our small (18ft) TT into. Although there are no hook ups, there are water points close to every site, and a centrally located bathhouse. We received enough sunlight during the day for our solar panels to keep any batteries that needed it (including the TT battery) charged up. The staff at the visitors center was incredibly friendly, including the rangers who were eager to answer any questions we may have had. We rented a canoe and toodled around the pond in search of the resident alligator which we found. They do advise of a known tick problem, but with taking the proper precautions we had no problem with us or the dogs. We will absolutely be back.

Sarah C.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 16, 2017

Cool & Unique Paddling

What a rare and beautiful eco-system the cypress swamp is! The state park offers several camping options: drive in, hike in and canoe in.

Each drive in site has a picnic table, fire ring/grill and tent pad. There are showers, spigots and restrooms for campers staying here. There are three canoe-in sites, two of them have pit toilets and the third requires you to pack out all waste. If you want to enjoy the amenities of the drive-in sites but want to spend time canoeing the pond (which I highly recommend) then that's certainly an option, too.

There aren't many eco-systems like this left so it's absolutely worth checking out.

Month of VisitApril

Becky E.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 9, 2017

Step Back in Time

We were looking for a reasonably quick (one overnight) camping trip that was different, but within a 2ish hour drive. Someone had once mentioned MMSP and so we decided to reserve 2 sites, and overnight canoes. It was everything we hoped for. The visitor's center was surprisingly modern. The check in process was seamless, the ranger gave us some great tips. Canoes are self service (you have to get them off the rack, get paddles and lifejackets yourself). Put in is easy, and they use a buoy system to help navigate to the canoe-in campsites. The cypress trees, swamp flora and fauna are amazing. One of my kids caught a gar, we saw a bald eagle's nest, snakes, frogs, turtles, and lily pads everywhere. Our campsites were not directly on the water. At first we were a little bummed the water front weren't available but it worked out for the best. Our sites were more private, a shorter walk to the pit toilet, and the trees provided a slight buffer from the tremendous sounds of the frogs at night!

SiteSite 9, 10, at the canoe-in family camp ground site

Month of VisitJune

Yakgal H.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 11, 2017

Awesome State Park

I recently visit Merchants Millpond State Park! It was incredible beautiful expertise for me, since I not kayak in a swamp before.

Upon visiting this park, I arrived at the Visitor center with a warm welcome and smile. The lady was very helpful, since I not know the park. She help get me arrange into family campground. Beautiful shaded, spaceless with woods campground with nice hot showers and bathrooms to access to. There are primitive campgrounds, that you need to paddle to in the swamp. I think that be great for people who like to adventure out. I saw these camps, they are setup very nice.

My paddling expertise on the water was awesome, for 2 days. So much nature and wildlife to see! Got beautiful photos of my experience. I admit, this is a beautiful place and I will return again.

I recommend visiting place, is awesome experience!

Heather R.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 16, 2017

Loved this place!

Our first time to Merchants Millpond State Park was awesome and we're already planning on coming back. We did the canoe-in camping and brought out Hobie kayaks (beware if you bring them our mirage drive seemed to find every downed tree or cypress knob under the water 😜) Buoys marked the different routes to the different areas of the park. Easy to follow. Sites are well maintained and not right on top of each other. All had firepits, grills, and a picnic table. There's a pit toilet towards the back to serve all of the canoe campsites. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I mean, it's a pit toilet but you can tell they kept it up nicely. Extra TP, hand sanitizer, etc. Tons of wildlife to see. Turtles, gators, snakes. Not a place I'd go in the summer because I'd imagine you'd get carried away by bugs but definitely a place to check out in spring or fall.

(9) View All

Chip G.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 12, 2017

These February days are why we live in the south...

The 12 trips in 12 months’ progress well. February’s outing was Merchants Mill Pond. What a great place. It probably helps that the bath house had just been redone with fresh paint. But that wasn’t the only thing. The park staff was friendly and the camp sites are nice and spaced well apart. Each site had a fire pit, tent site and picnic table. I am not sure that all the tent spaces were leveled, but if you pay attention when you set your tent up you should be fine.

I happened to be a glorious weekend in February and the temperatures were good enough for a hike in shorts and tee shirts. The trails were well maintained and it was a day well spent on the Lassiter Trail. The park also rents kayaks and there are marked water trails as well. Next trip will include a boat ride and a search for alligators (from a safe distance).

Good hikes, good campground and evenings by the campfire. Definitely on the places to return to list.

Alisa K.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 10, 2016

Site number 5

The sites are on the small side, especially the tent pad. The sites have good separation between them and don't feel crowded at all. Very well maintained. Very helpful rangers that stopped by daily to welcome us and to collect trash.