Established Camping
Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore
About
National Park Service
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Overview
Located in the famous Outer Banks area of the stunning North Carolina coast, this campground is perfect for a beach getaway trip.
Recreation
The seashore provides a place for active recreation or for quiet reflection. Campers can visit a lighthouse, look for seashells, go fishing and clamming or just sit back and enjoy the peace and beauty of the white sandy beaches. More active recreational activities include swimming, kayaking and windsurfing. Bird and wildlife viewing is also a popular pastime for campers. The seashore provides a home and habitat for creatures large and small, on land and in the water.
Facilities
Ocracoke Campground is only accessible by ferry or aircraft. Campsites are located on sandy soil, so campers are encouraged to bring extra long tent stakes. Flush toilets, drinking water, cold showers and grills are all provided for a more comfortable beach camping experience. The campground is conveniently located on the ocean side, separated from the beach by barrier dunes.
Natural Features
Ocracoke Campground sits on a barrier island along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The shore a recreational oasis for beach lovers. This ribbon of sand provides some of the most dazzling scenery that the Atlantic coast has to offer.
contact_info
For facility specific information, please call (252) 475-9018.
Nearby Attractions
Nearby Ocracoke Village offers restaurants, gift shops, grocery stores, a gas station and tackle shop.
Fee Info
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonAvailable
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileAvailable
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Big Rig Friendly
Loved the Easy Beach Access
This was the third of the four Cape Hatteras Nat’l Seashore campgrounds we stayed in. It had a similar feel to the Oregon Inlet campground. It’s also $28/night, and like the others, you must reserve the site through recreation.gov. We pulled in without a reservation, picked a spot, then pulled up the app and reserved and paid. Recreation.gov doesn’t charge a service fee, which is nice.
We liked it here so much we added a second day. Really easy access to the beach. Campground was quiet and peaceful. We stayed here during off season in early November so I’d imagine it’s probably a completely different vibe in the summer. Watch out for spiny sand spurs(?) that stick in your dog’s paws and your socks- very painful and they’re all over the grassy areas.
OK cell service, Verizon was a little slow but ATT was ok. Wide open sky for solar panels and starlink. Loop D does not allow generator use at any time.
Dumpsters available, as well as plastic, glass, and aluminum recycling bins.
No wood fires allowed here.
Some sites have power and water for $35/night. There’s a dump station and water fill available. Like the other two campgrounds we stayed at, the showers are in this short door outhouse type setup, and our understanding is that the water is cold. We did not use the showers.
We were traveling south along the Outer Banks and the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke was very easy to ride with our 26ft class c RV, and it was free.
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Beach to Ourselves in November
Ocracoke - National Park campground in Ocracoke, NC: We stayed here in November a couple years ago. This time we drove through only for this review. We remembered how our previous November visit was so delightful. Crowds were absent at the campground, on the beach and in town. Lovely.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer with a desire for a campsite that has at least some visual privacy offered - after the trailer is in the spot.)
Overall Rating: 3
Price 2023: $ 14 w interagency pass
Usage during visit: Light
Site Privacy: Mostly a very open park like campground surrounded by low growing shrubbery.
Site Spacing: Moderate
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Required
Campground Noise: Quiet.
Road Noise: Not located near a highway.
Through Traffic in campground: No reason for a drive through. Best sites are on the outer loop, but there will be more traffic as campers come and go.
Electric Hookup: No
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Flush toilets
Showers: Yes
Cell Service (AT&T): Yes
Setting: Very open park like bordered by sand dunes
Weather: High in Themis 60s when we drove through
Bugs: Not this time of year.
Solar: Very good solar
Host: On duty. Their sites are near the entry
Rig size: Large rigs can find a spot
Sites: Most sites do not offer much if any visual privacy. Among our favorites, that offer some visual privacy after the trailer is backed in the site are B1, D1, D3, D5, D23, D25, D37. Other better sites: A1,7, B3,5,12, C1,3,5,7, D7,9,13,15,17,19,27,30. Some of these sites are pictured below.
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Peaceful Week
Super quiet, clean and chill campground. Easy bike to town. Great access to beach. Mosquitoes are bad but this is Ocracoke!
Location
Ocracoke Campground — Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located in North Carolina
Directions
The campground is located off North Carolina Route 12, three miles east of Ocracoke Village and ten miles west of Hatteras inlet ferry terminal.
Address
4352 Irvin Garrish Hwy
Ocracoke, NC 27960
Coordinates
35.1227778 N
75.9261111 W