Best campgrounds a few hours away from Fayetteville

Rachael Riley, The Fayetteville Observer
·4 min read

For those looking for vacation getaways on a budget, there are plenty of places to pitch a tent or park an RV in North Carolina.

Selecting the best campgrounds can be subjective based on privacy, access to bathrooms and showers or hookups for recreational vehicles, while distance may also factor in.

Below are state and national park campgrounds within three hours of Fayetteville that generally cost $35 or less and what they offer, from sites with mountain or water views.

Raven Rock State Park

• Distance from Fayetteville: About 34 miles

• Address: 3009 Raven Rock Road, Lillington

• Campsite cost per night: $26-$36

• Amenities: The campground has a bathhouse with toilets and hot showers. There are also potable water spigots and trash and recycling bins around the campground loop. Nine RV sites offer full electric hookup and water and sewer, while 15 additional sites are available for tent and trailer camper with tent pads, a fire ring, picnic table and a lantern hook.

• Activities: The park features a 150-foot-tall natural formation known as Raven Rock that overlooks the Cape Fear River. The park includes hiking and biking trails with other attractions like Lanier Falls and Fish Trap Rapids.

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

• Distance from Fayetteville: About 61 miles

• Address: 280 State Park Road, Apex

• Campsite cost per night: $33-$65

• Amenities: The park has three campgrounds, including Crosswinds with 185 sites for RVs, tent or trailer camping; Parkers Creek with 250 sites; and Poplar Point with 579 sites. Each campground has electric and water hookups, picnic tables, grills and shower and restroom access.

• Activities: The park features 15 miles of hiking trails with views of Jordan Lake, paddling, swimming, fishing and boat access. The lake is “one of the largest summertime homes of the bald eagle,” with an observation platform.

Carolina Beach State Park

• Distance from Fayetteville: About 109 miles

• Address: 1010 State Park Road, Carolina Beach

• Campsite cost per night: $26-$36

• Amenities: The campground has 79 campsites of which 10 have full electric, water and sewer hookup. The campground has a bathhouse with toilets and hot showers. There are also potable water spigots.

• Activities: The park offers hiking, boating, paddling and fishing and is home to the Venus flytrap. The fresh waters of the Cape Fear River, the estuarine waters of Myrtle Grove Sound and the salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean are all nearby.

Carolina Beach State Park was the second most visited state park in North Carolina in 2020 with 1.5 million visitors, marking a 78-percent growth over 2019.
Carolina Beach State Park was the second most visited state park in North Carolina in 2020 with 1.5 million visitors, marking a 78-percent growth over 2019.

Hammocks Beach State Park  

• Distance from Fayetteville: About 124 miles

• Address: 1572 Hammock Beach Road, Swansboro,

• Campsite cost per night: Cost: $15 plus ferry ride

• Amenities: There are 11 campsites via ferry, private boat or paddling only, and another three sites accessible by private boat or paddling only. Water and a bathhouse with hot showers are located at Bear Island,

• Activities: Hammocks Beach State Park comprises a mainland area and three barrier islands, including the 4-mile-long Bear Island. A passenger ferry transports visitors to the beach, which provides an opportunity to camp oceanside. Hiking, paddling, swimming and fishing are available.

Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro is a short drive and offers a small museum, camping, picnic areas and a short ferry ride to Bear Island.
Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro is a short drive and offers a small museum, camping, picnic areas and a short ferry ride to Bear Island.

Pilot Mountain State Park  

• Distance from Fayetteville: About 142 miles

• Address: 1721 Pilot Knob Road, Pinnacle

• Campsite cost per night: $12-$23

• Amenities: The 42-site campground includes 15 non-electric RV spots and two primitive camping areas. A bathhouse, toilets, water, fire rings and picnic tables are available.

• Activities: Within the 2,000-foot Pilot Mountain, Big Pinnacle and Little Pinnacle provide views of the Piedmont, Sauratown Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains. Rock climbing and rappelling are allowed on portions of the park’s steep cliffs. The park, which connects to the Yadkin River, allows paddling, and fishing and has 16 trails, with 14 miles for hiking and nine miles for horseback riding.

The Pilot Mountain State Park's summit area offers this view of the iconic geologic formation near Winston-Salem.
The Pilot Mountain State Park's summit area offers this view of the iconic geologic formation near Winston-Salem.

Stone Mountain State Park

• Distance from Fayetteville: About 180 miles

• Address: 3042 Frank Parkway, Roaring Gap

• Campsite cost per night: $26-$33

• Amenities: The family campground has 90 campsites with a tent pad, picnic table, a fire ring, grill and nearby toilets and hot showers. There are 40 electrical hookup sites available for tents, RVs, pop-up campers, travel trailers or vehicle camping. Each campsite has electric hookups.

• Activities: Stone Mountain State Park is home to the 600-foot high granite dome that is a designated National Natural Landmark and the historic Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19th century farm situated at the mountain base. The park also features waterfalls, creeks and streams. About 20 miles of hiking trails are offered, along with 10 miles for horseback riding, fishing and rock climbing.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: North Carolina camping spots near Fayetteville