I am planning a trip to the area for Memorial Day and have never been down there to camp. Can you camp on the beach? What are the best spots down there? Any random advice?

5/21/2011 6:27:23 PM

Surf City Family Campground is pretty good as long as you stay on the side without all the RVs. They have private beach access too.

5/21/2011 7:02:06 PM

been going there all my life...cant say that i've seen a camp ground, besides possibly the RV parks mentioned.

be sure to post if you find somewhere, could be something to do in the future

5/21/2011 7:27:40 PM

The one I posted has tent campsites, or at least they used to. It's been a long time since I've done camping on Topsail. Nowadays if I want to do beach camping I make the trek out to Buxton. I like the parkground campsite out there much more.

Looks like they still do:

Quote :

"40 full service sites, 40 tent sites, handicapped facilities available, pets allowed, and cable television available at campsites, phones available. Oceanfront. Address 2460 Island Dr., N. Topsail Beach, NC 28460 Distance from Jacksonville: 21.41 miles"

[Edited on May 21, 2011 at 7:58 PM. Reason : s]

5/21/2011 7:56:37 PM

Ill let you camp under my back deck for $20

5/21/2011 10:17:06 PM

Not exactly a wealth of information in this thread so far lol

5/22/2011 9:39:59 PM

hi may i intrude? I am looking for a campground on oak island. Does anyone have reviews of Long Beach Campground?

5/22/2011 9:49:54 PM

why aren't you allowed to camp on the beach in NC?

5/23/2011 9:10:52 PM

you can on some beaches

5/23/2011 9:29:20 PM

Which beaches?

5/23/2011 9:50:57 PM

Just go to Bear Island...it's not that far from Topsail.

5/23/2011 10:20:49 PM

Can't you still camp on Carolina Beach?

5/23/2011 10:24:21 PM

^ Somebody answer the man

5/23/2011 11:11:28 PM

It's not real clear on their site:
http://www.carolinabeachgetaway.com/outdoor/camping_parks.html
http://www.carolinabeach.org/site_new/pages/freeman_park.html

5/24/2011 12:36:27 AM

I gave you a campground, what more do you need

5/24/2011 8:13:33 AM

What about Kure/Ft Fisher?

5/24/2011 7:39:41 PM

holy shit it's expensive to rent a camp site wtf there's no place in NC you can just pitch a fucking tent near the water and chill for a few days?

5/24/2011 8:37:16 PM

If you are being literal about it then yes there are quite a few locations to camp near the beach in NC, mainly the national park seashore on the SOBX area. I don't know of a lot of actual camping locations on the beach on/near topsail other than bear island. Search for beach camping threads, there are at leeast a couple decent threads on it.

5/24/2011 9:06:24 PM

you can camp on core banks/cape lookout. you're gonna need a boat or you'll have to pay a ferry service to get over there, though.

5/24/2011 9:16:24 PM

I searched for camping threads and found very little and was shocked actually...

I really just want to camp somewhere by the ocean without fucking cops/rangers bothering me

5/25/2011 8:30:14 PM

you and everyone else

5/25/2011 9:16:11 PM

Quote :

"Here is my quick experience on beach camping 1. Carolina Beach North End: Best if you have a vehicle so you can drive up on it and camp. Generally my experience is you can find a spot all to your self if its not a big weekend. If camping gets old you can always roll into town or the pier right at the southern end of the area and find a good time. Can have bonfires below the high tide line. 2. Carolina Beach state Park: a good alternative to the North End. Campsites in the woods, sometimes can be really hot and buggy with no sea breeze during the night. You will have to drive to the beach but its still right there. 3. Hammocks Beach State Park, aka bear Island. I've only been once but I thought this island was very cool. It has beaches, Big dunes several rows deep, and then maritime forest behind that. It was probably less than a mile paddling through protected marsh to get out there but I think they also have ferries. I think it has designated camping spots and may require a permit but can't quite remember. It also has latrine facilities. 4. Shackleford Banks or Cape Lookout: Great spot, especially Shackleford. Shackleford won't be busy unless its a holiday weekend, it also has wild horses which ups the coolness factor. Lots of ferry services out to either of these leaving from harkers island. This paddle felt like much further than the paddle to bear island, I'm gonna guess 4-5 miles? It was also a much more open water paddle than anything I have experienced, some currents were noticeable. Both islands have beach, big dunes, and maritime forest. 5. Huntington Beach State Park. near myrtle beach its ok, you can camp right near the beach. most awesome part for me was the Atalaya. which is some old winter home for some artist. Its almost like a castle. areas I've never been: -The northern parts of Cape Lookout (portsmouth, etc). some ferries run up here. Probably less visited than shack or the southern part of cape lookout. -Masonboro Island. Never been here but have hear good things. 2 mileish paddle? I'm not sure if any ferry services run there or not. -Cumberland Island, Georgia. Don't know much about this but is supposed to be pretty cool "

I also don't have any experience on any of the outer banks (that arent lookout/shack banks). theres also a lot of private campgrounds that I don't really have any experience with either. I've camped at arrowhead campground on atlantic beach (was on the sound side). I thought it was meh, but was only two blocks to the beach.

[Edited on May 25, 2011 at 9:24 PM. Reason : arrowhead]

5/25/2011 9:20:50 PM

^By Carolina Beach north end he means Freeman Park. It costs $20 per vehicle per day and you need a 4WD or AWD vehicle to drive out on the sand. Camp and park as close to the ocean as the tide will allow. It's one of my favorite things to do in NC.

5/25/2011 9:40:13 PM

I was gonna recommend Ft Fisher offroad area which is about 3-4 times longer beach area but I just saw there's no overnight camping. Looks like Freeman Park or Bear Island would be your closest camping beaches. I'd say for a more adventurist style Bear Island would seem better and Freeman park is literally a gate away from Carolina Beach.

5/25/2011 10:41:08 PM

see about Laniers campground right near topsail on the mainland.

5/27/2011 2:18:06 AM

I've been there 6 yrs ago.

6/8/2014 4:30:41 PM