Carolina Beach State Park

Making our way up the eastern seaboard and starting our 3rd year of full timing, I'd originally scheduled us to stop at Little Pee Dee State Park in Dillon. But we were on our way to Jacksonville (NC) and in looking at the map I saw Carolina Beach State Park. It's minutes outside Wilmington (a great town with lots to do) and on the Cape Fear River.Easily reached we registered at the marina and then went back up the road to the campground which is well laid out, with very private sites (ours had a slight sidewards grade) with electricity and water. The bathhouse was a short walk down a pine needle path and clean with great showers. There is a Visitor Center with some nice displays and a small camp store at the marina check in site. The gates close at 9pm so nightlife is not possible if that's what you want unless you get a Lyft (which is available).
(*From the CBSP website: Not all campsites have identical amenities. Read the campsite information on the reservations website to preview photos of campsites; check availability and fees; and find out whether a specific site is handicap accessible; has access to water, bathhouses, or pit toilets; has electric hookup; and other important information.)
There are also cabins for rent.
There are a number of trails with views of birds, the swamp, Cape Fear River and Venus Fly Traps which are prevalent in this park.
The rangers are helpful and seemed to be circling around quite often and when we checked in we were advised to take a photo of the emergency numbers in case we needed them. We have done this before but it was nice to have the staff suggest it.
There are kayak, SUP and canoe rentals at the marina.
This is a campground we will return to both to do some water time as well as visiting Wilmington and Carolina Beach.

We visited Carolina Beach State park in early March. Loved it. Great hiking trails and beautiful views. It was too cold and windy to get the kayaks out but hope to do that next time. Close enough to bike into Carolina Beach as well. Highly recommend.

They only have a handful of sites that have hookups. We were at site 10 which had hookups.

Stayed here for 1 night in our 25 foot motor home. When we pulled up we weren't sure where to park - our site pad was split nearly in half with a tree in the middle! After parking and reparking we were able to squeeze in without any damage to the vehicle but I can't understand why they would list this as an rv site. Its simply not wide enough. Our site was also a no hookup site. There were lots of water spigots and a dump station nearby.

We had a good thunderstorm move through while we were here so we couldn't do much exploring. Mosquitoes were out, making things a little uncomfortable.

Nearby Wilmington is fun to stop in and check out.

This campground was a dream. The sites are huge, treed and fairly level compared to the other campgrounds I have stayed at. The sites are well space so you barely notice anyone else. Since we stayed during shoulder season the park wasn't busy and the bath house was fairly clean.

Access to Carolina Beach is so easy and it's even being possible to take a bike trail and avoid traffic. I can't say enough good things about this park. If I had to come up with a complaint it would be that it's hard to get a reservation because there are so few sites.

They have 10-12 electric/water sites but those fill up fast so reserve them online if you can. If you can be self contained for a few days, they have water spigots and clean bathrooms with warm showers. Lots of wooded big sites with lots of privacy right near the water and lots of hiking trails that you can take your dog on. They also have a trail where you can see Venus flytraps, it is one of the only places in the world where they grow natively. Really cool to see them. For fisher is a nice place to walk around or you can bike from the campground. Great brewery right near the campground that you can take your dogs into with you (good hops brewing).

They also have some cute cabins that you can rent too.

It takes a small act of God (or very advanced planning) to get a reservation at this park, but I can see why it's so popular. A secluded state park near the beach is hard to find! There is a beautiful marina which is the perfect spot to watch the sunset as well as hiking trails for your dog. Sites are spacious. The restrooms are in an odd location and difficult to find if you arrive at night. They are in the center of the camping circle with no real marked paths. We had to cut through campsites to find the small bathrooms, but they were clean with hot water.

The best part of the campground it that location! Minutes from Carolina Beach, but for easier and less crowded beach access, drive down to Kure Beach! Dogs are allowed on the beach until March 31st, and parking is free until then. If you are a craft beer lover, be sure to check out Good Hops which is literally around the corner. Dog-friendly place with great beer, people, and even a disc golf course. The only downside is that they lock the gates at 9:00 so it limits nighttime activities. Plan accordingly!

The campground sites are very spacious, surrounded by tall pines. The bathroom/shower facilities were very clean. They do have hot water in this state park. Lots of water spigots dotted throughout the campground if you need water jug refills. There are quite a few hiking trails in the park and this is the only area where Venus fly traps grow naturally!

You are within walking distance to a local brewery (Good Hops) and within driving distance to beachfront and a few miles away from Wilmington and Fort Fisher aquarium.

Several grocery store and convenience store options within a few minutes drive. (Wake n Bake donuts, the Southerly Biscuit and Pie and the Gulfstream restaurant are our local favorite places to eat).

The sites are great. You have a fire ring and plenty of water points throughout the area. Even better that a grocery store is very close by should you need any last minute items.

We were lucky to snag 1 of the full hookup spots for a week. There aren't many of these but the ones they have are large, private and very affordable.
This park is shady, has a few good walking trails and is convenient to Wilmington. Wilmington is a fun town with a lot of restaurants, breweries and shopping. The beaches are close by. We trekked down to Ft Fisher Historic area beach because that beach is dog friendly. The town is also quite dog friendly. For the price you really can't beat this state park. Cell speeds were great. Verizon was 65 d/l and ATT 31 unboosted. Good OTA stations.
The bathroom situation was odd. It was way in the middle of the park and you had to either walk through an empty (don't be a jerk) campsite or walk WAY around to 1 of only 2 entry points. I have never seen anything like this and it was way deep in woods so if you had to go in the middle of the night, that would be a little scary. Staff was friendly but not intrusive. Trash was very convenient with trash cans every couple of sites. Roads were in good condition and access was easy.

How did it take us so long to discover this place? We had a very spacious pull-through site with full hookups. We took our pups an a few walks down to the sandy beach by the river. Our night was very tranquil and relaxing. We'll definitely be back!