Bird/Wildlife Watching

Camp Cardinal - Gloucester Point

64 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 14 Tent Sites, 9 Cottages

Camp Cardinal at Gloucester Point, Virginia, offers 64 RV sites, 13 cabin and cottage units, and 14 tent sites on the York River, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. A dog park back-in category and patio pull-through tier join deluxe, standard, and water-and-electric categories, with a splash pad, laser tag, and boat ramp. Sixty-four sites span back-in deluxe 30-amp, back-in dog park 30/50-amp, back-in standard 30-amp, back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, patio pull-through 30/50-amp, and pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer, and the dog park sites cluster guests traveling with dogs together. Thirteen cabins and cottages and 14 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, RV storage, boat storage, and a snack bar handle the practical side. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a boat ramp, fishing pier, and beach opening the river for boating, paddle boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. Laser tag, a jumping pillow, arcade, game room, craft room, recreation center, gaga ball, sports courts, volleyball, basketball, billiards, horseshoes, gem mining, a playground, pavilion, community fire pit, dog park, and on-site dining fill the rest. Yorktown is five miles off and Colonial Williamsburg twenty. Summer drives demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

Natures Trace Park

17 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 1 Tent Site, 4 Onsite RV/Trailers, 1 Apartment, 2 Tiny Houses

In the quiet coastal plain of Pamlico County in eastern North Carolina, Natures Trace Park offers a gated, big-rig-friendly RV and tiny home community that puts serious fishing, hunting, and coastal waterway access within five minutes of the front gate. Located near Bayboro on the Bay River arm of the Pamlico Sound estuary system, the park serves outdoor-focused travelers who prioritize direct water access, guided experience options, and a secure and well-managed facility. If your trip is organized around the rod and the boat ramp, Natures Trace is built for exactly that. Full hookup sites accommodate big rigs with ease, and the gated entrance ensures a private and secure environment throughout the property. Cabin rentals provide a comfortable alternative for guests who prefer not to set up a rig for longer stays. A community fire pit and well-maintained pavilion create gathering spaces, and a general store, on-site laundry, and dedicated RV and boat storage mean the practical logistics of an extended fishing or hunting trip are well handled on-site. Fishing guides are available through partnerships with local outfitters, with discounted rates for park guests seeking guided access to the region's exceptional coastal fisheries. A storm shelter is available for guests during severe weather events, and the dog park accommodates the sporting dogs that often accompany serious hunting visitors. The Pamlico Sound estuary system surrounding Bayboro is one of the most productive inshore fishing environments on the entire East Coast. The Bay River, just five minutes from the park, provides boat ramp access to a waterway network that extends into the Pamlico Sound—the largest lagoon on the East Coast and one of the most significant marine ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic region. Striped bass, flounder, speckled trout, red drum, and bluefish populate these waters in numbers that attract serious anglers from well beyond the region. The coastal wetlands and tidal marshes bordering the sound are equally productive for waterfowl and shorebird observation, and duck hunting in the surrounding private lands is well-established. Bayboro and Pamlico County sit on the Inner Banks of North Carolina, a less-touristed zone between the Piedmont and the Outer Banks that offers genuine coastal character without the summer crowds of the barrier islands. The town of Oriental—known as the sailing capital of North Carolina—is a short drive from the park and provides excellent dining, a vibrant sailing community, and a working waterfront atmosphere. New Bern, the first colonial capital of North Carolina, is within easy reach for a day of history and the handsome restored downtown on the Trent and Neuse Rivers. The Outer Banks beaches are accessible for a longer day trip for those who want to add Gulf Stream fishing or ocean beach time. Natures Trace Park operates year-round in the moderate climate of coastal North Carolina, where mild winters make it a viable destination for snowbirds and year-round anglers alike. The fishing calendar runs through every month, with different target species at their peak across the seasons, ensuring that guests who return in different months find the experience genuinely varied. Reserve your site, arrange a guided trip through the park's outfitter partnerships, and discover why the Pamlico Sound country is one of the East Coast's best-kept fishing and wildlife secrets.

from $40/night

Sun Outdoors Cape Charles

428 RV Sites, 12 Tent Sites, 4 Glamping Sites

Sun Outdoors Cape Charles in Virginia offers 428 RV sites, 12 tent sites, and four glamping sites on the Chesapeake Bay, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Field view pull-through and premium 50-amp back-in categories join water-and-electric tiers, alongside a splash pad, fishing pier, mini-golf, and jumping pillow. Four hundred twenty-eight sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 30-amp water-and-electric, field view pull-thru, premium back-in 50-amp, premium back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, and premium pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with picnic tables. Confirm which tier you are booking — the water-and-electric categories do not carry sewer. Twelve tent sites, four glamping sites, and cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The property was formerly Cherrystone Family Camping Resort. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a beach, fishing pier, boat rentals, kayak rentals, and bike rentals opening the bay for boating, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, water sports, and fishing. Mini-golf, an arcade, jumping pillow, gaga ball, sports courts, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, corn hole, golf cart rentals, a playground, pavilion, dog park, snack bar, and on-site dining fill the rest, with live music and planned activities through the season. The Eastern Shore's wildlife refuges and the historic downtown of Cape Charles are both close. Summer is decisively the season on the bay. Reserve well ahead.

from $15/night

Dixon Landing RV Resort

28 RV Sites

On 130 acres of serene wooded land along Goose Creek in Pamlico County, North Carolina, Dixon Landing RV Resort offers a waterfront retreat that combines the tranquility of the Inner Coastal Plain with over 2,000 feet of creek frontage opening toward the broad Neuse River estuary. Located just 20 minutes from the historic river town of New Bern, the resort delivers full hookup RV sites and a natural setting rarely matched along the North Carolina coast—and its 2025 Campspot Award for "Top for a Quiet Getaway" signals that guests have noticed. For travelers who find the barrier island crowds too much, Dixon Landing is the quiet alternative. Sites provide 30 and 50-amp hookups with sewer and water, along with picnic tables and fire rings that invite lingering. A small dock and boat ramp give watercraft access to Goose Creek and, beyond it, the Neuse River and the vast waters of the Pamlico Sound. Kayak, paddleboard, and canoe rentals allow guests to explore the creek system without trailering their own boats. A clubhouse, camp store with snack bar, dog walk and dog park, laundry, and showers cover the essential amenities, while horseshoes, cornhole, bocce ball, and lawn games provide recreational entertainment between water excursions. Hiking and biking trails thread through the wooded property. Goose Creek's blackwater currents reflect the classic character of eastern North Carolina's coastal plain drainages—tannin-dark, slow-moving, and bordered by bald cypress, water tupelo, and sweetgum in a riverine forest that shelters river otters, wood ducks, and great blue herons in surprising numbers. The creek widens toward its confluence with the Neuse, where the views open to marshland and sky and the scale of the Pamlico Sound ecosystem becomes apparent. Osprey and bald eagles patrol the water year-round, and the spring and fall migrations bring wading birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl to the marshes and creek margins in impressive concentrations. New Bern, the colonial capital of North Carolina and birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, offers a beautifully preserved historic downtown centered on the remarkable Tryon Palace complex—the restored Royal Governor's Palace and formal gardens that rank among the finest colonial restoration projects in the country. The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, on the Bogue Sound side of Bogue Banks, provides an excellent introduction to the coastal ecosystem. Beaufort and Morehead City are accessible for ocean fishing charters, ferry trips to Cape Lookout National Seashore, and waterfront dining that takes full advantage of North Carolina's outstanding local seafood. Dixon Landing operates year-round, with spring and fall offering the most comfortable temperatures for kayaking the creek and exploring the estuarine wetlands. Summer is warm and humid but productive for fishing, and the resort's wooded setting provides meaningful shade. The quiet character of Goose Creek and the surrounding Pamlico County landscape makes this an ideal destination for those who define a great camping trip by the absence of crowds rather than the abundance of amenities. Reserve your waterfront site at Dixon Landing RV Resort and discover North Carolina's Inner Coast at its most peaceful and unspoiled.

from $40/night

Montebello Camping & Fishing Resort

38 RV Sites, 5 Cabins, 17 Tent Sites, 2 Cottages

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Nelson County, Virginia—less than three miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway where the Virginia highlands' apple orchards, vineyards, and the watershed of the Tye and Piney rivers create the elevated rural landscape that Nelson County's outdoor and agricultural community has built its identity around—Montebello Camping and Fishing Resort offers authentic log cabin and cottage rentals available year-round, full-service RV and tent camping from April through October, a 5-acre private lake with complimentary kayaks and paddleboats, a fee-based trout pond requiring no fishing license, and the historic country store that has occupied its Blue Ridge Mountain post since 1894, providing a camping and fishing experience in the Virginia highlands whose combination of mountain setting, free-use lake, and license-free trout pond makes it the most complete fishing resort on the Nelson County side of the Blue Ridge. The trout pond needs no license. The country store has been open since 1894. Log cabins and cottages available year-round provide the enclosed accommodation for the Blue Ridge winter visitor whose mountain hiking and wine country touring calendar runs twelve months, while the full-service RV and tent sites with electric hookups, restrooms, showers, dump station, and laundry provide the spring-through-fall camping infrastructure from April through October. The 5-acre private lake's complimentary kayaks and paddleboats eliminate the boat rental transaction and create the self-directed water recreation that the lake's fishing, the leisurely paddle around the mountain-reflected perimeter, and the wildlife watching from the water deliver without additional daily charges. The fee-based trout pond—no fishing license required—provides the accessible, managed angling experience that non-licensed guests and the family with young anglers learning the sport use specifically to avoid the license paperwork. Montebello sits in Nelson County at the Blue Ridge's eastern escarpment, in the watershed between the mountains and the Shenandoah Valley's Rockfish River corridor where the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Skyline Drive converge in the concentration of Virginia's most significant long-distance trails and scenic routes. Crabtree Falls, 5 miles north on VA-56, cascades 1,000 feet in a series of five distinct drops that makes it the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi in the Virginia Blue Ridge—the 1.7-mile trail to the falls' upper viewpoint through the hemlock and hardwood forest is one of the most rewarding short hikes in the Virginia highlands. Wintergreen Resort, 15 miles north via VA-56 and Wintergreen Drive, operates Virginia's most complete four-season mountain resort with skiing and snowboarding from December through March and the Devils Knob Golf Course, spa, hiking, and mountain biking from spring through fall on the Blue Ridge plateau at 3,500 to 4,000 feet elevation. The Nelson County wine trail—the concentration of boutique wineries along US-151 south of the resort in the Rockfish Valley—provides the wine tasting alternative that the valley's elevation and the well-drained clay soils have made increasingly productive for Virginia viticulture. Montebello Camping and Fishing Resort's cabin and cottage accommodations operate year-round in Nelson County's Blue Ridge climate, with the apple harvest season from September through October, the fall foliage peak in late October, and the spring wildflower season from April through May providing the three most visually distinctive periods in the mountain calendar. The RV and tent camping season from April through October corresponds with the Blue Ridge Parkway's most comfortable driving and cycling conditions. Reserve your cabin, cottage, or RV site at Montebello and let the fee-based trout pond, the 5-acre lake's complimentary kayaks, the Blue Ridge Parkway's proximity, and the 1894 country store make the Virginia highlands the mountain escape the Nelson County Blue Ridge has always provided.

from $25/night

Dogwood Family Campground

52 RV Sites

Dogwood Family Campground in Newport, North Carolina, offers 52 full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 110 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout — one of the most generous length allowances on the Crystal Coast. Sites are numbered individually, including pond and pond view categories, on a Dark Sky Friendly property open all year. Fifty-two sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 110 feet, with site WiFi. Categories are listed site by site — including pond back-ins and pond view back-ins — so you can pick your exact spot rather than a general type. RV storage, firewood, and a playground handle the practical side. The property is deliberately quiet and dark. A pond sits on the grounds for fishing, walking trails run the coastal plain forest, and corn hole and birding fill the rest. The Dark Sky Friendly designation is the distinguishing feature — genuine stargazing on a coast where light pollution usually washes it out. Pets are welcome. Newport sits at the inland edge of the Crystal Coast in Carteret County, which gives the campground unusual dual access: the Croatan National Forest's freshwater recreation and wildlife begin immediately north, while Beaufort's waterfront and the Cape Lookout National Seashore's barrier island beaches are 15 minutes east. A beach and state park are nearby. Open year-round, with summer beach traffic the peak and mild shoulder seasons drawing steady demand. Reserve ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $67/night

Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing

11 RV Sites

Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing in New Castle, Virginia, offers 11 dry-camping RV sites and cabin accommodations on an adventure property in Craig County, with a high ropes course, disc golf, kayak and bike rentals, and a hot tub. Sites take rigs to 45 feet with fire pits and picnic tables. One thing to know upfront: the campground spots are dry camping with no hookups. Eleven pull-through RV sites operate without hookups, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Portable toilets serve the sites, and a bathhouse provides flushing toilets and hot showers. Cabins offer enclosed lodging for guests who would rather not camp. A general store covers basics and firewood is available. From May through November, the Outpost opens Friday evenings through Sunday morning for food and drinks, including beer and wine. Adventure programming is what sets this property apart. A high ropes and adventure course provides aerial challenge elements almost never found at a campground, and a disc golf course, bike rentals, and kayak rentals fill the rest of the day. Trails, a pond, and a creek run the property for swimming, fishing, canoeing, and mountain biking. Volleyball, horseshoes, corn hole, and a pavilion round out the on-site recreation, with planned activities through the season and strong birding in the surrounding forest. Pets are welcome. New Castle sits in Craig County, Virginia's least-populated county, in the ridge-and-valley country of the Jefferson National Forest. Craig Creek's cold, clear water runs nearby, and the surrounding Allegheny highlands carry extensive trail access. The property serves both family recreation guests and corporate and group retreats. The May-to-November window is when food service runs and the adventure programming is at full strength — plan dry camping supplies accordingly, and book group dates well ahead.

from $45/night

Luray RV Resort on Shenandoah River

178 RV Sites, 3 Cabins, 9 Tent Sites, 32 Glamping Sites, 44 Cottages, 8 Airstreams

Luray RV Resort on the Shenandoah River in Virginia offers 178 full-hookup RV sites, 47 cabin and cottage units, nine tent sites, and 40 Airstreams and glamping sites across 100 acres, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 50 feet behind a gated entrance. Skyline, Scenic View Deluxe, and Superior pull-through categories join a water park, bar, and river access. One hundred seventy-eight sites span back-in, deluxe back-in, scenic view deluxe back-in, Skyline back-in, Skyline deluxe back-in, and superior pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Accessible sites are available, and the Skyline and scenic view categories are named for exactly what they deliver. Forty-seven cabins and cottages, nine tent sites, and 40 Airstreams and glamping sites make the lodging inventory genuinely exceptional. A water park and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with the South Fork supporting canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and swimming. A recreation center, sports courts, pickleball, basketball, corn hole, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, a pond, playground, pavilion, dog park, bar, and on-site dining fill the rest, with live music and strong birding. Skyline Drive's entrance to Shenandoah National Park is 30 minutes away, with Luray Caverns close. Washington is two hours, Richmond 90 minutes. Fall foliage drives the sharpest demand. Reserve well ahead for October.

from $35/night

Jellystone Park™ Luray

117 RV Sites, 91 Cabins, 25 Tent Sites, 1 Lodge

Jellystone Park Luray in Luray, Virginia, offers 117 RV sites, 92 cabin and lodge units, and 25 tent sites in the Shenandoah Valley, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 80 feet. Mountain view premium and Red Carpet categories join a water park, zip line, and laser tag. One hundred seventeen sites span standard, deluxe back-in RV/tent, mountain view premium, premium pull-through, Red Carpet back-in, and Red Carpet pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Ninety-two cabins and lodges and 25 tent sites round out an unusually deep lodging range. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and recycling handle the practical side. A daily resort fee applies and covers mini-golf, the playground, and the wider amenity set. Recreation is extensive. A water park, splash pad, outdoor pool, hot tub, and inflatable water toys anchor the summer, with a zip line, laser tag, jumping pillow, mini-golf, gem mining, gaga ball, an arcade, game room, craft room, and recreation center besides. A lake and pond support boating, canoeing, and kayaking, with sports courts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, a ball field, barn, golf cart rentals, walking trails, a dog park, and on-site dining and a bar. Pets are welcome. Luray Caverns is 10 minutes away, with Shenandoah National Park's western approach adjacent. Summer and October foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $61/night

Frisco Woods Campground

210 RV Sites, 31 Cabins, 27 Tent Sites

Frisco Woods Campground in North Carolina offers 210 RV sites, 31 cabins, and 27 tent sites on the Pamlico Sound side of Hatteras Island, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 44 feet. Soundfront back-in categories at both amperages join full-hookup and water-and-electric tiers, with an outdoor pool, recreation center, and maritime forest. Two hundred ten back-in sites span 30-amp, 50-amp, 30/50-amp, water-and-electric, soundfront 30-amp, and soundfront 30/50-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with cable TV, sized to 44 feet. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer at the site. The soundfront categories are the reason to book here. Thirty-one cabins and 27 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a recreation center, playground, and dog park filling the grounds. The sound carries boating, canoeing, kayaking, water sports, swimming, and surfing, with productive birding through the maritime forest and wine tasting nearby. Pets are welcome. The soundfront position makes this a premier kiteboarding and windsurfing base — the shallow, steady-wind water of Pamlico Sound is among the best on the East Coast for it, while Cape Hatteras National Seashore's Atlantic beach sits just across the island. The campground has been family owned for five decades. Summer is decisively the season on the Outer Banks. Reserve well ahead.

Norwood Campground

25 RV Sites, 10 Tent Sites

Norwood Campground in Norwood, North Carolina, sits at Morgan Mountain on the shores of Lake Tillery in Stanly County's Piedmont foothills — a well-equipped campground with 86 full-hookup RV sites, primitive tent camping in the hardwood forest, and exclusive Lake Tillery beach access that gives guests the combination of developed campground infrastructure and genuinely fine lake waterfront that makes Norwood a destination campground for the Charlotte metro, Piedmont Triad, and central Piedmont regional market. Lake Tillery's 5,000-acre Yadkin-Pee Dee River impoundment and the surrounding Uwharrie National Forest's ancient eroded mountain terrain give the campground a natural setting of understated but genuine Piedmont distinction. Eighty-six full-hookup RV sites with level pads and the infrastructure for comfortable extended stays, alongside primitive tent sites in the surrounding hardwood forest, give the campground the accommodation range from fully equipped RV travelers to minimalist tent campers who want Tillery-access and the Morgan Mountain forest experience. The campground's exclusive Lake Tillery beach access gives guests a private waterfront amenity that distinguishes Norwood from the surrounding area's public lake access points — a private beach in walking distance of the RV sites creates the daily lake swimming, fishing, and kayaking access that Tillery's warm Piedmont water sustains through the full camping season. Pets are welcome. Lake Tillery, one of four Yadkin-Pee Dee River lakes managed by Duke Energy through the central Piedmont, provides largemouth and smallmouth bass, striped bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish fishing across its 5,000 acres of river-corridor lake water. The lake's combination of cove structure, rock bluffs, and the submerged river channel sustains a diverse and consistently productive recreational fishery that the Stanly County and surrounding Piedmont counties' fishing community has relied on since Tillery's impoundment in 1928 — one of the oldest hydroelectric lakes in the Carolinas, with the fishing character of a well-established natural system. The Uwharrie National Forest, west of Norwood in Montgomery and Randolph Counties, preserves the remnant Uwharrie Mountains — an ancient eroded mountain range whose Precambrian volcanic and metamorphic rocks represent some of the oldest exposed geology in the eastern United States, predating the Appalachians by hundreds of millions of years. The forest's hiking trails through the ancient ridges and hollows of the Uwharrie Range, the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness's primitive backcountry, and the Uwharrie Trail's 20-mile through-hiking corridor give Piedmont-based outdoor recreation guests a mountain hiking experience within an hour of Charlotte's urban core. Norwood Campground operates through the Piedmont Carolina camping season, with the spring and fall seasons from April through May and September through October delivering the most comfortable temperatures for Lake Tillery fishing, hiking, and extended outdoor activity. Summer heat in the Stanly County Piedmont is genuine but the lake's water recreation — swimming, kayaking, and evening fishing — moderates the seasonal challenge for water-focused guests. Charlotte, 45 miles west, provides the metropolitan service access, professional sports, and cultural programming that makes a Norwood campground base practical for guests combining lake recreation with metropolitan day trips. Reserve full-hookup sites ahead for spring and summer weekends when the Charlotte-area regional market's lake camping demand consistently fills Tillery-access campgrounds.

from $40/night

North Myrtle Beach RV Resort and Dry Dock Marina

230 RV Sites, 12 Cottages

North Myrtle Beach RV Resort and Dry Dock Marina in Little River, South Carolina, offers 230 RV sites and 12 cottages on the Intracoastal Waterway, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 75 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. A full marina, boat docks, splash pad, and hot tub sit behind a gated entrance. Two hundred thirty sites span back-in, water-and-electric back-in, premium back-in, premium pull-through, and pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with cable TV, sized to 75 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Accessible sites are available. Twelve cottages round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, firewood, and boat storage handle the practical side. Sites along the activity areas fill fastest — the resort is busy through summer and school breaks. The marina is the distinguishing feature. Boat docks, boat rentals, kayak rentals, and dry dock storage give direct Intracoastal access for boating, fishing, paddle boarding, and canoeing. A splash pad, hot tub, sports courts, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, corn hole, an arcade, craft room, playground, dog park, and golf cart rentals fill the grounds, with a bar, on-site dining, snack bar, and live music besides. Pets are welcome. Little River sits at the Grand Strand's northern end, with beaches, golf courses, and an amusement park close. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $160/night