South Core Banks -- Beach Camping
Dispersed camping along the ocean beach of this 20 mile long barrier island -- this is backcountry-style camping -- all camping is done directly on the ocean beach, there are no camp sites. This area is reached only by ferry. Both tent camping and vehicle camping is allowed. There are no hard surfaces on the island. Practice Leave No Trace principles.
More like this: first-come in North Carolina · dark sky in North Carolina
Amenities & rules
| Dark sky | Inside Cape Lookout National Seashore, a certified International Dark Sky Park |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Take a ferry from Davis, NC over to Great Island on South Core Banks. The barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore may only be reached by boat -- either your own boat or a ferry from the mainland.
| Nearest town | Great Island, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 34.7606° N, 76.4122° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Vehicles -- 4x4 highly recommended -- must be able to drive on the soft sand of the beach and the sand trail behind the dunes known as the "back road".
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 13.1 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Kitty Hawk Kites ↗ | 14.7 mi |
| RV sales & service | RV sales & service ↗ | 38.3 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Public land it sits in
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge begins about 10.9 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 10.9 miCedar Island National Wildlife Refuge ↗National Wildlife Refuge · Fish and Wildlife Service · 14,360 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Carteret County HomeBuilding · Beaufort · 13.6 mi
- Gibbs HouseBuilding · Beaufort · 14.1 mi
- Old Burying GroundSite · Beaufort · 14.6 mi
Guidebooks for North Carolina
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Great Day Hikes on North Carolina's Mountains-To-Sea TrailFriends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Jim Grode, 2020Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at South Core Banks -- Beach Camping?
No. South Core Banks -- Beach Camping is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Is South Core Banks -- Beach Camping good for stargazing?
Yes. South Core Banks -- Beach Camping sits inside Cape Lookout National Seashore, a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: DarkSky International
Is there cell service at South Core Banks -- Beach Camping?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the nearest town to South Core Banks -- Beach Camping?
Great Island, North Carolina.
Source: Getting there
What if South Core Banks -- Beach Camping is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are North Core Banks - Beach Camping (13 mi, first-come), Oyster Point Campground (19.8 mi, partly first-come), and Flanners Beach Campground (34 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby
Which national park is South Core Banks -- Beach Camping in?
South Core Banks -- Beach Camping is a Cape Lookout National Seashore campground. Entrance fees, alerts, and hours are on Park Atlas.
Source: Cape Lookout National Seashore