National Park Service · North Carolina
South Core Banks -- Beach camping
National Park Service · North Carolina, United States · in Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Cost
- No Fee Camping. There is no fee charged for camping
- Max RV length
- 54 ft
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- No
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Nearest town
- Great Island
- Address
- South Core Banks, Great Island, NC, 28524
- Phone
- (252) 728-2250
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
Site map · loading…
About
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. 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". There are no hard surfaces on the island. Practice Leave No Trace principles.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 31° | 18° | 55° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 48° | 37° | 16° | 55° | 8 of 11 |
| March | 50° | 42° | 21° | 59° | 5 of 11 |
| April | 56° | 49° | 32° | 62° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 62° | 57° | 47° | 68° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 67° | 63° | 58° | 72° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 71° | 67° | 61° | 75° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 71° | 67° | 62° | 76° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 68° | 65° | 54° | 73° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 59° | 52° | 38° | 68° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 53° | 44° | 30° | 64° | 1 of 10 |
| December | 46° | 37° | 16° | 58° | 5 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
All 16 trails in Cape Lookout National Seashore
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Great Island Cabin Camp · National Park Service · 0 mi · 25 sites
- North Core Banks - Beach Camping · National Park Service · 13 mi
- Long Point Cabin Camp · National Park Service · 13 mi · 20 sites
- Oyster Point Campground · USDA Forest Service · 20 mi · 15 sites
- Flanners Beach Campground · USDA Forest Service · 34 mi · 41 sites
All public campgrounds in North Carolina · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.