North Carolina Outdoor Guide: Campgrounds, Trails, Beaches & RV Spots
Key Takeaways
- The Great Smoky Mountains and the Outer Banks are two completely different North Carolina trips — mountain waterfalls versus barrier-island beaches — pick one region per trip
- Deep Creek Campground is the best family base in the Smokies — creekside sites right next to premier tubing and waterfall trails
- Ocracoke Island requires a ferry and is worth every minute of the crossing — consistently ranked among the best beaches in the country specifically because it stays hard to reach
- Laurel Falls is the most popular trail in the Smokies for good reason, which also means arriving early actually matters
Mountains and Coast, Genuinely Both Worth a Trip
North Carolina spans from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks, and both ends are genuinely excellent. This guide treats them as separate trips rather than trying to force one itinerary to cover both.
Campgrounds
Deep Creek Campground, Great Smoky Mountains NP — Bryson City
Creekside sites near the best tubing and waterfall trails in the park, minutes from Bryson City’s dining and the scenic railroad. The single best family base in the Smokies.
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Smokemont Campground, GSMNP — Cherokee
A larger river campground on the NC side that accommodates RVs, if Deep Creek’s tent-focused setup isn’t a fit.
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Davidson River Campground, Pisgah National Forest — Brevard
The beloved base for the “Land of Waterfalls” region, with river tubing and fishing right there. Books fast — reserve early.
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Stone Mountain State Park — Roaring Gap
A granite dome, waterfalls, and trout streams paired with a solid family campground.
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Hanging Rock State Park — Danbury
Lake swimming, waterfalls, and rock outcrops — a popular, well-rounded family park.
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Cape Hatteras / Ocracoke Campgrounds (NPS)
Oceanside barrier-island camping right on the Outer Banks — the coastal counterpart to the mountain campgrounds above.
Learn moreHiking Trails
Deep Creek Loop (Tom Branch, Indian Creek, Juney Whank Falls)
Easy-to-moderate, with three waterfalls and tubing built into the same trip. The best short waterfall payoff in the Smokies, and a nominal parking fee.
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Laurel Falls Trail, GSMNP
The park’s most popular trail — paved, roughly 2.5 miles round trip, to an 80-foot two-tier falls. Popular enough that arriving early genuinely matters.
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Grotto Falls (Trillium Gap), GSMNP
A moderate trail where you actually walk behind a 25-foot falls — old-growth forest, and a real chance of spotting elk.
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Skinny Dip Falls (Blue Ridge Parkway, near Looking Glass)
A 2-mile hike to a genuine swimming-hole waterfall with jump rocks. Worth planning a hot day around.
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DuPont State Forest (High Falls, Triple Falls, Hooker Falls)
A family-friendly network of waterfalls, some sections paved — this is where parts of The Hunger Games were filmed, if that’s a draw for your kids.
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Jockey’s Ridge State Park — Outer Banks
The tallest sand dunes on the East Coast — sandy walking, kite-flying, and genuinely great sunset views. Hot in summer; plan for morning or evening.
Learn moreBeaches (Outer Banks & Coast)
Corolla Beach
Wide, uncrowded northern Outer Banks, with wild Spanish mustangs actually roaming the sand. Quieter and more upscale than the busier OBX towns.
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Ocracoke Island
Untouched, ferry-access beaches consistently ranked among the best in the country. The ferry crossing is part of what keeps it peaceful — worth the extra planning.
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Wrightsville Beach — Wilmington
Clean, walkable, lifeguarded — genuinely good for beginner surfers, family-friendly without feeling touristy.
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Carolina Beach
The oldest, liveliest boardwalk on this stretch of coast — Britt’s Donuts has been ranked among the best in the country. Classic family funfair energy.
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Atlantic Beach (Crystal Coast)
South-facing and top-ranked, with real family resort infrastructure.
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Emerald Isle (Crystal Coast)
Wide, calm, family-oriented barrier-island beach — a good pick if Carolina Beach feels too busy.
Learn moreRV Spots
Davidson River Campground, Pisgah National Forest
A popular RV/tent base near the Brevard waterfalls; confirm hookup availability before booking.
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Bear Den Campground — Spruce Pine
Full-hookup mountain sites with real family amenities, on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Yogi Bear’s Jellystone — Marion
A family RV resort with pools and lake access — good if your kids want built-in activity alongside the camping.
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Cape Hatteras KOA / OBX private parks
Oceanfront full-hookup RV resorts on the Outer Banks — the coastal counterpart to the mountain options above.
Learn morePlanning Your Trip
Pick mountains or coast and commit — trying to combine both in one trip means a lot of driving and not enough time in either place. For the Smokies, base at Deep Creek and build your days around Laurel Falls and the Deep Creek Loop. For the coast, decide between easy-access Corolla and the ferry-only peace of Ocracoke, and know that the extra effort to reach Ocracoke is exactly why it stays so good.