dry camping in outer banks

Do watch for ticks throughout the National Seashore area - both people and dogs encountered the Lone Star tick. Use DEET-based repellants or better yet use Permethrin on your clothing/shoes (lasts thru repeated washings - NOT harmful to people or pets - but don't spray it on skin...). Can get large trigger-spray bottles on Amazon or some local stores. ST

profdant139 wrote:


How do you keep the sand out of the RV, though??

You don't!.You will always drag some sand in.We just sweep up daily.

There are four NPS CG's along the OBX. None have hookups. Yes, you can run generators, but hours are limited. The dump station at Oregon Inlet is across the street in the marina, as said. The one that serves both Hatteras & nearby Frisco is near Hatteras Lighthouse. I've never used the one at Ocracoke, but I'm pretty sure there is one. They have water points in the CG's near the bath houses and at the dumps. Last year, it was $20 / night.

There are several commercial CG's along the OBX, mostly in the Hatteras area. They have at least electric hookups. Rates are higher.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

Ocean Waves is another commercial campground with hookups on the Banks.

We camped on Ocracoke Island (ferries run back and forth from Hatteras) at the National Park Service campground (the only one you can reserve ahead). No hookups but they do have dump station, bathrooms and cold showers.

Good point about not being on the ocean sand. You are camping behind the dunes, and it can get very hot, humid, and buggy when there is not a strong breeze. But on the other side of the dunes, the wide beaches are spectacular.

We've stayed at Frisco - one of the National Park/Seashore campgrounds. This area has a bit of elevation to it, so you can actually catch some nice ocean breezes. All the National Seashore CG's are set behind the sand dunes, so don't expect to watch the waves from your site. It is a bit of a walk to get to the waterfront... Several dump stations with water fills along the national seashore. ST

We've considered doing the national seashore campgrounds, but the only time we could go out there would be summer. It will be hot and we would want a/c. Lol. Maybe we can do it one spring break and not plan on getting in the water at all.

People say that all the good camping is in the West -- but we have almost nothing to compare to the barrier islands. There is some beach camping in the Northwest, but it can get pretty chilly -- not like the Carolinas! Camping on the sand sounds like it would be great (unless you get stuck). Imagine having your morning coffee sitting on a beach chair at the edge of the surf, watching the sun come up over the water. (We get sunsets on the Pacific, but not sunrises.)

How do you keep the sand out of the RV, though??

We stayed at Camp Hatteras with full hook ups. Next door was a KOA also with full hookups. We dry camp on the ocean here in NY but prefer full hookups for dw when over the road.

I've only stayed at the Oregon Inlet Campground. You can get water and dump at the marina across the street. Also there is air to inflate your tires if you decide to drive on the beach.
I think generators can run between 9 am and 7pm.
You CAN NOT run your air conditioner off your inverter and batteries.
Solar is great for recharging your batteries.