Our guide, Courtney, was knowledgeable and very personable! She was patient with 'newbies' (like…read moreme) to kayaking. She gave great explanations of the Maritime forest and waterways and engaged everyone in the group with questions and conversation. Beautiful area to kayak. (Bonus points to Courtney for recommending to the ladies from Indianapolis, The Orange Blossom Bakery and their Apple Uglies!)

We signed up for the kayaking at Alligator River at Buffalo City. Tour girl Rebecca was…read moreknowledgeable about the places, and trying her best to identify the gators. We saw 4 of them during the trip, guess it was too hot for them to come out of water (Aug, 80-90F sunny days). The later half of the trip would require some kayak skills to turn, zigzag, etc...wish we, the beginners, would have more time to practice...Rebecca is great to work with, she tried best to accommodate everyone's needs, just a large group to handle with different kayak skill level (8-9 kayaks, 13-15 ppl). Make sure to bring waters sun screen and bug sprays. Telescope can be helpful on the river to identify the gator( they are camouflage masters on water), lots of time you can see the head, nose and eyes.

Pettigrew is one of many hidden gems in the NC State Park system. When I visited I found it quite…read moreempty as it was nearing the end of fall. A bit brisk out, and just after a late fall rain it was the perfect time for a visit. There were yellow leaves fallen along the wet boardwalk and nobody around. You can take the hike along the boardwalk all the way to the end where you will find that the park connects to the State Historic Site called Somerset Place. The boardwalk also takes you to the swimming hole. I imagine this place gets quite popular in the summer with families and kids coming out for a swim. The incredibly secluded Lake Phelps is by all accounts in my opinion another Bay Lake of the Carolinas. However, supposedly it is not officially listed as such. Nonetheless, it has all or most of the features of one, including being no deeper than about 10 feet at the deepest point - quite shallow for its size. A good half of the lake is quite difficult to access. Private residences are few and gamelands crossed by only gravel roads aplenty out this way. If you're working on your state parks passport, you will certainly eventually find yourself out here. But even if you aren't, you owe it to yourself to pay it a visit. Especially with kids in the summer.

It's kind of of out of way as close to The coast as you are…read moreit would seem more Logical to make the extra 30 minute drive the the beach or islands Otherwise it was worth the trip to check out once and allow me dog to run around considering how few were there.

Easy site to get into for us transits. A bit narrow site but long enough to accommodate our 40'…read morefifth wheel and truck. Beautiful surroundings. Water ways and fishing to keep one busy. Plenty of walking could be had around the campground. Met some very nice people and the staff here was extremely helpful and nice. The laundry was spotless and the machines were fairly new. I would come back again.

We stayed with our grandson for three nights so we could visit Aurora Museum. We had a great…read moreshaded site. We were in the store twice and they comped my grandson with an ice cream cone each time! Had a problem emptying our rig. The campground evidently has tanks to contain waste (they are between two bodies of water!); ours was full. We let them know and they had it pumped out within 30 minutes. The facilities looked great but we were off to dig for shark teeth. We will be visiting again and hope to do some fishing and visit the NC Estuarium in Washington.

Beautiful campground, quiet but peaceful. We stayed there twice so far this year, looking forward…read moreto spending a month in the Fall. Grounds are well kept, bathrooms always clean and office staff is amazing. Beverly & Pat are always open to info. This past weekend they gave all campers an appreciation BBQ, it was wonderful.

North River Campground Good Sams rate $80 for two nights…read moreVery nice campground, friendly staff. The lots are spacious, concrete pad, gravel around. Grass kept neat. Lake very nice. Laundry and Bathrooms up to date and clean. Will come back in area again. We were in 33' TT w Ram 2500 and had plenty of room. Dog friendly.

Great visitors center/headquarters with information about the residents of the refuge. Staff was…read moreall helpful and welcoming. One was shoveling snow for a safer walkway in the parking lot. What a rare sight! Paved roads take through the largest lake in NC with observation areas. The end of January is an excellent time to see many tundra swans. We also saw bald eagle snow geese, and many birds on this Atlantic fly away. The lake was icy and made for amazing pictures. PBS NC was filming with Bernie Harberts and his donkey and covered wagon. The Episode about Lake Mattamuskeet and the transformation of the pump station and hunting lodge is due out in June 2025. It was great to peak into the lodge, normally closed to the public for now, but big renovations are ahead.

A large lake with many areas for fishing and looking at birds and trees. This place was on my…read morewife's bucket list for some reason. Free parking. Cell phone reception was very poor. The soda machine was broken. Mosquitos covered all areas of my exposed skin. 1000s of them. Somebody left an entire uneaten pizza in the parking lot, so the squirrels were excited. Bathrooms were not very large, but they smelled pleasant. The old haunted lighthouse was spooky. They say there's a ghost of a old Chinese man in there. The gate was open and we poked our head inside. We saw something very odd inside. Go see for yourself!

Loved this campground only thing it lacks is shade most of the sites are full sun. Can't wait for…read moreto see the pool coming this fall

Be alert that there is no sign for the turn to Waterlily Rd. when coming in from the North. Our…read morecheck-in experience was awesome! We spoke with a female employee who shared something in common with us. The escort helped us as usual to back into our site. Our back-in water front deluxe site is awesome. For those not used to lake flies, beware. Just turn off your lights that you don't want them to be attacked to. This is a typical KOA site , meaning the sites are close together. But, given the back-in site, the closeness didn't matter. This KOA does not have a pool, so jump in the sound.

Quiet family owned RV park in the outer banks has older, tighter spots but it's hard to complain…read moreonce you're setup and enjoying yourself! Pros: Very short walk to the beach - no roads to cross Friendly owners Weekly bingo night - kids were welcome Cheap laundry! Reasonable rates (for the outer banks at least) Friendly regulars Less windy that nearby places due to dunes/trees Ghost crabs and bioluminescent plankton in the sand (on dark nights) Lots to do within a 90min drive north or south Dogs, dogs everywhere Cons: Short spaces / 90 degree back-ins (especially for larger rigs) - you will likely have to ask neighbors to move vehicles (but they were willing to do so) Limited parking for tow vehicles/extra vehicles No fires allowed (even propane fire pits!) - but you can have a fire on the beach Our site had some standing water after a rainy night, but was otherwise mostly dry. Other sites had it worse. Can't pick your site -- they assign it upon arrival Limited amenities (small pool, small playground) but the setting is what you're here for, so ‍ Sand all over everything (but that's beach life) 20-40 min to a grocery store that is not Dollar General or an expensive convenience store Overall we enjoyed our time here. If we came back we might choose a different place due to our rig size, but after reading other reviews and having serious anxiety, it was not as bad as some made it out to be.

No other campground can beat Ocean Waves Campground for value for money. The sites are clean and…read moreeasy to access. The restrooms are spotless and the staff is friendly and accommodating. Why go anywhere else on Hatteras when you can come here and spend less and be right on the water! I will recommend this campground to all of my friends and family!

Top neighborhood in Virginia Beach! Great neighborhood for…read morekids. 3 small parks that are kept up well. Dog friendly. Friendly neighborhood, HOA is on top of everything and keeps you informed. Lake is extremely clean and is tested by the city. They have taken care of the over abundance of Canadian geese. City Mayor lives here.

This was a great experience and I can't wait to come back and do other trips with them…read more Kevin was very friendly and helpful. He knows a lot about the Great Dismal Swamp and its history and wildlife, which made the trip even more interesting.

Fantastic experience! Friendly tour guides brought us nose to nose with the natural wonders of…read moresoutheastern Virginia. Three hours of fun in the cypress wetlands and rivers of Virginia Beach. Witnessed numerous osprey, turtles, herons, fish and other wildlife. Boats were stable, water-free and easy to use. Basic instruction provided at the beginning of the tour. Guide was both friendly and an expert waterman. Highly recommended!

Free Parking. Porta Potties available. This park has a cement walk way leading up to the…read moreplayground, porta potty, and a picnic area that would be great for wheelchairs. This park is great for adults, kids and dogs. The views are of a crystal clear lake NO swimming and NO boating. Plenty of trees. Great for bird watching. They have a nice size children's playground. Covered picnic tables throughout the park. a few fitness stations on the 1 1/2 mile hike. VERY easy loop hike. Starts out with a cement trail and turns into fine gravel trail around the lake. Lots of people running, kids playing and dogs walking. My favorite thing I found a bench dedicated to their sweet dog Savanna. And they offer doggy poop bags. Encouraging a nice clean park. Nice easy walk and if you time it right there are a lot of great places in that area to eat and a nice shopping area

Nice little natural trail around a lake. It is about 1.5 miles for one rotation around the lake…read more There is paved parking lot for the park and there a relative decent sized playground for kids to play at. Only portapotty available for bathroom facilities which I guess is normal for the smaller parks in the area. The path is clean and nice but there are bicycles and other wheeled vehicles sharing the walking path. There were birds using the lake but I didn't see any sign of any fish or life in the lake so I am not sure if there are fish or anything else in the lake. I went to the right to start my walk and I am not sure if that was the wrong way but it seemed everyone was going the other way or it was just that I didn't catch up to anyone ahead of me so it looked like I was the only one walking my way. I took my walk on a supposed warm day but the weather changed and it was a little cold so I had to walk a little quicker than expected. There were people jogging the path, walking their dogs, and just sitting by the lake. There are lots of wooden pierlike structures that get you close to the water but like I said before, no signs of fish as far as I could see.