If you haven’t noticed, we cover a lot of state parks throughout the greater United States, because we think that these vacation sites make fun and affordable getaways for people of varied interests. Everyone could use a vacation from time to time, and perhaps a state park can make that possible. So in the spirit of state park vacationing, we use will tell you about Carolina Beach State Park in North Carolina.
This NC state park gives you water access, but away from the more populated and commercial areas like Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. One of the most popular park activities is fishing. You can choose to launch your boat from the Carolina Beach marina (although currently under renovations) or choose the fresh river waters of Cape Fear River. Fish species you may catch at Carolina Beach State Park include spot, flounder, sheepshead, striped bass, and more. Note that if you decide to fish within the state park, you will need a North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License.
Many fishermen or outdoor adventurers decide to stay several days at the park and set up their Sanford RV rentals at the Carolina Beach State Park campground. The camping facilities at the park include 83 shaded campsites that include picnic tables and grills. However, while you can set up your NC motor home rental or trailer at the sites, the facilities do not include electricity or water hookup. A dump station is a available and free of charge for campers; otherwise, an $18 fee is charged for dump station use. The campground does have restrooms and hot showers, available to all campers. The cost-per-night for staying at the Carolina Beach campgrounds is $18 a day ($13 a day for senior citizens age 62 and older).
When you don’t want to stick around the campsite or cast your line into the waters, you can find many other things to do at Carolina Beach State Park. You can hike one or all of the park’s six trails; detailed maps are available at the park visitor center or the marina. While on the hike, be sure to be on the lookout for the rare Venus flytrap, a carnivorous plant that you may see along the park’s Flytrap trail. You may also see a variety of other plant and animal life.
There are also many places within the park to have a picnic. The Carolina Beach State Park has a great picnic area set up, not too far from the campground or the marina. This picnic area is equipped with picnic tables, grills, restroom facilities, water, and the shade of the beautiful oak trees that surround the area.
You can also stop by the visitor center that has several educational exhibits about the area’s environment. If you were not able to see a Venus flytrap while out on a hike, then you will definitely want to check out the visitor’s center interactive display of carnivorous plants, which includes the Venus flytrap as well as other plants found throughout the park. The visitor center is a great place for adults and kids alike, and it is open 8 a.m. to 5:45 pm every day except for Christmas Day.
If you want to visit the North Carolina State Park on a day trip, then remember that the park hours are from 8 am to 10 pm during the months of May through August. The hours vary slightly during off-season months, and the entire park is closed on Christmas Day. You can check the park website for more detailed info. And as always, enjoy your fun and affordable trip to this fantastic North Carolina state park. Be sure to keep checking back to our blog for more state park sites in NC and throughout the rest of the U.S.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
We camped with our motor home at Carolina Beach Park, we found the park to be well maintained and very clean. In the future if we are in this area we will use this park again.