Whether you’re on a budget or just love vacationing in the great outdoors, camping is a fun and simple way to get out and explore the Tar Heel State and make new friends along the way. North Carolina’s campgrounds come in all varieties from rustic to downright luxurious and the one you choose really depends more upon preference.

You could call the Oregon Inlet Campground, one of four campgrounds in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a bit rustic — and sandy!

Google Maps/CPO PuddlePirate

TripAdvisor/mms2013 It’s located right on NC-12, the main highway passing through the seashore. Here, there’s nothing but the sand, the dunes and the sea.

This isolated little campground has 120 sites, all smattered among the dunes. Some even have a bit of grass in places.

TripAdvisor/SwmmingBtweenIslands

TripAdvisor/Benjamin Winn But for the most part, you can count on chilly sunrises and warm breezy sunsets right from your campsite with your toes digging in the sand.

Pop through the dunes paths and you’ll be right by the drink, collecting shells or just enjoying connecting with the Atlantic, either literally or visually.

TripAdvisor/Nicole S

TripAdvisor/dczanowski When you’re ready to refill your cup or you want a bite to eat, your gear and food aren’t more than a stone’s throw away if you’re over on the beach. The campground has a few necessary amenities, one of them is a grill for every site — perfect for slow-cooking and then enjoying every savory bite.

You can also count on three different restroom facilities (one for each loop) and outdoor showers. (For RVs, a dump station is located a short distance away at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.)

Google Maps/John Elliott

TripAdvisor/David S Not that you could ever tire of just relaxing in this dreamy campground and on its beach, but if you should want to venture beyond this little paradise, we’d suggest heading four miles north to check out the Bodie Island Light.

Google Maps [satellite view] Oregon Inlet Campground is the northernmost campground in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It’s open seasonally, from March 30 through November 25. Nightly rates are $28 for a site without electric hookups, $35 for a site with electric. The group rate is $70 per night.

Oregon Inlet Campground is located at Highway 12, Nags Head, NC 27954. Learn more at this link on the official website of the National Park Service.

Google Maps/CPO PuddlePirate

TripAdvisor/mms2013

It’s located right on NC-12, the main highway passing through the seashore. Here, there’s nothing but the sand, the dunes and the sea.

TripAdvisor/SwmmingBtweenIslands

TripAdvisor/Benjamin Winn

But for the most part, you can count on chilly sunrises and warm breezy sunsets right from your campsite with your toes digging in the sand.

TripAdvisor/Nicole S

TripAdvisor/dczanowski

When you’re ready to refill your cup or you want a bite to eat, your gear and food aren’t more than a stone’s throw away if you’re over on the beach. The campground has a few necessary amenities, one of them is a grill for every site — perfect for slow-cooking and then enjoying every savory bite.

Google Maps/John Elliott

TripAdvisor/David S

Not that you could ever tire of just relaxing in this dreamy campground and on its beach, but if you should want to venture beyond this little paradise, we’d suggest heading four miles north to check out the Bodie Island Light.

Google Maps [satellite view]

Oregon Inlet Campground is the northernmost campground in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It’s open seasonally, from March 30 through November 25. Nightly rates are $28 for a site without electric hookups, $35 for a site with electric. The group rate is $70 per night.

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