National Park Service · North Carolina
North Core Banks - Beach Camping
National Park Service · North Carolina, United States · in Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Cost
- No Fee Camping. There is no fee charged for camping
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- No
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile good · AT&T good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Nearest town
- Atlantic
- Phone
- (252) 728-2250
About
Dispersed camping along the ocean beach of this 20- barrier island -- this is backcountry-style camping -- all camping is done directly on the ocean beach, there are no camp sites. This area is reached only by ferry. Both tent camping and vehicle camping is allowed. Vehicles -- 4x4 highly recommended -- must be able to drive on the soft sand of the beach and the sand trail behind the dunes known as the "back road". There are no hard surfaces on the island. Practice Leave No Trace principles.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 31° | 18° | 55° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 46° | 36° | 15° | 54° | 8 of 11 |
| March | 50° | 41° | 22° | 57° | 5 of 11 |
| April | 55° | 49° | 31° | 61° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 61° | 57° | 48° | 68° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 67° | 64° | 58° | 72° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 71° | 68° | 61° | 75° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 71° | 67° | 61° | 75° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 67° | 65° | 55° | 72° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 59° | 52° | 39° | 66° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 52° | 44° | 30° | 63° | 1 of 10 |
| December | 45° | 36° | 16° | 55° | 5 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Long Point Cabin Camp · National Park Service · 0 mi · 20 sites
- Great Island Cabin Camp · National Park Service · 13 mi · 25 sites
- South Core Banks -- Beach camping · National Park Service · 13 mi
- Ocracoke Campground · National Park Service · 24 mi · 140 sites
- Cape Point Campground · National Park Service · 30 mi · 202 sites
All public campgrounds in North Carolina · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.