North Carolina State Parks · North Carolina
Merchants Millpond State Park
North Carolina State Parks · North Carolina, United States
- Sites
- 53
- Hookups
- 53 no hookups
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 46 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 3
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile weak · Verizon weak · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Merchants Millpond
- Nearest town
- Gatesville
- Address
- 176 Millpond Road, Gatesville, NC 27938
- Phone
- (252) 357-1191
- Activities
- Camping, Group Camping
About
Merchants Millpond State Park near Gatesville centers on a cypress-lined blackwater millpond, with primitive backpack and drive-in campsites plus a real canoe-in camping option: 10 sites reachable by canoe on the millpond itself, and 6 more up to a 4.5-mile paddle up Bennetts Creek. Bath houses with warm showers serve the main campground. Canoe-in campers must check in at the visitor center at least an hour before sunset.
Fees
Primitive backpack sites run about $17/night, non-electric drive-in sites about $27/night, and group camping $57-$72/night. Confirm current rates when booking.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 32° | 21° | 70° | 9 of 11 |
| February | 56° | 38° | 16° | 77° | 6 of 11 |
| March | 64° | 44° | 26° | 83° | 3 of 11 |
| April | 72° | 52° | 34° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| May | 79° | 61° | 46° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 85° | 68° | 60° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 89° | 74° | 61° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 87° | 74° | 63° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 82° | 69° | 56° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 71° | 54° | 42° | 84° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 60° | 45° | 29° | 80° | 2 of 10 |
| December | 54° | 37° | 21° | 74° | 7 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
- Holladay Island Camping Platforms · City, County & Regional Parks · 27 mi · 5 sites
- Northwest River Park & Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 32 mi · 72 sites
- Cashie River Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 34 mi · 18 sites
- The Colonies RV Travel Park & Country Store · National Park Service · 46 mi · 35 sites
- False Cape State Park · Virginia State Parks · 47 mi
All public campgrounds in North Carolina · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.