When you start planning your summer, or any season for that matter, getaways, don't overlook your state parks! There is probably one right in your backyard. There are several within a 2 hour drive of us. Before we camped, we never even considered them. Now that we RV, we frequent them.
Pros of camping close to home: cheaper gas bill, less stress, and you get to see hidden gems that you might have otherwise overlooked. They are a perfect little getaway that does not require extensive planning.
The closest state park to us is Goose Creek State Park. Located between Washington and Bath in eastern North Carolina, it is a small-ish state park on the Pamlico River. We recently spent a few nights here (again) and here's how it went.
We arrived on a Thursday. Check in time is 4:00 pm and we arrived shortly thereafter. When arriving here, you don't have to check in just go directly to your site. We were in site 14 this time. Sites here are spacious and spread apart nicely. They are gravel and full hook ups (including sewer). My favorite site here is site 10, but 14 is great too. Both back up to a wooded area so you have no neighbors behind you. There are truly no bad sites here but I still prefer the right hand side for this reason. Another plus to state parks--the price. Its around $33.00 per night for full hook up. There are around 20 full hook up sites and they also haves a few cabins you can rent. The cabins do not have bathrooms, keep that in mind. There is a nice bathhouse near the small cabins though. There is also a separate primitive campground further into the park,
As far as cell coverage, at the campground I usually have about 2-3 bars at the sites we have stayed and have not any any issues with streaming. If you go further in to the park, however, service is more limited in spots.
So now that you're here, what in the Goose Creek should you do? Well, there are plenty of hiking trails, and then there's the river. We brought our paddle boards this time and took those out several times.
There is a small sandy beach area to relax on as well. This recreation area is open to the public and is almost 2 miles from the campground. We chose to drive since our boards are a bit heavy. Electric bikes would probably be great here!
Other than that, we read, grilled, tinkered, tonkered,and ducked all around Goose Creek. We saw deer, turtles, squirrels cardinals and numerous other birds. We stopped and relaxed--something we normally don't do when we vacation. When you're close to home, you don't feel the same pressure to see and do all the things. You can just sit, be, and enjoy. Ponder life for a bit.
Insider tip: If you choose to duck around at Goose Creek in the summer, bring bug spray, citronella candles, bee suits (I kid) all of your best artillery. The bugs here can be serious buzz-ness (see what I did there). But really--mosquitos, biting flies and who knows what else have serious game here. Come prepared.
Also, if you're not from here, there are a couple of cute towns to explore--Bath and Washington. Both are definitely worth visit! You're also not too far from the Pungo Unit of the Pocosin National Wildlife Refuge. A great place to see birds and bear. I'll have a post on that one day.
So, don't overlook your local area when you need a getaway. It can be a relaxing change of pace and a great way to catch your breath and get ready for your next vacation.
Until next time, Onward and Upward my friends! Safe travels!
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