Cape Point Campground

Why RVers stay here

Cape Point Campground is a National Park Service campground near the tip of Cape Hatteras on North Carolina's Outer Banks, close to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse where the Labrador Current meets the Gulf Stream. It is the low-cost, fishing-oriented choice on the seashore, and it suits self-contained RVers and surf anglers who came for the fall red drum runs and can accept an exposed site and same-day booking uncertainty. Our Outer Banks guide calls it the crown jewel of the four NPS campgrounds.

There are 202 sites, no hookups, modern restrooms, potable water and unheated showers, and a base fee of $20 a night. NPS lists a 40-foot maximum total vehicle length, and each site's Recreation.gov record controls fit. The unusual part is the booking rule: Cape Point currently releases campsites for same-day reservations only through Recreation.gov, online or by phone; rangers do not take payment at the campground. It operates spring to fall, so verify live dates and alerts. The trade-off is exposure: no shade trees, constant wind, mosquitoes when the air goes still, sand everywhere and hurricane-season closures, so keep the awning rolled and plan power for a humid barrier island.

• ✓$20 a night for a site near the tip of Cape Hatteras and the lighthouse
• ✓Legendary surf fishing, especially the fall red drum runs
• ✓Modern restrooms, potable water and showers, unlike a pure primitive campground
• ✓202 sites, so same-day inventory is often available outside peak weeks
• ✓Wind keeps mosquitoes down and the beach is a walk from your site

• !Same-day reservations only through Recreation.gov; you cannot lock it in months ahead
• !No hookups, no shade and unheated showers; plan battery, water and heat around a humid, windy island
• !Exposed to wind, sand, tropical systems and Highway 12 closures; monitor NPS alerts in hurricane season