Goose Creek State Park

Beautiful park with great trails. There’s a lot of diversity when it comes to trails too — you can walk along a marsh, the forest and the beach all in one park.
The campground is also very well maintained. There aren’t a ton of sites but they’re extremely nice for a state park, would highly recommend!

Really enjoyed the refreshing hikes of the trails that Goose Creek State Park offers. Great place to see vast bottomland hardwood swamps and pine flatwoods. I also liked the nature center, it’s a good way to see the nature of the area. I would recommend visiting the park on the cooler months. There is less mosquitoes and biting flies.

This park is about five minutes drive away from Historical Town of Bath, NC. There are many trails I haven’t hiked because I came unprepared. If you come here, I would recommend bringing beach chairs and beach umbrella, or kayaks. Lots of beaches scattered about so you can have your own oasis. Bring bug spray although we did not need it… there were hardly any annoying insects when we were there. Lots if wildlife. Great visiting center, lots of educational visual for kids. Well maintained by rangers. Overnight camping with small restrooms nearby.
PS. Stay on the trails. If you venture into the woods off the trails, check yourself for ticks afterward.

Went camping here recently in spring with my boyfriend for one day. The only bad thing I would say about Goose Creek are those darn ticks! There are many MANY ticks and you will find them in the most unsuspecting of places, even on your sock covered feet.
That being said, it was a lovely camping trip. The air was crisp and the Whip-​o-​wills were not too loud and brought back great memories of growing up.
Since I was only staying there one night, I opted out of paying for two nights so I could reserve a spot. If you want to camp, but don’t want to pay be sure to call plenty of times asking if they are expecting a lot of people. Then, arrive before 11 a.m. and sometimes 12 a.m. to score a nice spot. I was kind of sad to see people come in and out as they looked for a spot; we took the last one.
The camping spots are well spread out so you can have enough privacy, but you won’t feel alienated. Right behind the camp ground is a nice trail that led my boyfriend and I to the other end of the park. What a trek. We saw a black rattle snake and that was pretty cool in my book.
The forest ranger will come probably every 20 min. to check if new people have come, so you’ll be able to pay for the site you took. What’s also really nice is the boat dock and mini-​beach where I found a baby crab and was able to see a lovely view in the morning. Also, it’s a drive-​in camping ground so you don’t have to walk onto your camp site. They also have fire pits and grills there so just bring a log and a match and enjoy some food!
Also, sites are really cheap.