My crazy husband has been begging to go camping for months now, but with three kids under 6 that just sounded like pure torture to me. 👎 Our compromise was getting a camping cabin at Carolina Beach State Park instead of having to sleep in a tent! Located about 2.5 hours away from Raleigh, the 2 bedroom cabins come furnished with beds, electricity, and an air conditioning unit, so this is a great option if you need a few more of the comforts of home while you camp!
Issues with Tent Camping
I’m just going to go ahead and let you know up front that I’m not the most outdoorsy person in the world. I’ve gotten into hiking more the past couple months, but I’ve never been a huge fan of camping in a tent. My parents aren’t either so I didn’t actually go camping until I was in high school and went with my friends.
However, when hubby and I first got married we liked to go on weekend trips around North Carolina. We quickly realized that camping was a cheaper way to travel. We took a few weekend trips where we camped one night and got a hotel the next night to save on costs (definitely always camp the first night and get a hotel the second night! The order makes a huge difference)! But even though I camped a few times back then, there were still a lot of things I disliked about the experience. Throwing 3 kids in the mix added a lot more reasons to my list of why I never wanted to go camping again. Such as:
- My body is too old to sleep on the ground.
- Our family doesn’t ever sleep in the same room so the kids won’t actually go to sleep if we’re all crammed in a tent together.
- No matter what time of year, tents get really hot and humid and become miserable, sweaty saunas.
- The kids and I all sleep with a fan or sound machine on for white noise.
Luckily for me, the camping cabin we rented at Carolina Beach State Park prevented all of these issues and turned the camping experience I was dreading into a great weekend getaway!
1. Furnished with Beds
The camping cabins at Carolina Beach State Park are furnished with two twin bunk beds and a double bed. The mattress was thin plastic, but it was sufficient for our needs. It wasn’t the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on, but it wasn’t terrible and it was WAY better than sleeping on the ground.
Linens are not provided so you will need to bring your own bedding. I packed double and twin sheets to go on the bed under our sleeping bags for cleanliness purposes.
2. Two Room Cabin
If your family is like mine, we all sleep in separate rooms at home. I’m super impressed by those families that all pile in the same bed and sleep on top of each other. I don’t know how they do it. My kids won’t sleep if someone is in the room with them because they think it’s party time, and I don’t sleep with them in the room because I hear every little noise they make all night long!
Since having kids we have pretty much avoided staying in hotel rooms. But on the few rare occasions when we have had to stay in one I usually put a pack in play in the bathroom or rig up a blanket so the kid can’t see me. At least I know that one child will sleep well that night!
I didn’t actually realize this cabin had two bedrooms so I was ecstatic when we got there and found separate rooms! We were able to put the kids to bed in the bunk room at their normal bed time and close the door until we were ready to go to bed. No quietly laying in the dark at 8:30pm after we put the kids to bed!
3. Window Air Conditioning Unit
The cabin has a window air conditioner included so you can comfortably camp in the summer! We visited in August so this was absolutely crucial for us to manage in the heat. I know we sound like spoiled babies, but hot, sweaty kids (and mamas) are never any fun to be around.
Heads up: The air conditioning unit is located in the first room with the double bed, so you will want to keep the bedroom door open to let the air into the bunk room. Otherwise your kids will wake up in the middle of the night to tell you that they’re hot (not speaking from experience or anything..). We usually closed the door when we first put the kids to bed and then reopened it when we went to sleep for maximum airflow.
4. Plenty of Electrical Outlets
The cabin has plenty of electrical outlets placed throughout. The kids are used to sleeping with nightlights and sound machines, so I was able to bring those from home and plug them in. I know that sounds ridiculous, but sleep is precious to this mama and I’ll do whatever it takes! The kids are older now so we’re getting to a point where this probably wasn’t a necessity, but it eased my mind that their sleep environment was similar to home. The kids actually slept great while we were there, but I woke up a lot the first night because the air conditioning was too cold! 😂
The cabin also had great light-blocking window treatments, which was a pleasant surprise. They really thought of everything when they built these cabins, and it looks like they are in the process of building two more for even more availability!
There are still some issues to overcome…
While this cabin was much better than tent camping, there are still some non-ideal things you will want to be aware of:
No running water
Now don’t get this confused with a hotel stay, there is no running water inside the cabin. There is a nearby water spigot located between the 4 cabins so you can get drinking water. It was pretty close and convenient to use.
Long walk to the bathhouse
As for the bathroom, the campground has 2 communal bathhouses for all of the campers to use. They are in the process of remodeling one of them, and unfortunately the other bathhouse was a bit of a walk from the cabins. When you’re potty training a toddler you don’t always have the time to walk that far to the bathroom, so we definitely popped a squat out back a few times. Bring toilet paper!
Wildlife and Mosquitoes
Luckily you are set back in the woods away from other cabins so you have a good bit of privacy from other people. Not from wildlife though! One morning we came out of our cabin to find a raccoon sniffing through our fire pit. I guess we had left some hotdog bits behind! Definitely don’t leave any food outside and clean up all of your trash to prevent any unwanted visitors.
The mosquitoes also loved visiting our campsite. We were all bit up from head to toe by the time we left, even though we used bug spray.
Not walking distance to the beach
The campground is not within walking distance to the beach. It was actually on the sound side so we still had to drive and park when we wanted to visit the beach. However, Fort Fisher isn’t that far away and it’s a great spot to go since it has free parking and lifeguards onsite. The NC aquarium at Fort Fisher is also onsite so you can head over there when you’re ready for some indoor fun (when it’s open). The campground does have lots of walking trails though, which if you follow will take you down to the pier, marina, and a great view of the water. We saw some people crabbing while we were there, but there was also a sign warning of alligators so we didn’t get in the sound. 😲
All of my ridiculous issues aside, this really is an awesome option for families who want to try out camping but are worried about staying in a tent. We didn’t have to pack tents and other gear so it was less work for mom and dad. At $50 a night it’s also a cheaper option than a hotel if you want to get away for the weekend. Check here for rental availability. The cabins go fast!