Want to wake up to salt air instead of hotel air conditioning? We’ve got you covered.

Three campgrounds handle the tent and RV crowd, and yes, you absolutely need reservations – especially if you’re showing up between Memorial Day and Labor Day thinking you’ll wing it.

Ocracoke Campground is where the National Park Service keeps 136 sites year-round, a few miles outside the village. You get restrooms, running water, and a short walk to the beach. No RV hookups, but they’ll fit your rig if it’s not massive. It’s your classic island base camp – nothing fancy, everything you need.

Jernigan’s Campground sits where village life happens. Next to the Variety Store, across from restaurants, close enough to hear the locals arguing about fishing conditions. If you want to be in the thick of things, this is your spot.

Teeter’s Campground tucks into a residential neighborhood with a freshly renovated bathhouse and free Wi-Fi for when you absolutely have to check email.

This isn’t glamping. It’s real camping on a real barrier island where the weather does what it wants and the mosquitoes think you’re dinner. But wake up here, and you’ll remember why people used to sleep outside on purpose.