First Impressions: Clean & Well-Maintained
Occoneechee State Park immediately makes a good impression. The grounds are very clean and clearly well cared for, which sets the tone for a relaxing stay. We opted for primitive camping, which includes two raised platforms: one for your car and one for your tent setup.

How the Tent Platforms Work
We had two four-person tents to fit onto one platform, which made for a pretty tight squeeze. It works, but if you’re planning on using larger tents, keep in mind that space is limited. For smaller tents, I’d say you could probably fit up to six people comfortably. For us, it was just the four of us plus two dogs, manageable but cozy.

Camping with Dogs
The park is dog-friendly, and we brought ours along. Having them with us worked well, though as always, leashes are a must in areas with other campers.

Overall Camping Experience
Primitive camping at Occoneechee is exactly what you’d hope for: simple, tidy, and surrounded by nature. You get that back-to-basics feel without sacrificing a sense of order and safety. If you want a straightforward camping experience with access to good hiking trails nearby, this spot checks the boxes.

Have you been there? What was your experience?