Campgrounds and RV parks near Clarkton, NC

Water is the region's main draw. White Lake is known for spring-fed, sandy-bottom swimming, and the surrounding resorts run seasonal activities and family programming through the warmer months. Camp Clearwater Family Campground sits directly on the lake with RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. Jones Lake State Park adds hiking, paddling, and fishing. The Bay Trail is a four-mile loop around Jones Lake, and canoes and paddleboats may be rented from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Only motors of 10 horsepower and under are allowed on the lake, which keeps it quiet for kayaks and small craft. A sandy swim beach with a nearby bathhouse and seasonal concession is open in the warmer months. Wilmington, Carolina Beach, and the USS North Carolina battleship are within roughly an hour by car for a coastal day trip.

Spring and fall are the most comfortable RV seasons in Bladen County. Days warm quickly from March into May, humidity stays manageable, and the state park's trails and lakes are open with lighter crowds than summer. Fall brings mild afternoons and clearer skies, though September can still be warm and October is historically one of the wetter months. Summer is peak season at White Lake. Weekends fill fast, private resorts run programming, and lakefront sites at places like Gilligans Island Resort and Camp Clearwater Family Campground book well in advance. Expect hot, humid afternoons in the upper 80s and frequent pop-up thunderstorms; August is typically the wettest month. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with peak storm activity from mid-August through October, and inland Bladen County can see significant freshwater flooding when tropical systems stall over the Cape Fear basin. Winter is quiet and cool rather than cold. Jones Lake State Park's family campground stays open year-round, though swim beaches and boat rentals are seasonal, and some private resorts scale back services outside the warm months.

Roads into Clarkton and the White Lake area are flat and RV-friendly, with most campgrounds reached by paved secondary highways off US 701 and NC 41. Sites at private White Lake resorts skew toward tightly spaced, hookup-equipped pads with a large share of seasonal campers, and golf-cart traffic is common on weekends. Jones Lake State Park feels different: sites sit on raised gravel beds in a forested loop, each with a picnic table, fire ring, and paved parking spur, with a bathhouse in the middle of the loop. Sites are not lakefront; the swim beach and lake are about a half-mile walk from the campground. Check-in is 3:00 pm and check-out is noon, and a secondary gate south of the main entrance provides after-hours access for registered campers. Pets are allowed on a leash of six feet or less but are not permitted on the swim beach or inside buildings.