Camping on the beach in the Outer Banks

We often travel to the Outer Banks, but this was our first trip to the Hatteras KOA in Rodanthe and it was awesome! 

From the moment we checked in, we knew this was going to be a good experience. The lobby/camp store was one of the nicest facilities we’ve ever seen. It appeared to be brand new and it had everything you would need for camping on the beach.

Even though we booked just a few weeks before the trip in June we were able to reserve a spot just one row back from the ocean.

The spots were tidy and roomy for us, but I could see it being close quarters for some of the bigger rigs. It was nice to have a full hook up and cable. Some spots also had covered picnic tables available, which would have been great to have.

We wanted a spot close to the ocean for easy access with all the water toys, but we may have made a mistake. We had a few good hours on the sand, but the kids wanted to spend every second at the pool which was on the other side of the campground.

 While it was a hike to get there, it was worth every minute. It almost felt like being at a beach resort, not a campground. The shallow end had a gradual descent into the water which was great for the little ones. The deep end had two different slides into the water for the older ones. I wouldn’t say they were adult-ready, but they were perfect for the 6-12 crowd. There was also a gigantic hot tub for the adults!

Even though it was busy, there were plenty of chairs around the pool for everyone. If you got hungry, there was a restaurant next door and the kids jumped for joy when they learned there was a snowcone hour!

While we could have spent the entire trip in the water, there were also several playgrounds to enjoy. Check out this giant pirate ship. The kids explored every square inch. They also loved the jumping pad!

Just across the street from the campground we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset on the soundside. There was a dock that led to a picturesque gazebo where we ate smores and watched the sun go down. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to give children a high dose of sugar on a dock near deep water, but we all managed to stay dry!

We were only at the Hatteras KOA for two nights and it definitely wasn’t long enough. My husband had to pull me out of the pool. I was ready to stay for another week and would have if I could have!

This trip made us KOA believers! We’ve already booked our next KOA trip at Sunset Beach for later this summer! 

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