Active and retired military personnel, their families and civilian employees of the military services have use of two year-round campgrounds run by the U.S. Marine Corps Community Services. Both are in close proximity to Camp Lejeune's main entrance. The smaller New River Recreation Area (mccsnr.com) has 10 back-to-basics tent sites. What the campground lacks in creature comforts, it makes up for with recreational activities, including saltwater swimming, canoeing, boating and licensed saltwater fishing. The more developed Onslow Beach Recreation Area (mccslejeune.com) provides more than 40 sites with full hookups, a camp store, laundry and dump station. A fishing pier at the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean swimming and fee-based surf fishing are within walking distance.
Set along a peaceful creek, year-round Hawkins Creek Campground (hawkinscreekcampground.com) is a prime spot for canoeing and kayaking. Anglers can grab rods and reels for licensed fishing in Hawkins Creek, or opt for permit-free fishing in the facility's three catch-and-release ponds. Free cable TV, picnic areas and hiking trails also keep campers busy. The campground, about 8 miles from Camp Lejeune in the hamlet of Hubert, has shady primitive tent sites as well RV sites with full and partial hookups. A laundry, restrooms, showers and dump station complete the amenities.
Year-round Cabin Creek Campground (campingfriend.com) provides rustic tent sites, full-hookup RV sites, and trailer and cabin rentals. The Jacksonville facility, situated 12 miles northeast of Lejeune, has discounts for AAA members and military families. Creature comforts include wireless Internet access, cable TV, a camp store, laundry, restrooms and showers. For recreational amenities, Seagull Recreation is adjacent to the property. You can play a round of miniature golf, or practice your swing at the batting cages and driving range.
If you're looking for a wealth of water-based activity, check out White Oak Shores Camping & RV Resort (whiteoakshores.com). About 19 miles from Lejeune in the small town of Stella, the year-round campground has 250 campsites along the banks of the White Oak River and the coastal marshland of Bogue Sound. A fishing pier and bait-and-tackle shop are onsite, and a mini water park with a swimming pool, kiddie pool, water slide and geyser add to the wet fun. Hiking, kayaking and canoeing are at your disposal, and a sports field, horseshoe pits, playground, and volleyball and basketball courts keep campers on the move. Full hookups, wireless Internet access, cable TV, a camp store and laundry provide many of the comforts of home.
