We spent a weekend in Roanoke Rapids at a campground just off I-95. We hiked the Roanoke Canal Trail and tried out a popular local restaurant.
Table of Contents
Where We Stayed
RV Resort at Carolina Crossroads
Crossroads RV Resort, in Roanoke Rapids, is right off I-95, so it would be a good place to stop for the night on your way to another destination. There are about 80+ campsites and 5 cabins.
The entrance is a little…unusual. There’s a sign for the campground at the turn for the campground. After turning, the clubhouse is nowhere in sight. You have to drive about 1,000 feet down the road, but when you finally see a building, you still might have questions. The clubhouse has a sign that says “The Roanoke River Valley.” Nothing else has the campground name. If it wasn’t for the sign at the previous intersection, we would have wondered if we were in the right place. But Jesse went inside and successfully checked in.
I think the best word to describe this campground is underwhelming. There’s nothing wrong with it; however, there’s also not much that makes it stand out. Our site was perfectly adequate, everything worked, but nothing was particularly impressive.
Other than a reasonable pool, there really isn’t much at the campground to attract someone to it. There is a small, wooden pirate ship, but there’s no playground.
The dog park is ok, but not spectacular. The only thing nearby that might attract someone to the area is Weldon Mills Theatre, which is right across the street.
Roanoke Rapids Travel Tip
I checked out the Weldon Mills Theatre website and was impressed by the variety of shows. I found everything from country singers Josh Turner and Randy Travis to Blippi to micro wrestling to Jurassic Bark. So if you are going to be in the area, you might find something you want to see.
It is probably worth noting that on the campground website, it says washing your car or RV is allowed. That’s something that a lot of campgrounds won’t allow.
| Campground Name | RV Resort at Carolina Crossroads |
| Location | Roanoke Rapids, NC |
| Dates | July 18-20, 2025 |
| Site Number | Site P10 |
| Site Surface | gravel; very level (no red levelers needed) |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups; pull-through |
| Water Pressure | 60-70 psi |
| Voltage | 120-125 V |
Our site was a pull-through with full hookups and a picnic table. They also have paved pull-throughs and gravel back-ins. It was a reasonable size for a pull-through. Some sites have their own gazebo, which is kind of fun.
I think the best thing about our site was the size. At some campgrounds, you feel crammed in like sardines, but there was a decent grassy area between our gravel parking area and the site next to us. I think our least favorite thing about it was that it got very little shade.
The pool was refreshing. It was a good temperature and even got nice afternoon shade from the covered pavilion beside it. That pavilion has a pool table and a few picnic tables and can be accessed from the pool.
They have a building with laundry and a room for group activities.
Their dog park is a reasonable size, but parts of the fence are…questionable. One section near the Weldon Mills Theatre property looks a little short and not as sturdy as I would like. It won’t be an issue for many dogs, and it didn’t stop us from using the dog park, but we kept Aiken away from that area.
It’s hard to show in pictures, but this is the corner in question.
The bath house kept with the theme of perfectly average. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but it wasn’t fabulous.
What We Did
Roanoke Canal Trail
The Roanoke Canal Trail begins at Roanoke Rapids Lake and runs for almost 8 miles along the Roanoke River. We parked in the large parking lot on Oakwood Avenue, which is about 16 minutes from the campground by car, and started the trail at the Roanoke Rapids Lake Trailhead (#1 on the map below) and walked to the Power Canal Bulkhead (#4). It was pretty hot, so we just did a short walk. For the section we walked, most of the trail was shaded, but every so often we found a short section in the sun.
If you make it to the wooden observation deck, there’s a spot to get down to a creek. Just before the deck (along the left side as you’re looking at it), you should notice a small path into the woods.
It’s worth noting that it was pretty steep down to the creek and then back up. There was also a fallen log over the path that added to the excitement. Aiken managed it just fine, but Corona needed some help. Smaller, older, or less athletic dogs might have trouble navigating it.
We found the thickest vine I’ve ever seen! Corona included for scale.
The map by the parking lot does a good job of pointing out points of interest along the way and giving estimated hiking times for certain sections. The Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail website has a digital version of the map so you can zoom in and get a better look.
Weldon Boat Ramp, Roanoke River
After the Canal Trail, we took a detour to let Aiken swim in the Roanoke River. We followed Google directions to the Weldon Boat Ramp and switched him to his long leash.
At one point, Aiken just walked into the river and started swimming. We didn’t throw a stick or anything. He just started swimming away. At some point, we had to tug on the leash to get him to turn back. We’re not sure what his plan was.
Where We Ate
Haggerty’s Steakhouse
Haggerty’s Steakhouse is only a 7-minute drive from the campground. We wondered how busy this place would be since it’s such a small town. We found out right away when the hostess said we could sit at the bar or we could wait for a table. We were the only ones at the bar when we sat down, but within maybe 5-10 minutes, three other parties sat down. Haggerty’s isn’t a large restaurant, so it might be worth making a reservation.
Happy travels!
