Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is about 50 miles southeast of Raleigh, NC. We like it for the spacious campsites and hiking trails within walking distance of the campground.
Previous Visits
Yup, we’ve been here before! We’re going to limit this post to information about this particular visit, but you can find out more about our park/campground experiences by reading these posts about our previous visits.
March 2023 post
November 2024 post
Where We Stayed
We love site 5 in particular. There’s an RV site on the driver’s side and a cabin on the passenger side, but they’re well-spaced not even with each other (since the road curves).
It’s hard to convey the size of these campsites in one photo, so I thought I’d try a short video this time.
About 75 feet behind the site is a sand trail (Old Wagon Path) that runs parallel to Park Entrance Road, but with all the undergrowth, you can’t see it. You can just barely see people when they’re on the trail. Here’s a photo I took while we were on the trail. Inside that white circle is all you can see of our RV from the trail.
The campground gets bonus points because there are multiple trash cans (with recycling!) around the campground loop. Now that we’re into March, the park hours have changed, and the gates were open until 8:00 pm.
| Campground Name | Cliffs of the Neuse Campground |
| Location | Seven Springs, NC |
| Dates | March 14-16, 2025 |
| Site Number | Site 5 |
| Site Surface | gravel |
| Hook-ups | full hook-ups |
| Cost | $36 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | Forgot to check! |
| Voltage | Forgot to check! |
| Verizon Speed Test | 61 Mbps down; 14 Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | didn’t test |
| Campground WiFi | none |
What We Did
Hiking
We started on the Bird Trail, then switched to the Galax Trail, and ended up at Swim Lake. After letting the dogs wade in the water for a bit, we walked from the swim beach to the Visitor Center. From there, we made our way along Old Wagon Path back to the campground.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center has some informational exhibits, several of which are fun for kids. They also appear to have a few things for sale.
We need to be informed about problems in the world (habitat loss, pollution, etc.), but I really like it when places (zoos, parks, whatever) provide information about things a single person can do to make a difference. I was pleased to see useful tips provided in this exhibit.
There are several cute exhibits for kids in the Visitor Center, so be sure to stop by with the little ones!
I thought this exhibit was cool. Normally, you can see what look like regular items on rocks. The writing to the left provides information about fossils. Press the button and you’ll see what’s actually there: fossils!
When we visited, we saw signs for an Easter egg hunt, so be sure to check for planned activities when you go.
NC State Parks Travel Tip
Don’t forget to get your NC State Parks Passport stamped while you’re at the Visitor Center.
If you’re not familiar with the passport, find out more information through ncparks.gov.
Relaxing
Aiken is still learning how to just lie down and relax. After a long walk is the perfect time for him to practice, so we hung out at the campsite.
Corona, however, is highly skilled at napping.
At larger campsites, where space allows, she sometimes likes to nap in the woods.
Water Level Comparison
We have been here a few times and the water level is always different.
This photo is from March 2023.
Here are photos from this trip.
They’re not from exactly the same angle, but you can see that whole area on the left of the 2023 photo is under water in the 2025 photo. We walked around that area the last time we were here, but we couldn’t get there this time.
Photos
This is the same tree from different angles. In the first photo, the trunk doesn’t look that big, so I wanted another picture. I moved 90 degrees and took the second photo which gives a much better idea of the size of this tree.
No Corona for scale, so it’s hard to tell, but this was a very large pine tree!
Happy travels!
