Hammocks Beach State Park is located in Onslow County, NC about 19 miles southeast of Jacksonville. If you’ve heard of Swansboro, the campground is less than 2 miles from Swansboro, NC as the crow flies.
We explored Hammocks Beach State Park (and surrounding areas) by renting kayaks, hiking a coastal trail, and visiting a few local places to eat.
Where We Stayed
Simmons Mainland Campground
Because Hammocks Beach State Park has a mainland area and three barrier islands, the park has two campgrounds, one on the mainland and one on Bear Island. You can access Bear Island via a passenger ferry or kayak (your own or rented).
About the Campground
Simmons Mainland Campground has 21 campsites, 12 of which have full hookups, 1 group campsite, and 4 cabins and is open year-round. There are hiking trails and a kayak launch within walking distance from the campsites.
The open, grassy area in the center looks like a great play for playing catch, tag, and other games. The campground road is a flat loop, so it’s perfect for riding bikes and scooters.
The bathhouse looks more impressive on the outside than it is on the inside, but it gets the job done.
| Campground Name | Simmons Mainland Campground |
| Location | Swansboro, NC |
| Dates | June 19-21, 2026 |
| Site Number | Site 21 |
| Site Surface | Fine gravel parking area, grass |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups |
| Cost | $45 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | ~45 psi |
| Voltage | 115-120 V |
| Verizon Speed Test | 10 Mbps down; 1 Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | Mbps down; Mbps up |
Our Campsite
Our site was a good size and a reasonable distance from neighbors. Thanks to a storage shed of some sort, there wasn’t anyone immediately on our “business side.” It was mostly level, but we did use our red leveling blocks.
We had good afternoon shade. We could see our neighbors at the next site, but they weren’t very close. If Google Maps is to be believed, it was at least 60 feet from the end of our gravel to the beginning of our neighbor’s gravel.
What We Did
Cedar Point Tideland Trail
The parking lot closest to Cedar Point’s Tideland Trail is a 17-minute drive from the campground.
This 1.3-mile loop trail takes you through a salt marsh and adjacent forest. There is a sign at the start that warns visitors about the potential for bugs and says “insect repellant is a good idea.”
It’s actually a really cool trail that packs a lot of variety into a short distance. You’ll cross bridges and boardwalks. Your view will include forest landscape and salt marsh. The trail’s page on the USDA Forest Service website provides a wonderful summary.
I think my favorite part of the trail is the opportunity for wildlife sightings. It you’re the first person in your group, you’re likely to see lots of little crabs on the path in front of you. Aiken chased them at first but eventually lost interest. We also saw an osprey nest, red-headed woodpeckers, and I’m sure there are many other species to see if you pay attention and are patient. (Be sure to read the Wildlife section of this post for more details on our sightings.)
Morning Run
Jesse headed off on his 13-mile Saturday run early. Corona, Aiken, and I started with a 1-mile walk. Aiken and I dropped Corona off at the RV and ran about 3 miles on the park trails. I marked the route we took on the trail map below.
We did find good water access on the Hickory Bluff Trail. I marked the location with a blue water drop on the map above.
There is a storywalk on the Live Oak Trail. The trail is short and close to the visitor center parking lot.
By the time we’d done 3 miles, it was getting too hot for Aiken, so I dropped him off at the RV and ran about 3 miles by myself.
Kayaking
Like I mentioned earlier, if you want to visit Bear Island, you have two options: passenger ferry or kayak. If you don’t have your own kayak, you can rent one from the park.
We made reservations in advance and booked a 4-hr window. You pick up kayaks at the visitor center. They get them down to the water and help you get in and on your way.
It’s about a 3-mile trip to Bear Island (each way). Overall, it was a pretty cool experience. However, I wouldn’t recommend with small kids. Between the current and waves from boats, I didn’t think it was an easy trip. I thought kayaking on Lake Tillery was easier than kayaking in the ocean.
They give you a laminated map with the paddle trails and tell you what markers to look for depending on your destination. Be sure to look at it before you head out so you have a general idea of where you’re going. We wanted to see Bear Island, so we followed the markers that were white on top and orange on the bottom (see the image below). We followed the route marked by the white dashed line. I also added blue arrows to make it more obvious.
Here is what the trail markers look like in person. When you’re close, they’re pretty obvious, but they’re not always easy to see when you’re far away. You need to be sure you’re paying attention when you’re kayaking through spots with lots of little land masses. It felt like it would be easy to miss one and take a wrong turn.
When you get to Bear Island, pull your kayak up on the sand and out of the way and walk up the hill/dune.
This next photo was taken while standing on top of the dune. The image looks out at the area where you leave your kayak. Behind us is the beach and the Atlantic Ocean.
Since ferry, small boat, or kayak is the only way to get there, the beach is really quiet.
Bear Island had some amazing shells! Maybe because it’s only accessible by kayak or ferry and it’s less busy…the shells aren’t as picked over as they are at bigger beaches? I don’t know, but there were so many!
Also, have you ever seen one like the spotted shell in the photo below? It wasn’t the usual type of shell; it was from a crab. Later, I learned it belonged to something called a calico crab.
At the visitor center, we found a sign that mentions a snack stand on the island, but we didn’t see it when we were there. The map indicates there are restrooms further up the beach, but we didn’t get that far, so I imagine the snack stand is near there.
Remember when I said Hammocks Beach State Park has a campground on Bear Island? We saw some of the campsites while we were on the beach. The campsite was nicely tucked away. I wouldn’t have known it was there if it weren’t for the small campsite marker.
On the other side of the small dune you’l find coastal plants and grasses and a bare spot of sand big enough for a tent and a picnic table.
Hammocks Beach State Park Visitor Center
Whenever we visit a state park, I like to check out the visitor center. It seems no two are alike, and I enjoy seeing how the different parks do things.
I thought this little station was a really cool idea. There’s a desk with a microscope on it, connected to a TV screen. The desk drawers hold all sorts of slides you can put under the microscop and view on the big screen.
Also, how cool is this for a way to get visitors involved? It’s a giant paint by number. The little sign at the top says to pick a numbered section and then visit the front desk for a brush and some paint. You can paint a little or a lot; just return the supplies when you’re finished. That’s so neat!
Where We Ate
Gaffer’s
Gaffer’s is about 15 minutes from the campground. They have the most outdoor seating I’ve ever seen at a restaurant, with lots of shade. If you like seafood, you’ll have some difficult decisions to make when looking at their menu. If you don’t, they have a few options for you, too, including wings, a ribeye, and a burger.
Overall, the food was good, but there were several little things wrong with the order. One burger came without bacon, one came with a pickle when we asked for it without, and both were well done when ordered medium well. Individually, they’re fairly minor things, but they add up to leave an impression. We’d probably still come back.
Giovanni’s Brooklyn Bagels
On Sunday morning, we drove ~7 minutes to Giovanni’s Brooklyn Bagels. Giovanni’s is an adorable little place in downtown Swansboro.
They sell cinnamon rolls, muffins, and crumb cake in addition to a variety of bagels. You can take things home or order a breakfast sandwich and eat there. We got a few bagels and a few pastries, all of which were delicious! We would make it a point to come again!
Giovanni’s is also walking distance to restaurants, a few shops, a hotel/B&B, and a dock.
At some point, we drove past Pirate’s Den Park. It’s small, but appears to have a lovely little playground. The best part is it’s only 4 minutes away from Giovanni’s. If you are traveling with little ones, that seems like a great place to take your breakfast for a morning picnic.
Wildlife
This beautful bird, which I believe to be an osprey, flew over the campground with a fish in its talons.
Aiken and I came across this box turtle on the trails during our run through the park.
We saw a pair of red-headed woodpeckers in a tree along the Tideland Trail.
In the Cedar Point parking lot, there’s a tree with an osprey nest. Both osprey were in the nest when we arrived, so we stood and observed for a few minutes.
We saw so many crabs on this trip! They were everywhere. We found these particular crabs while walking the Tideland Trail.
And these crabs were at the campground kayak launch.
Happy travels!
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