Pettigrew State Park RV & Campground Guide
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The Pettigrew State Park is comprised of 1,600 acres located next to Lake Phelps, where you and your family can experience many outdoor adventures. Plenty of boating and kayaking fun awaits your time in the park. Located near Creswell and Roper in North Carolina, the park boasts a rich history with year-round activities to enjoy from hiking and boating to touring an old plantation house restored to its 1830 splendor.
Spring 70-85 F
Summer 82-89 F
Fall 56-73 F
Winter 52-62 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Pettigrew State Park
RVing around North Carolina is a convenient way to travel to and enjoy your destinations. The joy of travel is better when you can drive to a state park and have a comfortable bed to sleep in at night, and you can rent an RV from RVshare to get you there and have fun.
Pettigrew State Park Campground
There are 13 spots available at Pettigrew State Park for tent and RV camping. Not all campsites have the same amenities. Each site has a picnic table and grill, though only some can accommodate an RV. Hookups and dump stations are not available. The campsites vary in how you can enjoy the park from some being located under shaded areas with cypress and sweet gum trees growing right up to the campsite. Others open onto grassy meadows with wide-open spaces to see all the stars.
Riverside Campground
At Riverside Campground, you will find the perfect place to park your RV with a view of the Pungo River. The campground has 45 campsites that are a mixture of RV and tent camping. The campground is open year-round and offers any camper direct access to the water for swimming, kayaking, or canoeing. The area is surrounded by prime hunting and fishing territory, so the outdoorsy camper can spend a day in the woods before retreating to the calm of the camp. Full showers and restrooms are available.
Osprey Nest Campground
Osprey Nest Campground is nestled next to Lake Mattamuskeet. It offers campers views of swans and snow geese that pass through the area. The campground provides direct access to the lake for water actives and 19 campsites. Restrooms and hookups are available for camp users as well as a dump site and a place to launch your boat.
What to Do at
Pettigrew State Park
Inside Pettigrew State Park
You can explore the woods through sweet gum trees; take a trail to an overlook of Lake Phelps; or hike down to the canal to view the Pettigrew Cemetery, where J. Johnston Pettigrew, a soldier from the Confederate States Army, is buried. There are numerous swimming holes, areas to launch kayaks and canoes if you choose to bring them, and plenty of places to fish. The park office offers programs for schools and is always ready to discuss the area’s rich Native American heritage and preservation efforts with cultural displays that show how the region has changed. You can also visit Somerset Place, which will take you back in time to the Southern plantation holding. You can tour the structures and see how people lived and worked.
Outside Pettigrew State Park
Playing in the great outdoors when you are RVing is made better when you visit the local towns for a night out and some shopping. There are plenty of places to go and foods to eat without traveling far from your campsite.
Restaurants
Cahoon's Pizza and Wings
At Cahoon's, you can get delicious pizza with breadsticks that are soft and buttery as well as a variety of classic American dishes.
Type: Pizza, American
Location: 316 U.S. Highway 64 W, Creswell, NC 27928
Mom's Kitchen
If you want a taste of home, Mom's Kitchen gives you a comfortable dining experience with homemade treats and meals.
Type: Comfort food
Location: 410 U.S. Highway 64 W, Creswell, NC 27928
Blue Moon Beach Grill
This quirky eatery specializes in perfectly cooked lobster and Southern-style steaks.
Type: Southern comfort food
Location: 4104 S. Virginia Dare Trail, #16, Nags Head, NC 27959
Hitch'n Post Restaurant
The steak and biscuits with gravy are a tasty combination after a long day's hike.
Type: American, Buffet
Location: 1981 U.S. Highway 17, Williamston, NC 27892
The Tavern at Jack's Neck
At this tavern, you can choose from specialty pizzas, salads, seafood, and steaks. It also offers a wide selection of wines, local brews, and bourbon.
Type: American
Location: 238 Pamlico Street, Belhaven, NC 27810
Shopping
The Polka-Dot Palm
This hip boutique features fashion-forward decorations, art and jewelry.
Location: 300 South Broad Street, Edenton, NC 27932
Coastal Cottage Life
You can buy furniture for your home, arts, crafts, and home goods here. All the products are handcrafted.
Location: 216 Haslin Street, Belhaven, NC 27810
Edenton Bay Trading Company
Not only can you buy yourself a drink, but you can also select some of the best spirits to take home along with jewelry and other gifts for friends.
Location: 407 South Broad Street, Edenton, NC 27932
Feathers Boutique
Feathers Boutique is a top-of-the-line women's clothing, shoe, and accessories store.
Location: 437 South Broad Street, Edenton, NC 27932
Sightseeing
Davenport Homestead
As the only example of an 18th-century farm, Davenport Homestead is open for visitors in the city of Creswell. Built in the 1770s by Daniel Davenport, the property is worth a visit. Daniel Davenport was an American Revolutionary for six months, and the home still stands to this day with pieces of American Revolutionary history. The last surviving descendant passed away during the 1970s, leaving the home open for tourists and visitors. Davenport Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours and events throughout the year.
Location: Mt. Tabor Road and Arnold Hill, Creswell, NC 27928
1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse
The 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse is a four-sided structure that is the only surviving example of a screw-pile lighthouse. You can tour the lighthouse throughout the week and on Saturday. Hike up the winding tower stairs to the top for an incredible view of the countryside. The tower was completely restored in 2012, making it safer and more accessible to all kinds of visitors.
Location: 7 Dock Street, Edenton, NC 27932
Pungo National Wildlife Refuge
At the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge, you can observe nature and see large waterfowl and other visitors to the lake. You can hike up to an observation point by taking the Duck Pen Wildlife trail to get a full view of the area from November through February. You must stay within the fenced area of the trail to keep the wildlife undisturbed. Hiking is only available during the waterfowl season for on-the-ground viewing. Pets and bicycles are not allowed on the trails.
Location: 600 Refuge Road, #60, Pantego, NC 27860
How to Get to
Pettigrew State Park
Pettigrew State Park is located off Lake Shore Road in Washington and Tyrrell counties. If you take U.S. 64 South from Creswell and get off at Exit 558, you can access the park easily. Take a left onto Lake Shore Road, and the park office will be on the right. There, you can get information about camping and other activities to do in the park.
Entering Pettigrew State Park
The park is free for all visitors to enter, though you may need a permit for certain events or research. Contact the parks department before you visit if you are planning any activities.
The park is open year-round, and the hours are November to February, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; March to May, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; June to August, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and September to October, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Pettigrew State Park Entrance Fee : $0.0
Camping in Pettigrew State Park can offer you an up-close-and-personal look at history as well as fun and adventure. In your RV, you can find the freedom to travel and keep your home close. For more information about renting an RV for your stay, please visit RVshare.com. You can also send your trip memories to [email protected] and tag the site on your adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pettigrew State Park
Pettigrew State Park offers fantastic opportunities for wildlife viewing and bird-watching. Some of the creatures you might see around the area include foxes, bobcats, opossums, owls, herons, kingfishers, owls, eagles, and hawks.
Pettigrew State Park is very pet-friendly, and pets are allowed in the campground for no extra fee. However, please ensure to keep your pets leashed and clean up after them at all times.
Pettigrew State Park contains a small campground with 13 total campsites. Each site has its amenities, and several can accommodate RVs. However, there are no RV hookups or dump stations available.
The climate is pretty moderate at Pettigrew State Park, featuring summer temperatures between 66 and 89 degrees and winter temperatures between 29 and 56. There's rain throughout the year, and the summers can be pretty humid.
Usually, the most pleasant times to visit the park are during May, June, and September. The weather is nice and warm during spring and fall, but it isn't as humid or rainy as in July and August.