Look here for Pamlico County information.

Look here for Chamber of Commerce  information.

Look here for Oriental Web Site.

Bay River Campground is located about 5 miles from Oriental which is known as “The Sailing Capital of North Carolina” located at the mouth of the Neuse River, which empties into Pamlico Sound .  Downtown Oriental can be reached by car from our campground in approximately 15 minutes or by boat on the Bay River in about 25 minutes.  Along the way you can drop a line in the water and catch any number of varieties of fish such as: mullet, spot, flounder, mackerel, spotted trout, croaker.  You can drop your net or bait on a string off our pier and catch blue crabs or whatever is in season at the time of your visit.

If you like to watch birds while your partner enjoy fishing there are many kinds of birds that frequent this area of NC. Some are transient but most are native to our area and are quite exciting to watch and admire.  To name a few of our local residents we have: bluebirds all year round in great numbers along with cardinals, brown headed nuthatches, yellow throats, pine warblers, red-headed woodpeckers, brown pelicans, great blue herons, American bitterns, eastern kingbirds, and a pair of pileated woodpeckers.   During the summer months the emerald and ruby-throated hummingbirds are flying from mimosa to crepe myrtle to pipe vines creeping on the tall pine trees throughout the campground.

This is a great place to listen to the birds and identify the many varieties.  Hear the killdeer loudly calling around our docks along with the guttural screeching of the great blue heron.  You are likely to see our resident great blue heron winging across the marsh or wading on the shore of the Bay River in search of food.  You can hear the sharp call of the belted kingfisher as he calls out in his flight, or the mockingbird mimicking those around it’s home near our fishing/crabbing pier. 

There are many free events and festivals in the local area for a visitor to enjoy during all of the seasons of the year.  Since 1986 during the Christmas season the town of Oriental has sponsored a festival called “The Spirit of Christmas” (early Dec.).  On this one night of the year the town is alight with luminaries lining the streets.  The local businesses open their doors and show hospitality rarely exhibited anywhere else on the East Coast. 

Some other events in the area include the Croaker Festival in Oriental (July), the annual Shriner's Parade (Jan.) and the Mumfest (Oct.) in New Bern, a Blue Crab Festival in Bayboro (Sept.), The Blessing of the Fleet in Hobucken (May) and The Fossil Festival on Memorial Day Weekend in Aurora.

We are located just 35 minutes from the city of New Bern, the home of eighteenth century Tryon Palace, where governors once ruled, legislators debated, patriots gathered, and George Washington danced.  You can tour this historic site and its 14 acres of gardens.  While you are in the neighborhood visit the drug store where Caleb Bradham, a local pharmacist, created Pepsi Cola 1898.  There are also a variety of unique gift stores in the downtown area of this historic city for you to enjoy.

At the end of your day come home to your campsite to the peace and relaxation of this quiet part of Pamlico County.  Relax, sip a cocktail, and watch the sun go down over the treetops across the water with a beautiful sunset from our 250-foot pier extending over the Bay River.

On another day you can visit one of the many old churches in the area that date back to the days our country was founded.  Rest at the outdoor chapel in the center of the city of New Bern under the shade of the trees surrounding the ancient graveyard on the grounds of Christ Church Parish, which was established in 1715.

King George III presented the silver communion service, prayer book, and bible in use there today to the church in 1752.  Several of our first president’s also attended services at this historic site.  Just a few streets away stands the First Presbyterian Church which was built in 1817 and used as a hospital and lookout during the Civil War.  It features initials of Union soldiers carved in its belfry and some Union graves are in the National Cemetery nearby.

There is a local airport in nearby New Bern for use if you or any member of your party needs a quick ride home or to any other part of the world.  The NC Ferry System offers great transportation to many locations for a variety of sights to visit on day trips.  You can cross Pamlico Sound in 30 minutes via the ferry from nearby Minnesott Beach to Cherry Branch and to the Outer Banks and area beaches.  The fare on most ferry trips is free with the exception of the rides to and from the Outer Banks in the Cape Hatteras area.  These trips take 2¼ to 2½ hours and you are charged $10 - $30 depending on the size of your transportation.

Atlantic Beach, which is on the ocean, is located about 35 miles from us via the ferry and it has a nice state park facility for family swimming at Fort Macon State Park.  This park also offers tours of the five sided fort used during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War II.  There are many other activities in the area near the beach including an aquarium, maritime museum, gift shops, and boat rides.  There are also many good restaurants offering any number of seafood and native dishes in New Bern, Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, and Emerald Island .  The area within 25 miles of us offers your choice of 7 different golf courses if that is your pleasure. 

Bay River Campground offers a tranquil space to unwind from the pressures of the city and your regular daily routines.  You can take a walk along the dirt road past our campsites and pretend you are back any number of years in time.  Walk along the Bay River and see the crabs, turtles, schools of fish and life that thrives in and on the water and the surrounding marshy area.  Be quiet and listen to the silence and the sounds of nature without the distracting noise of the busy world.

Stand beside one of our canals or on our dock and watch the fish jump out of the water right before your eyes.  You can drop a fishing line in any time you desire and you don’t need to travel anywhere to do it.  On occasion you can watch dolphins in the river as they come in from the ocean to feed on the shrimp and fish. It is common in the evening as the sun goes down to see fish jumping a foot or more out of the water and sometimes several times in a row.  See schools of small fish swimming under or near our dock at any time of the day or night.  You can hear them splashing in the night and think that someone has thrown something into the water, but it is only the sound of the fish in the waters around you.  When the screech of the great blue heron breaks the air on a quiet foggy morning you can believe you are on the edge of a primordial land.

We are located off Rt.17 midway between Virginia Beach, VA and Myrtle Beach, SC.   It is not hard to find us from major highways and it is approximately a 3-hour drive to either Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach.  For those people who can’t seem to be away from a mall with the varieties of fashion and chain stores for very long:  Greenville is only a 1 hour drive and Jacksonville is about 1 ½ hours.  Both of these locations have most everything a shopping hound would need to feel closer to the big city life. The people are very friendly and willing to lend a helping hand - so don’t be shy about asking for directions anywhere in our neck of the woods.