Review Detail

We camped at Fort Fisher over the week of Mon, 22 Aug through Thu, 25 Aug. The main area was all occupied or reserved, so we were placed in Site #35 in the "overflow". One surprise for us upon making our reservations was that the rate was now $40/night. Also, it is better to go directly to their website to make online reservations. The link displayed on this website was a bit wonky. You can also telephone them, but be prepared to leave a voicemail. The overflow sites are all spotted near the Recreation Center and all appear to have full hookups (water, full electric, sewer, and cable). We actually preferred our spot to camping in the main area because their pads were rather closely packed together and the overflow sites were fairly well spread out. The only thing was our site was all grass and sandy clay, with no concrete pad, so we had to be careful not to track stuff into our trailer. Our site had a virtually brand-new power pedestal with 20/30/50 amp receptacles, but the water spigot had seen better days (it was hard to turn, but at least it didn't leak or spray). The sewer access was reachable with just one slinky hose, but just barely (it pays to check before detaching your trailer, in case you have to adjust). Cable? Fuggeddaboutit! The staff even provided a cable and channel box - but our hookup was so badly cross-threaded that we could not get the cable properly attached (we're not big TV users, so it was no big deal). One other specific issue at Site 35 was that there formerly was a house trailer located there and when it was torn down the concrete blocks upon which it rested were not removed, so park with caution. The Recreation Center contained the reception desk, some rental sports equipment, and a selection of snacks and souveniers. It was open from 0900 thru 1700 on weekdays (I didn't take note of their weekend hours). The Coffee Shop shown in one of the photos is no longer there. Further down the road towards the pier there was some sort of restaurant, but it only opens evenings, Thu - Sat, so we did not see inside. There's also a National Guard military museum and some static displays (tanks, guns, etc.), but the museum itself has very limited hours of operation. Fort Fisher is in the midst of renovating many of its facilities, so while they are mostly kept clean, the curent toilets and bath house near the overflow sites are a bit worn out. A newer structure is almost completed. -- A warning: the ladies' toilet had a sticky door that opens to the inside. My wife was unable to pull it open and had to phone me to come shoulder it open for her to escape.