I first heard that nearby Raven Rock State Park was building brand new RV sites a few years ago. I kept my eye on the Connect NC project tracker and booked a site when the campground opened. Full hookup sites at North Carolina State Parks are rare; it’s always a luxury to have unlimited showers and dishwashing when we camp.

Our first camping trip of 2021 took us to site 17 at the new Moccasin Branch campground. We had adopted our COVID dog Sunny just two weeks earlier and had no idea how she’d do camping with us the first time. All we knew is that she had thrown up all over my backseat after just 15 minutes on the road. I backed the camper into a giant mud puddle from what had felt like a straight month of rain. Paul tried to clean up the dog barf as I worked with the hookups. Nat immediately started playing in the mud pit. Sunny was extremely anxious and too afraid to walk anywhere. Things were off to a great start!

The next morning after my trademark eggs, sausage, and hash browns breakfast, Nat and I headed out for a hike along the Raven Rock Loop Trail. It was a chilly and overcast morning but we had beat the weekend crowd to the trailhead. We saw several tributary streams that wind down to the Cape Fear River and at least 500 squirrels. After climbing down the 135-step stairway, we enjoyed a quick snack under the titular Raven Rock. Of course getting to eat under Raven Rock means having to climb back up all of those stairs but I have to say that Nat rocked it! It was his longest hike to date at 2.6 miles.

The sun started to break through the clouds as we made our way back to the campsite. I took full advantage of the sewer hookup and took a long shower. We had lunch and then a few friends of mine came by to celebrate my birthday a few days early. The sun was shining as we enjoyed a few ~beverages~ treats and music.

So how did Sunny do on her first camping trip? We joked that she was better behaved than our son. We really only struggled with bathroom breaks because she was just terrified to walk on a leash. We have since worked with a great trainer and she loves going for walks now, but it took work. She certainly loves her spot in the camper right in front of the heater though!

The Official Adventuring with Hillary Campground Rating: 2/5. Those 2 points are for the brand new full hookups and proximity to our house. But the campground doesn’t really have anything else going for it. There is no way to get to the main park with the hiking trails except by car. There is also very little shade or privacy between sites. The rangers drove by what seemed like every 30 minutes so we felt like we were always being watched. The park is only 20 minutes from our house so the trails are accessible for us without camping. The only reason we’d return would be to take advantage of the full hookups to really clean out the gray and blackwater tanks at the end of the season.