Visit our Smith Lake Beach webpage for details.

Visit our Smith Lake Outdoor Recreation Center webpage for details.

The Army Travel Campground is open to DoD ID Cardholders and their guests and is open year round.

• Army Travel Campground Map (.pdf)
• Army Travel Campground Rules and Fees (.pdf) - This is a printable document where you will find detailed rules and price information.

Prices at a glance

• Small cabin:
  • October-April: $45 per night
  • May-September: $65 per night
• Large cabin:
  • October-April: $95 per night with a two night minimum stay
  • May-September: $135 per night with two night minimum stay
• RV sites:
  • Pull-through, full service (water, electric and sewer): $30 per day
  • Back-in, full service (water, electric and sewer): $28 per day (30+ days, $22)
  • Back-in, partial service (water and electric only; no sewer): $25 per day (30+ days, $22)
• Primitive tent camping:
  • October-April: $10 per tent (day-of reservations only)
  • May-September: $12 per tent (day-of reservations only)
  • Will not rent sites in inclement weather

Campground amenities

• Bath houses with individual bath rooms
• Sewage dump station, complimentary for registered campground guests
• Coin operated washers and dryers
• Fishing on the north side of the lake; installation and NC fishing permit required, no motorized watercraft
• Mountain bike and hiking trails; bike rentals available
• Park and picnic areas with ADA playgrounds, volleyball and basketball courts (fees may apply)
• Seasonal lake front operations; swimming, wakeboard cable system (under construction), paddle boat/canoe rental (fees apply)

Cabins

Enjoy the tranquil setting of our rustic cabins in the midst of North Carolina’s long-leaf pine tree forest.

• Our small cabins sleep up to 4 and are equipped with 1 double bed, a small fridge and microwave, a table and 4 chairs.
• Our large cabins sleep up to 8 and feature 2 bedrooms (1 double bed, 1 set of bunk beds), a loft (futon sleeper), a living area (futon sleeper), a full size bathroom and kitchenette with a table and 4 chairs (a minimum 2 night stay is required).
• All cabins are air-conditioned/heated. Smoking is not permitted in the cabins. Must bring own sheets, blankets, pillows and towels.
• No pets allowed. Violators will be asked to remove the pet immediately, and an additional $100 fee will be charged.

Smith Lake Park area is open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk and is open to the public.

Visit our Parks webpage for detailed information on Smith Lake Park and all other parks. 

The mountain biking/hiking trails are open to the public and are open year round (unless noted otherwise).

Official trail use: Official use of the trails may begin 1 hour after sunrise and must end 1 hour before sunset to de-conflict potential impacts to the federal endangered RCW roosting activities.

Smith Lake Recreation Area Trails Map (.pdf) 

Designed by INNOVA disc Golf Designers Russell Schwarz & Michael Shugart, Smith Lake Disc Golf Course boasts a challenging recreational and professional layout.

The playing length is 7881 ft. The course offers a wide variety of wooded and open holes of widely varying length. The longest and most open hole is #10 at 969 ft. and the shortest is #7 at 237 ft.

There are course and informational signs at Hole 1 (near the first tee and practice targets and adjacent to the parking lot) the other is located at the MWR facility near tee 14 (there are two white practice basket here as well). There are bathrooms at the MWR facility.

The holes emphasize a complete range of skills and present an opportunity to work on all requisite skills for developing players.

7 of the holes have alternate target positions to provide altered challenges for play. The course is currently in the Red (long) positions.

Click on image to enlarge

Front 9 Hole Descriptions:

• Hole 1 is a 3400 ft. Par 3 with a right to left shot requirement fairway; guardian trees provide some flight path obstacles
• Hole 2 is a low ceiling tunnel shot. Only 255 ft. tee to target; it is blind from the tee.
• Hole 3 is wide open at 384 ft.; the basket is guarded by 2 pine trees at the green.
• Hole 4 presents a split route fairway with the basket protected by a thicket of small trees. Only 269 ft.
• Hole 5 is a tree lined dogleg with a slight right bending fairway leading to a steep left break to a green area.  A tree edged fairway and green, 427 ft.
• Hole 6 at 537 ft. has a generous left to right bending fairway lined by rough and a green backed by a group of trees. Don’t be long at the green to avoid a challenging putt.
• Hole 7 the shortest hole is a narrow straight fairway requiring a very accurate tee shot for success, 237 ft.
• Hole 8 is a fairway split by a small stand of trees. Left or right shots will work on this 321 ft. hole
• Hole 9 concludes the front side with the longest hole on the front. Tree lined with generous fairway obstacles require good shot placement. 558 ft. to a single tree guarded target. Par 4

Back 9 Hole Descriptions:

• Hole 10 is a power throwers chance to shine. 969 ft. wide open most of the way with a copse of trees protecting the green Par 5.
• Hole 11 is straight forward hole, 513 ft. to a raised and guarded green. The row of white tipped posts on the right represents out-of-bounds for serious or tournament play.
• Hole 12 is a very challenging dead straight hole with a narrow fairway and trouble on either side. A visually and actually intimidating Par 4.
• Hole 13 360 ft. left to right and up and down. A well placed tee shot is key and there is very thick rough behind the target to punish an over aggressive approach.
• Hole 14 is a steeply uphill then down challenge. Obstacle trees dominate the first half of the hole and the tough target position completes the challenge. 510 ft. Par 4.
• Hole 15 is a rather short uphill hole with a pined shaded plateau green with a small ridge to interfere with poorly place shots. Pretty and not without an aspect of difficulty, 243 ft. Par 3.
• Hole 16 is arguably the most difficult hole at Smith Lake. 639 ft., Par 5 with an essential drive placement landing zone followed by a continuously bending right to left fairway leading to a pine guarded green.
• Hole 17 is good change of pace after 16’s difficulty. Straight and 312 ft. but still narrow enough to require an accurate tee shot.
• Hole 18 is a sweeping left to right that finishes on a downhill slope to the green which is bordered by gravel road. Returns to the parking lot by tee 1 and practice baskets.

Where is the trail head located for the mountain bike trails?

The mountain bike trail head is located on the left side of Smith Lake Road, approximately .75 miles from Honeycutt Rd. It is marked with a sign. This is not a multi-use trail and designated for mountain bikers only.

Smith Lake Recreation Area Trails Map (.pdf) 

Where is the start of the 5K walking and running trail located?

The start of the 5K walking and running trail is located in the Smith Lake Park Area, near the beginning of the campground road. Please follow the signs posted at the entrance to the park. This is a natural terrain train and may not be suitable for strollers.

Smith Lake Recreation Area Trails Map (.pdf)

Is fishing allowed on Smith Lake? What licenses are required and can I take a boat?

Fishing is allowed on Smith Lake at the designated location on the north side of the lake.  Follow the sign posted on Smith Lake road, approx. .5 miles from Honeycutt road on the right side.  The trail to the fishing area is a gravel/sand road and may not be suitable for all vehicles.

Fishing is not allowed near the beach swim area, the Water Cable Way area, or from the shoreline near the campground.

Both, a North Carolina state and an installation fishing license are required to fish on Smith Lake, or any of the other lakes on the installation. Installation fishing licenses can be obtained at the Wildlife office located on Gruber Rd. +1 (910)396-7506.

Non-motorized personal watercraft is allowed in the lake and the intake is at the fishing area.  Watercraft is not allowed to cross the buoy lines that mark the designated recreation area.

What is the pet policy at Smith Lake Recreation Area?

Pets are not allowed in the park areas, at the beach, or in any of the cabins on the campground. Pets are allowed to stay in RVs, tents, and on the hiking trail.  Pets must be on a leash at all times. Breed restrictions apply IAW installation policy.

What is the alcohol policy at Smith Lake Recreation Area?

Alcohol is not allowed at events or parties taking place in any of the park areas or at the beach. 

Can I hunt at Smith Lake Recreation Area?

No! Hunting is strictly prohibited at Smith Lake Recreation Area.