This Land, Your Land

The U.S. Forest Service said today it was re-opening three campgrounds in the hurricane-stricken Croatan National Forest.

The Cedar Point Recreation Area near Swansboro, which includes a family campground, the Tideland National Recreation Trail, a picnic area and a fishing pier, has reopened, as has Oyster Point Campground near Newport. The Dixon's Landing canoe launch south of Maysville, which allows primitive camping, has reopened as well.

Other Croatan Day Use Areas remain closed, including the Neuse River Recreation Area.

The Forest Service said shortly after Hurricane Irene struck August 27 that 60 percent of roads in the 160,000-acre forest were blocked by fallen trees.

The Tideland Trail at Cedar Point Recreation Area opened Wednesday. Click on the photo for more information.

The Neuse River Recreation Area in Croatan National Forest, also known as Flanners Beach, re-opened this week after renovations to its 45-site family campground and after tornado damage in April.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka the Stimulus, provided more than $500,000 to correct a backlog of maintenance and facility needs, the National Forest Service says in a news release.

The renovations include "noticeable improvements to a wide variety of facilities at the campground," including a new accessible restroom that replaces a dilapidated facility. Workers also resurfaced 19.3 miles of existing hiking and biking trails at Flanners Beach, as well as the Neusiok, Tidelands and Tidelands Connector trails, the news release says.

Work at Flanners Beach was complicated and its May 1 seasonal opening date was delayed after an F2 tornado hit the area April 16 and did extensive damage. "People familiar with the site will notice the reduction of trees at the campground," the Forest Service says, "but there is still plenty of shade across the recreation area."

Last weekend's tornado-laden storms did extensive damage that will keep the Neuse River Recreation Area near New Bern closed for the foreseeable future. The popular Croatan National Forest site, which includes Flanners Beach and a 45-site family campground, was to open for the season May 1.

The Sun Journal of New Bern reports that 30 different spots in the recreation area suffered some kind of damage in an F2 tornado that struck the area April 16. The report (which includes several photos) describes the campground as "covered with fallen trees and limbs" and said "huge pine trees lay on the beach" and "massive trees lay across" the picnic area.

"Trees were also lying across the 1.5-mile asphalt walking path that circles the campground," the newspaper said. "It had just been repaved. But now it will have to be checked for cracks and damage."

The recreation area usually opens March 1, but remained closed this spring as new bathhouses were built and the sewer system was repaired.

Check the National Forest Camping page on Carolina Outdoors Guide for additional Croatan National Forest campgrounds.