In case I'm not the only one that reads old threads, I'd thought that I would contribute to this one with some ideas from the East Coast that I have researched.
Beach camping to me is right on the beach in the sand and just above the high water mark.
The only place that I have found that permits this is in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and specifically the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Caveat - You must take a private ferry, reserved and scheduled in advance. Be sure to bring along ALL of you food, water etc for the duration of your stay.
As soon as you arrive you deflate your tires down to 15 to 18 psi and shift into 4WD as the roads are all sand and lead to the beach where you can also drive along.
The beautiful thing is you can pitch your tent anywhere along the miles and miles of beach and you choose whether to set up near others or go secure your own private beachhead for privacy.
You can also camp behind the dunes but the bugs are worse.
You are going to need your own toilet, bucket etc.
If tenting, sand stakes are highly recommended as it can get very windy. 18 inch rebar fashioned into tent pegs is the popular and inexpensive choice.
Bugs - bring lots of spray and a screen house as the mosquitos and biting sand flies come out in full force especially during the summer evenings.
Spring and fall are the recommended times to avoid extreme heat and extreme bugs.
The ocean water stays warm and swimmable through October and possibly early November.
Campfires are permitted on the beach but must be between the surf and the high water mark.
Fishing - excellent surfcasting and in fact most everyone fishes along the beach and is why a large number of people visit these islands. Just get a license.
There are cabins available for rent and community shower/toilet within the vicinity of the cabins. The cabins have no running water or electricity however are wired for you to connect your generator.
You can explore Portsmouth Island, small town there and there is a light house to climb too.
I had a trip planned for this past October but had to cancel due to work, hopefully next year!
Just research the heck out of this place and check into the two private ferry companies, I believe they are priced equally at least they were back in September.
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