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  • Recipe Index
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      • Main Dishes: Poultry
      • Main Dishes: Vegetarian
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    • Side Dishes
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      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Holidays
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    • free workouts
    • buy chanelle’s eBook!
    • shop chanelle’s faves
  • Pets
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Home » Travel » Things to Do in Jacksonville NC Near Camp Lejeune

Things to Do in Jacksonville NC Near Camp Lejeune

By: Liz  /  Published: June 7, 2017  /  Updated: December 15, 2020  /   Leave a comment

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Jacksonville, North Carolina has really come into its own in the last few years, so if it’s not on your travel radar yet, it should be. There are countless things to do in Jacksonville, NC!

Whether you’re enjoying a weekend getaway to coastal North Carolina, visiting military family members at Camp Lejeune or you’re stationed on base yourself, you’ll receive a hero’s welcome and have a great time in this friendly southern city.

A close up of a kayak next to a body of water
Things to Do in Jacksonville NC – What To Do Near Camp Lejeune

Jacksonville offers outdoor adventure, extreme sports events, family activities and a world of good eats, and it’s all just a short ride away from the beaches of Topsail, Hammocks Beach State Park and Emerald Isle (if you need a beach fix). 

Soak in the military heritage

A stop at Lejeune Memorial Gardens is the ideal place to begin a visit to Jacksonville where a series of beautifully designed memorials pay tribute to generations of military heritage. The serene and peaceful garden setting allows for quiet reflection as you stroll the walkways.

Eagle, Globe and Anchor interpretive sculpture - Lejeune Memorial Gardens

Go kayaking

Get out on the beautiful New River with a Paddle NC guided kayak or paddle board tour, or rent your own equipment and take off on your own. The guided eco-tour takes you on a relaxing trip in sheltered water past abundant wildlife including osprey nests and a spooky old abandoned boat. Sunset tours and full day kayaking trips are also available.

A group of people rowing a boat in the water

A group of people kayaking

A bird in water

A flock of birds in body of water

Take a sunset cruise

Let someone else do the navigating while you sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery from the deck of the “Bayonet”. The Bayonet Enterprises sunset cruise sails for two hours, and includes beverages and snacks. Cruises of varying lengths (including overnight) are also available from mid-March to mid-November.

dock by water

view of New River

A bunch of food sitting on a table

Participate in an extreme challenge race 

Some of the most exciting races are part of Camp Lejeune’s USAA Grand Prix Series of running events where the public races alongside active-duty Marines. I attended the St. Paddy’s Day Engineer Challenge, one of the toughest events of the year. It was a mud-filled swampy obstacle course on a very chilly morning, but racers had an absolute blast!

A group of racers

A person holding a hat

a person smiling and giving thumbs up

finish line

St. Paddy's Day Engineer Challenge medal

 Check out the festivals and special events

Seasonal events include Jacksonville Jamboree (May), National Night Out (August), Oktoberfest and Winterfest (December) and there are concerts, movies, and fun family events all summer long. I visited during the Jacksonville stop of the Hot Import Nights Car Show tour in March, and if you’re a car enthusiast, the expansive street scene car show is pretty amazing. There’s also live music and drone racing at the event.

Hot Import Nights Car Show - Jacksonville NC

Try a new restaurant

The chain restaurant game is strong in Jacksonville, and there’s a reason for that. Because of the large military population, there are restaurants from all over the country to ensure there’s a little bit of home for everyone. Kinda sweet, huh? But there are also some great independent restaurants worth trying!

Jeff’s Burgers and Shakes

The hand cut fries and hand-shaped burgers along with Jacksonville’s own Paul Parker sandwich are the stars in this old fashioned-style burger joint. I ordered the yummy chili-topped Carolina burger.

Carolina Burger at Jeff's Burgers Jacksonville NC

Captain Bob Beck’s Marina Cafe

There’s plenty of seafood and fried shrimp at this local dockside favorite. The Paul Parker is also served here, but I had the French Dip and it was delicious!

French Dip at Marina Cafe

The Kettle Diner

Although open all day, it’s a local favorite for breakfast, and my choice of the ‘Dixie Deuces’ was fabulous!

Dixies Deuces - breakfast at The Kettle Diner Jacksonville NC

Lilianna’s Colombian Restaurant and Bakery

Authentic Columbian food and the most amazing fruit juices mixed with your choice of water or milk are served here. I’d never tried Columbian food before, so this was a real treat!

Papas rellenas with beef and chicken

Papas rellenas with beef and chicken

The Milk Road 

This unique coffeehouse offers single origin organic coffee and artisan made liege waffles daily. Stop in and relax a while.

The Milk Road - Jacksonville NC

For more information on the area, check out VisitJacksonvilleNC.com

Have you ever tried any of these things to do in Jacksonville, NC? If you have tips on other things to do, I’d love to hear about them!

Check out nearby Duplin Winery in the Christmas season too!

Related topics
North Carolina TravelHot Import Nights Jacksonville kayaking Lejeune Memorial Gardens North Carolina Paddle NC

About Liz

Liz is a midwestern mom gone southern (accent in transition). She lives in North Carolina and loves cooking, baking, traveling, movies, crafts, hot and cold tea, wine, pizza and the occasional nap. She also revels in the fact she's a crazy cat lady.

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Meet Liz

Hey there, i’m Liz!

I’m the founder of Eat Move Make and a North Carolina mom of two humans and six cats. I love to cook, bake, craft and travel. I’m also addicted to tea (but not sweet tea).

When I’m not creating something in my kitchen, and since my kids are now adults, I’m all about my bucket list of travel destinations and adventures.

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