Craven County, NC Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Two nearly identical provisions in Chapter 28 govern fire and grilling on Craven County recreation property. Section 28-1(8), covering every public recreation area the county owns or controls, states: 'It shall be unlawful for any person to make or kindle a fire, except in a regularly constructed fireplace or grill provided or approved by the county. ' Section 28-25(2) repeats the rule for the Cowpen and Spring Garden Boat Landing sites, requiring a 'regularly constructed fire place or grill provided by the recreation and parks department' and the same unattended-fire and full-extinguishment requirements.

Both provisions are strictly about county park and landing property; nothing in Chapter 28 regulates smokers, grills or open flame on privately owned land in unincorporated Craven County, so a resident cooking on a home patio is not covered by either section. The picnic-area rules around Sec. 28-25 add that a picnic spot cannot be left until the fire is out and all trash is cleared, and Sec. 28-1(11)b sets the same clean-up condition for park picnic areas generally. Enforcement follows the rest of the chapter: any violation is trespass under Sec.

28-1(19), the Recreation and Parks Department or law enforcement can eject a violator under Sec. 28-1(18), and the Code's general $500 civil penalty under Sec. 1-11 applies when no chapter-specific fine is set.