Steele Creek Marina & Campground — Hotel in Henderson

I shopped around looking for a place to rent a pontoon boat for my family (husband, two boys, ages 9&12). The price is right at Steele Creek and it's on Kerr Lake which is beautiful and huge. We rented the $300 70HP pontoon boat. I found places on falls lake that charged the same amount for 2 hours and we got this boat at 9am and didn't have to return it until 4:30pm. We had a fun day, but it wasn't without hiccups. First off, there was no ladder on the boat. That makes getting on and off the boat nearly impossible if you're not either at the dock or pulled up to a shoreline. The kids jumped in the water (with life jackets on) and my husband and I were looking for the ladder and didn't find it, so we had to haul the kids back in (not easy). When I called the marina, they said, oh yeah somebody walked off with the ladder, we ordered another one but it's not in yet. They offered us a full refund on the boat, but we had driven all the way there and didn't want to give up on the day. So we could only get out of the boat if we pulled up to the shore. Luckily there's a decent amount of sandy, beachy shoreline at Kerr Lake. The boat also needed a thorough cleaning. There were lots of spiders and spider webs on the boat. I feel like it wouldn't have been that difficult to get in the boat before we arrived or the day before and knock down the webs at least. I understand boats are outdoors, so I expect a few bugs/spiders, but there were really a lot. The life jackets were all soaking wet and dirty and the radio didn't work. We really didn't care that much about the radio, though. We actually had a fun day though. I'm trying to paint a realistic picture of our experience, but I also want you to know that we had fun. Kerr Lake is gorgeous. We saw some amazing birds and some cool fish. We floated by the shore and enjoyed riding around in the boat. We drove up to two dams, which the kids thought were cool. And, the staff and owner of Steele Creek were nothing but friendly. When we returned the boat to gas up, they gave the kids free ice cream for the trouble of the missing ladder and they were apologetic about the matter. Overall, I would probably rent from them again, but I would make certain there was a ladder available before booking and before...

We have found that Steele Creek Marina is our new "Home Away From Home". Last year I stumbled across an ad on Craigslist for the houseboat rental. It was a last minute fix in my failed attempt to make the wife happy and be on the water for Memorial Day. She had us a tent site rented at a state park across the way and I knew good and well that wasn't going to fly. Anyway...I took a shot in the dark and contacted them and somehow the houseboat was still not rented for that weekend. We got there and it was a bustling scene on that Friday. Stuff going on everywhere in the parking lot. Big tents being set up...but why? Tables and chairs stacked up too and what looked like the bones of perhaps a stage....but why? We were met with smiling faces and "can we help you?" from more than two folks and it wasn't just because we were blocking traffic with our boat and trailer...because we were. It was a bunch of "Oh yeah. Glad y'all made it." "We were wondering if y'all were still coming. Pull right there if you want and we will get you all set up and ready." I personally was surprised that they weren't kinda rude. They were busy and I mean busy. Seems they were getting ready for a Memorial Day celebration but also a customer appreciation event that was all bundled in to the next days schedule. We sure picked the right weekend to come for the first trip for sure. BBQ, bands, corn hole tournaments, inflatable water slides and bounce houses for the kids. Tons of stuff we didn't even get a chance to see I'm sure because we were back and fourth out on the lake and back to the dock and houseboat. We had an absolute blast. We go back every chance we get. Maria is our "Go To" and she wears many hats to help make the owners shine. We recommend this whole place to everyone. Campground looks stunning. Bath houses are super clean...even at maximum capacity. The big catfish swim around the fuel dock waiting for you to throw them a handful of fish food from the marina store. It's simply as good of a place as you are going to find that you can come back to time after time and never be...

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Steele Creek Marina and the owners Jill and Charles. I have been happily camping there for untold years but recently purchased a boat and decided to rent a wet slip at Steele Creek. Charles has a boat hauling business and he hauled my Larson Cabrio 330 from New Bern to Steele Creek Marina. He dismantled the radar for the haul and replaced it when he arrived. Everything went smoothly and it was very affordable. After the put-in, Charles luckily road with me to put her into my new slip. As my skills as a captain are VERY rusty, he saved the day as I was unable to get her into the slip. The next day I took her out to practice and now realize I need lessons on handling this large boat. Charles very kindly and patiently rescued me again. Jill and Charles are very professional and extremely helpful and kind. They have been very responsive with all communications. They are exceptionally knowledgeable about boats and are vertically integrated to meet most boat needs. Marie at the marina store knows her stuff and the marina and campgrounds are managed well by her. The marina and campgrounds are well kept and beautiful. I have, on multiple occasions, rented the houseboat that they have available. It is clean, comfortable, lovely and quite affordable. I have stayed in both the tent camping and RV camp areas and they are both beautiful and clean. Kevin and Tommy, the other staff that I met, were incredibly helpful and kind. I totally recommend Steele Creek Marina for any and all of your lakeside...