As the summer tourist season begins, Carolina Beach will see the impact of its new camping rules in Freeman Park.

In the past, camping was allowed anywhere at Freeman Park on both the ocean and dune side of the beach. This year, however, camping will only be allowed in designated camping sites on the dune side of the park between April 1 and Sept. 30 with reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reservations will not be required for the rest of the year.

“It creates some issues for us,” Cramer said of the large number of overnight campers who frequent the park each summer. “We have to maintain a large police presence, and we have a huge amount of trash. Last year alone we collected more than 200 tons of trash, and 70 percent of that was out of Freeman Park.”

To limit the number of overnight campers at the park, the Carolina Beach Town Council designated 119 campsites that must be reserved online prior to the camp date for $10 each.

Each campsite has a 12-person limit and measures 30-feet-wide by 36-feet-long. There is no limit to the number of day passes being sold to allow vehicle access to Freeman Park.

The daily rate for a beach access pass is $30 per day and $50 per day on summer holiday weekends. Annual passes to drive onto Freeman Park are $150.