NC Coastal Waters Recreation Articles

This is a discussion topic for Pender County NC area including Topsail Island and North Topsail Beach. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Coastal waters near this area in Pender County include Topsail Island and North Topsail Beach which are considered small towns offering very isolated and remote beaches, endless sprawling sand dunes, and beaches you can walk for hours and encounter very few humans. There is endless possibilities for surf fishing, but we are requesting information on fishing piers in this local area.

In this forum we are looking for resort information along areas waters, travel via the Intracoastal waterway, aquariums, lodging information, and information on marine life and aquatic ecosystems to include sea turtle nesting and hatcheries. What makes this area unique compared to other small town beaches like those in Brunswick County?

Nearby landmarks: Surf City NC, New Hanover County, Swansboro, Crystal Coast.

Location: Pender County NC

This is a discussion topic for the Brunswick County NC coastal region including Oak Island, Caswell Beach, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, And Bird Island. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

The Brunswick County coastal waters are along the southwestern part of the state and offer incredibly remote white sandy beaches, historical landmarks, lighthouses, and diverse marine life and aquatic ecosystems.

In this forum we are looking for specific information on the lighthouse at Oak Island overlooking Caswell Beach, waterway information along Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and Bird Island. We are interested in learning more about state parks in the local area along with lodging information. What makes these coastal waters in NC so unique and why does your family consider Brunswick County NC to be the perfect family vacation or weekend getaway? What recommendations do you have for boaters and sailboat owners travelling to the area? What is unique about Brunswick County waterways compared to other small town remote areas like Topsail Island and North Topsail Beach?

Nearby landmarks: Oak Island lighthouse, Intracoastal waterway, Atlantic Ocean, SC state line,

Location: Brunswick County NC

Historical NC lighthouses

This is a discussion topic for Bogue Sound along the Crystal Coast. This body of water separates Morehead City, Newport, and Cape Carteret from Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach. MAP.

In this forum we are looking for information on recreation and travel in this area along with natural resources and ecosystems along this waterway. Information on local communities is appreciated.

Nearby landmarks: NC coastal waters near Morehead City, Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle.

Location: Crystal Coast.

This is a discussion topic for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and lighthouse. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Cape Hatteras is a internationally recognized destination for offshore fishing, diving, and inshore fishing. Hatteras is also known for being the closest land mass to the Gulf Stream which is why it is widely known as a hotspot for sportfishing. Cape Hatteras is also known for it’s historical and iconic working lighthouse, remote beaches, sprawling sand dunes, and small town feel.

In this forum we are looking for information on beach fishing, campgrounds and RV parks, ferry information to and from this area, the cost and times that the public can climb the Hatteras lighthouse, charter fishing information, piers, rules and regulations on beach driving, and other information.

Nearby markers: Ocracoke Island, Frisco, Buxton, Atlantic Ocean, Pamlico Sound.

Location: Central Outer Banks.

Historical NC lighthouses

This is a discussion topic for Kure Beach. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Kure Beach NC sits between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River and is a small town in New Hanover County that offers a very small town feel, nourished beaches, clean waters, and very remote sprawling sand dunes. The town is very southern, quaint, and charming.

In this forum we are looking for recreational recommendations and questions that relate to marine life and aquatic ecosystems, natural viewing areas, types of wildlife in the area, things to see and do, and other information like availability of motels and hotels in the area and when the best time to visit is.

Nearby landmarks: Fort Fisher State Historic Site, Carolina Beach, Cape Fear River, Bald Head Island, Atlantic Ocean.

Location: NC Cape Fear Region.

This is a discussion topic for Carolina Beach and state park. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Carolina Beach and adjacent state park is a small town in New Hanover County that is between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean and is a popular beach community for vacationers, tourist, and people from Raleigh who take day trips to the area.

In this forum we are looking for information on places to see and things to do in the way of fishing piers, restaurants, lodging, hotels, motels, RV parks, and campgrounds. What other entertainment is located in Carolina Beach and what features does this state park have? What are some good reason to travel here?

Nearby landmarks: Coastal waters near Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington, Cape Fear River, Atlantic Ocean, and Masonboro Island.

Location: Cape Fear Region

This is a discussion topic for Masonboro Island, estuarine state natural area, and water resources. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Masonboro Island is a 7.75 mile barrier island located in New Hanover County between Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach. This area is undeveloped and only accessible by boat. The island is a mix of tidal flats, saltwater marshes, sand dunes, and sandy beaches. The entire island makes up the estuarine reserve, natural viewing area, and outstanding water area.

In this forum we are looking for recreational opportunities for surfing, camping, beach fishing, boating and sailing. Masonboro Island is also known for it’s nesting grounds for loggerhead and green sea turtles, and fishing nursery for spot, mullet, flounder and pompano.

Nearby markers: Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Wilmington NC, Atlantic Ocean.

Location: Cape Fear region of New Hanover County.

This is a discussion topic for Wrightsville Beach NC. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Wrightsville Beach is a small town in New Hanover County that sits just east of Wilmington NC and is a popular tourist destination in the spring, summer, and fall months. This beach is part of the Cape Fear region of the state. This area has dynamic geography in that it has both a land mass that sits on the Atlantic Ocean, then a small waterway called Banks Channel, then a inner section that is along the Intracoastal Waterway.

In this forum we are looking for things to do and see in this area, opportunities for lodging, hotels, motels, RV parks, and campgrounds. We are interested in knowing good restaurants to visit, how many fishing piers are in this town, and how the beaches are setup. What is nightlife like in Wrightsville Beach?

Nearby markers: coastal waters near Masonboro Island Estuarine Reserve, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington, University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Location: Cape Fear Region in New Hanover County.

This is a discussion topic for the Currituck Sound. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Currituck Sound is a body of water that is 33.14 miles in length and 9.32 miles at it widest. This sound is bordered by the Virginia state line, Knotts Island, the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, the Highway 158 bridge, North River Game Land, and the town of Currituck.

In this forum, we are looking for travel and vacation suggestions and recommendations for boating, sailing, inshore fishing, things to see and do along these coastal waters, and popular destinations along with any other information relevant to the Currituck Sound. Additionally, recommendations on lodging, hotels, motels, RV parks, and campgrounds is appreciated.

Nearby markers: Atlantic Ocean, Currituck National Wildlife Reserve, North River Game Lands, Corolla, and Kitty Hawk.

Location: Southern Northern Outer Banks

This is a discussion topic for the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge under the protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

The Currituck National Wildlife Refuge is located along the NC coast and borders Virginia. This area was established in 1984 and is an important coastal barrier island ecosystem for many marine mammals, shorebirds, and wintering waterfowl. The area consists of 8,316 acres and is known for it’s maritime forests and shrub thickets, grassy sand dunes, sandy beaches, and wetlands. This refuge is open year-around to visitors and supports a ranger’s office.

In this forum we are looking for information on trails and camping opportunities, recreational activities centered on birding, kayaking, canoeing, beach fishing, and personal experiences while visiting this landmark.

Nearby markers: Knotts Island, Virginia, Corolla NC, and the Currituck Sound.

Location: Northern Outer Banks bordering the State of Virginia, Atlantic Ocean, Currituck Sound.

This is a discussion topic for Shackleford Banks, an island on the Crystal Coast where a herd of wild horses (also known as banker ponies) live. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Shackleford Banks is part of the U.S. Parks Service and sits adjacent to Cape Lookout, Back Sound, Harkers Island, and Beaufort NC near the Rachel Carson Wildlife Reserve. Shackleford is uninhabited by humans and only accessible by private boat or passenger ferry. There is no infrastructure on the island. The area is literally just sand dunes, beaches, and wild horses, but it is a popular destination for locals and tourist in the summer months. Shackleford is part of a chain of barrier islands along the southern Outer Banks that is home to hundreds of species of shorebirds and marine life.

In this forum we are looking for information on cost and frequency of passenger ferry boats that take people to this island, the ability to camp on the beaches overnight, beach fishing, conservation of the banker ponies and sea turtles, the marine ecosystem that flourishes in the area, and other information.

Nearby landmarks: NC coastal waters near the Rachel Carson Wildlife Reserve, Cape Lookout, Harkers Island, Bogue Banks, and Back Sound near the Pamlico Sound.

Location: Crystal Coast, Eastern NC

This is a discussion topic for Ocracoke Island and lighthouse. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

Ocracoke Island is a well known and famous island only accessible by the NC Ferry System and private boat. The ferry system takes both vehicle and passenger travel to this island several times a day. The island is known for it’s small town feel, restaurants, small locally owned shops, remote and nourished beaches, sand dunes, beach fishing, and “pirate feel” to it’s atmosphere and culture. The Ocracoke lighthouse is not open to the public for climbing.

In this forum we are looking for information related to times and cost to take ferry boats to this island from Cape Hatteras and Cedar Island, suggested restaurants, information on the Ocracoke lighthouse, hotels and motels (or other lodging), and good marinas for sailboat owners to dock for the night. What is the nightlife like at night? Are there any tours in the area to help vacationers learn about the history,culture, and heritage?

This forum is open to any information and questions about Ocracoke Island.

Nearby landmarks: Portsmouth Island, Pamlico Sound, Cape Hatteras

Location: Outer Banks, Eastern NC

Historical NC lighthouses

This is a discussion topic for the Cape Lookout National Seashore and lighthouse. Readers are encouraged to click on the title link to access comments and discussions. Once we receive yours, we will add it here so that others can learn from you and engage you in your content.

The Cape Lookout National Seashore and lighthouse is managed by the U.S. National Parks and is open year-around to visitors. Travel to this park is by private boat or passenger ferry only. This landmark features rural and spacious beaches, miles and miles of remote sand dunes, cabins for camping, world-class beach fishing, history, and the perfect vacation getaway for families who want to enjoy a night on the beach and just get lost.

In this forum, we are looking to hear about your experiences when visiting Cape Lookout and surrounding barrier islands and waterways. We are interested in hearing about ferry service operations that service this park, the cost and hours the lighthouse is available to be climbed, the cost and amenities when renting a cabin, best tackle and places to go beach fishing, any unique rules and regulations when accessing the park, diving offshore shipwrecks, wildlife refuges along this national seashore, camping, and more.

Nearby landmarks: Shackleford Banks, Portsmouth Island, Pamlico Sound, Core Sound.

Location: Southern Outer Banks, Crystal Coast.

Anything goes as long as it has to do with Cape Lookout.

Historical NC lighthouses