Bald Head Island Beach

Once known as Smith Island, Bald Head Island helps form the eastern bank of the Cape Fear River as it exits for the Atlantic Ocean, in North Carolina’s Brunswick County. It can be accessed via a 20-minute ferry ride from Southport.

A nationally recognized turtle nesting site for four different sea turtle species, Bald Head Island’s main beach is a broad sweep of yellow sand on the island’s south coast. It runs for almost the entire four-kilometre length of this coast, with views towards a tapering nineteenth century lighthouse known as Old Baldy.

Due to nearby wetlands, motor vehicle-free Bald Head Island is also a renowned birding site, with some 260 different species of bird recorded to date, including osprey, bald eagles, royal terns and great blue herons. If you want to ride the waves, there’s a nearby surf shop, and several places to enjoy tasty local cuisine too.