Pleasure Island

The Carolina Beach Boardwalk features beach access, restaurants, bars, arcade, rides, and, new in 2022, a 95-foot Ferris wheel.

PLEASURE ISLAND Pleasure Island

Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Fort Fisher

Located on a sliver of land between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean, Pleasure Island is home to three beautiful beach villages, Fort Fisher Historic Site and a branch of the North Carolina Aquarium. More than 7 miles of sandy beaches offer ocean swimming, surfing, kayaking, sun worshiping and, of course, people watching.

Story by Teresa A. McLamb

CAROLINA BEACH

Development of Carolina Beach began before the Civil War, and it has grown into a year-round town and tourism center. Joseph Winner, whose descendants still live and work on the island, is credited with the first development in 1857.

A vibrant, centralized commercial center includes everything from hardware stores to restaurants and is easily walkable. Fishing charters leave regularly from the Carolina Beach Yacht Basin. Regular events and a farm market are held at Carolina Beach Lake.

Accommodations range from hotels to luxury oceanfront homes to condos to small inns. Outdoor adventurers will appreciate the camping areas in Carolina Beach State Park, which runs along the Intracoastal Waterway and the Cape Fear River. Remnants of sand dunes can be found in the forest, as can the elusive Venus’ flytrap plants.

The town’s award-winning boardwalk has been renovated and expanded to cover several blocks along the oceanfront, where it adjoins mid-rise hotels and rental cottages. Shops, pubs and an arcade line the boardwalk, and outdoor concerts and other events are regularly held there.

While all of Pleasure Island enjoys access to the water, access by power boat is only available in Carolina Beach. Private and municipal marinas include Joyner Marina at 401 Marina Street, which rents slips including those with electricity, water and pump-out connections. The fuel dock can accommodate boats up to 100 feet.

The town’s municipal marina — often referred to as the Yacht Basin — at Carl Winner Avenue and Canal Drive has a limited number of mooring balls and tie-up cleats for short-term use. A public boat launch for small craft is located at the mouth of the harbor near Snow’s Cut bridge. There is also public launching from Carolina Beach State Park, where fuel, restrooms, showers and a small store are available.

KURE BEACH

Alongside the town’s distinctive centralized fishing pier, one of the oldest in the United States, is an outdoor performance and event pavilion on the waterfront. Festivals, markets and events are staged in the area.

This town developed several years after Carolina Beach when Danish-born sea captain and ship’s chandler Hans Anderson Kure (pronounced cure-EE) began buying land at Federal Point. He eventually amassed some 900 acres according to published reports.

Kure Beach prides itself in being almost entirely residential, although it has a small number of well-known restaurants and pubs, a post office and a disc golf course. It is home to the Underwater Archeology Branch of the North Carolina Office

PHOTO BY TERESA KRAMER

of State Archeology, which maintains extensive records on everything from dugout canoes to the iron-hulled blockade runners and steamboats that once carried cargo along the East Coast as well as up the river to Wilmington.

Accommodations in Kure Beach include small inns and cottages, many constructed in the 1950s, as well as large luxury homes.

FORT FISHER

The southernmost tip of Pleasure Island begins with a small residential community followed by the former home of Fort Fisher Army Airfield and Fort Fisher Air Force Station, Fort Fisher Historic Site and Museum, the adjacent oceanfront recreational area and then North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. At the tip of the island, the state ferry system regularly runs a car ferry across the river to Southport. A small parking lot and launch site is just beyond the ferry landing. From there, it’s a pleasant kayak voyage to Zeke’s Island and environs.

Because of its strategic position at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, Fort Fisher provided critical defense of the Port of Wilmington during the Civil War. Built in 1861, Fort Fisher was the largest earthen fortification in the Confederacy.

Carolina Beach State Park offers hiking trails along the Cape Fear River as well as camping and fishing.

Downtown - 910.228.5247 122 Market Street, Wilmington, NC

Carolina Beach - 910.441.3675 102 Cape Fear Blvd., Carolina Beach, NC

Vessels called Blockade Runners carried critical supplies to Wilmington and were protected by troops stationed at the fort. When the fort fell after one of history’s most massive amphibious assaults on January 15, 1865, its defeat led to the eventual end of the war.

Visitors may tour the remains of the fort’s landscape, gigantic earthworks and the well-appointed museum. Periodically there are living history re-enactments that include replicas of bivouacs with costumed actors carrying out daily activities of a typical 1860s military unit. Especially popular with visitors are guided tours, infantry demonstrations and cannon firings.

Fort Fisher also played a role in World War II, serving from 1940 to 1944 as a firing range for Camp Davis, which was located about 30 miles north of Wilmington in Holly Ridge. A runway for flight training was also located on the site, and its remnants are often pointed out in guided tours.

After touring the fort, a romp on the beach at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area is in order. Its white sand public beach is complemented by a modern shelter with restrooms and changing facilities. Parking is free.

There you’ll find the entrance to one of North Carolina’s four National Estuarine Research Reserve sites. The 1,635-acre reserve is an important shorebird feeding habitat, a turtle nesting area and an ecologically diverse treasure. Accessible by foot, off-road vehicle or small private boat only, the area is made up of three islands and a complex of lagoons, tidal flats and marshes.

Nearby is Fort Fisher Aquarium, which invites visitors to its touch tank of local marine life as well as a mesmerizing 235,000-gallon Cape Fear Shoals saltwater exhibit. The 24-foot-deep replica of an offshore reef affords two-story, multilevel views of sharks, stingrays, groupers and moray eels.

ENJOYING THE BEACHES

As in all of North Carolina, Pleasure Islands’ beaches are open to the public. Access is, however, through designated openings or walkways, not across private property. During the summer season, lifeguards are on duty in designated areas only. Animals are not allowed on the beach during the tourist season, except for certified service dogs. During the offseason, dogs on leashes may be allowed for limited hours. Check with the beaches to get the latest information

MUSIC FESTIVALS

For more than a quarter of a century, Pleasure Island has celebrated the Seafood Blues and Jazz Festival in the fall. Sponsored by the chamber of commerce with help from more than 200 volunteers, the event promises to return with the same stellar performances as have been enjoyed in the past. Over two

Pleasure Island lifeguards are on duty Memorial weekend through Labor Day weekend.

days, newcomers and headliners perform to an audience of dedicated fans enjoying good food and drink from local vendors. Check pleasureislandnc.org for updates.

THE MAGIC OF SEA TURTLES

Around the world, sea turtles return to the place of their birth to lay their eggs. Pleasure Island is no exception. Dozens of turtles leave the ocean to lay their eggs along the shoreline. Loggerheads, leatherbacks, Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles lay thousands of eggs in holes they dig along the shore in early spring. A few weeks later, often on a full moon night

in June or July, these tiny eggs hatch in a phenomenon called roiling.

A dedicated team of volunteers seeks out nests, marks them for protection and monitors them until hatching. Quartersized hatchlings seek out the light of the moon and the sound of the ocean to beat a path to the sea. Volunteers are there to help them along.

It is vital to survival of the turtles that they are not disturbed. You can learn more about sea turtles at regular summer Turtle Talks in Kure Beach’s Ocean Front Park and Carolina Beach State Park. There are also turtle displays and educational programs at N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

As for beach swimming, the Carolina Beach/Kure Beach strand has about seven miles of inviting white sand and ocean swells.

In season, lifeguards are on duty in limited areas during the day only. Both Carolina Beach and Kure Beach have numerous public beach accesses, many with parking, some with restrooms, and the entire strand is open to the public. Other than service animals with vests, dogs are not permitted on the beaches during the tourist season, and off-season they must be on a leash.

A little farther down the road is the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area with its white sand public beach, modern shelter, restrooms, changing facilities and, during the summer season, a concession area. Parking is free. Park staff offers educational programs and talks.

Here you’ll find the entrance to one of North Carolina’s four National Estuarine Research Reserve sites. The 1,635-acre reserve is an important shorebird feeding habitat, turtle nesting area and an ecologically diverse treasure land for coastal nature buffs. Accessible by foot, off-road vehicle or small private boat only, the area comprises three islands and a complex of lagoons, tidal flats and marshes.

The New Hanover County Parks and Recreation Department maintains a pedestrian beach access, 4-wheel-drive vehicular dune crossover and public boat access with free parking a short distance from the ferry landing.

When visiting Carolina Beach, Kure Beach & Fort Fisher, be sure to check out these local spots!

Smoke on the Water

On the Cape Fear River at 102 Cape Fear Boulevard, Chef James Smith’s newest offering includes wood-fired meats, such as apple cider–brined ribs smoked over apple wood, brisket rubbed with a peppery/brown sugar spice blend, and smoked over hickory and mesquite for 14 hours. Chef/Owner Smith (of Fork ‘N Cork fame) pays tribute to local seafood with steam pots, oysters on the half-shell and blackened shrimp tacos. Reservations are accepted, and they’re recommended for sunset seatings.

Burrito Shak

Burrito Shak is a family-friendly, quick-dining restaurant where they utilize fresh ingredients in all of their menu items. It’s a combination of everything owner David Longo and his family love: flavorful food, beach vibes and family. The founding Burrito Shak is located just 10 miles from the beach, so they knew that giving their menu and decor a coastal vibe was a must. Visit the newly opened Surf City location or the original Hampstead location. Other locations include Wilmington, Swansboro and Jacksonville. Burrito Shak was voted #1 Tacos in North Carolina, beating 63 fellow competitors in an elimination-style taco tournament.

Burrito Shak has a created a solid reputation for excellence and an evergrowing loyal customer base. Their mission is to share the taste of highquality, fresh-Mex cuisine in a familyfriendly atmosphere, and now they are excited to offer a path for other entrepreneurs and food lovers to achieve success through their franchising platform.

Fork ’n’ Cork

Chef James Smith first gained recognition with his wildly popular burger truck named The Patty Wagon. When he traded in the truck for permanent gastropub digs on downtown Wilmington’s Market Street, fans got a full taste of his comfort food with a twist. His famous burgers as well as brisket and meatloaf sandwiches still populate the menu (gluten-free buns available), but think gastronomic experience rather than typical pub food at this oh-so-comfy restaurant. His newest location right in the heart of Carolina Beach is located at 102 Cape Fear Boulevard. 

The North Gazebo at Fort Fisher State Historic Site offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.