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Bald Head Island is located in southeastern North Carolina at the mouth of
the Cape Fear River. There are no roads or bridges that lead to Bald Head
so the trip begins at the Indigo Plantation Marina located in Southport,
North Carolina. After you have checked you luggage, parked your car, and
purchased your ferry ticket ($15/adult, $8/under 10, under 3 free) you
will embark on one of three private passenger ferries, the Adventure,
Revenge, or Sans Souci. The ferry leaves Southport every hour on the hour
and the twenty-minute ferry ride will take you past the historic
waterfront of Southport, Battery Island (one of the largest white Ibis
rookeries in the world), and Oak Island. Bald Head Island is actually one
component of the complex known historically as Smith Island. The island is
divided into three "peninsulas" separated by two tidal creeks.
Bald Head Island is the southernmost peninsula and it is approximately
2000 acres of beach, maritime forest, and marsh. Middle Island is just
north of Bald Head Island and it is only 120 acres of land. The last
island is Bluff Island and although it is the largest island at 12,000
acres, it is composed almost entirely of salt marsh.
Once the ferry
pulls into the marina and docks, you will disembark; trams will take you
to your destination if you do not have any other transportation. Since
there are no roads or bridges to Bald Head Island, and in an effort to
keep the island as free from pollution as possible, there are no private
cars allowed on the island. Property owners and guests on the island all
drive electric golf carts.
Once you leave
the ferry landing you will be on North Bald Head Wynd, stay on this road
for one minute and you will see Lighthouse Wynd on your left. The lighthouse
grounds are home to Old Baldy Lighthouse, the Village of Bald Head
Island Municipal Center, Post Office and Village Chapel. Once you leave
Lighthouse Wynd make a left on North Bald Head Wynd and travel east for
five minutes until you reach the intersection of Muscadine Wynd and North
Bald Head Wynd. From this point North Bald Head Wynd will turn into
Federal Road. Almost immediately on your left you will see the boardwalk
for the Kent Mitchell
Nature Trail. The nature trail will
take approximately twenty minutes and once you have finished you can
continue east on Federal Road. The next stop will be the Maritime
Forest trail, which is three minutes away and on the right. This 174
Acre preserve was recently purchased by the state of North Carolina and is
managed by the North Carolina Coastal Reserve.
Continue east on
Federal road for five minutes and you will leave the maritime forest and
come to the Bald
Head Island Conservancy’s headquarters and the old Cape Fear
Lighthouse foundation. Just to the south, there is a small road that leads
up an old dune ridge to Captain Charlie’s Station. There is a public
beach access that is will take you to the eastern end of South Beach. When
you are on the beach walk ¼ mile to the east and you will reach the Cape
Fear Point. Since the next several stops covers ten miles, and
it is only accessible by foot or on one of the Conservancy’s ATVs, it
will be optional. East
Beach extends five mile north from the Cape Fear point to Ft.
Fisher State Park. The majority of east beach is undeveloped and has
excellent examples of slacks, overwash fans, beach erosion/accretion, and
inlet dynamics.
Once you return
back to turtle central, head back west on Federal Road and take the
immediate left onto South Bald Head Wynd. A bridge will take you over a
large dune ridge where
you will have a panoramic view of south beach and salt
aerosol impacts on dune plants. Stay on South Bald Head Wynd
for ten minutes and you will see the development
practices on Bald Head Island. After approximately ten minutes
of driving, South Bald Head Wynd will turn into West Baldy Head Wynd,
which runs parallel to the Cape
Fear River. Continue on West Bald Head Wynd for two minutes and
you will reach North Bald Head Wynd. Make a left on North Bald Head Wynd
and follow it for one minute, this will take you back to the ferry landing
and the ferry back to Southport leaves Bald Head every hour on the
half-hour. |
Indigo Plantation Marina
The Adventure
Marina
Ferry
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