North Carolina Beach Vacations 2016

Kure Beach photo courtesy of visitkurebeachnc.com. All rights reserved.

Are you thinking of taking a North Carolina beach vacation in 2016? If so, the most popular beaches in North Carolina tend to be in the Outer Banks. However, North Carolina has over 300 miles of coast. Sometimes you may not want to go to the most popular beach because it’s too crowded or too expensive or just too far to travel. That’s why I want to tell you about Wilmington’s beaches.

Wilmington, North Carolina has four beach communities within a 30 minute drive of downtown: Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach. Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Fort Fisher are all located southeast of Wilmington on Pleasure Island. Wrightsville Beach is located due east of Wilmington.

Fort Fisher Beach photo courtesy of tripadvisor.com. All rights reserved.

Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach combines the best of the past and present with its miles of beautiful beach, a vintage, nationally-recognized seaside boardwalk, numerous festivals and events, and world-class fishing. Carolina Beach is a great choice for families looking for a small town atmosphere.

Fort Fisher

Fort Fisher beach is part of the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, which spans an area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River. The clean, natural beach attracts loggerhead sea turtles, piping plovers and other rare species of animals. In addition to the beach, amenities at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area include a boat ramp, visitor center, boardwalks, a state aquarium, and a Civil War-era historic site.

Kure Beach photo courtesy of townofkurebeach.org. All rights reserved.

Kure Beach

Kure Beach is similar to Carolina Beach with its peaceful, small town, family friendly atmosphere. It also has the oldest fishing pier on the Atlantic coast and an oceanfront park.

Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville’s beach stretches for 4 miles along the Atlantic Ocean. And, it’s the closest beach to Wilmington. Visitors to Wrightsville Beach will find an abundance of water sports and outdoor activities, and a vibrant year-round social scene.

To many joyful beach experiences!

— Lisa Dworkin