Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach is a beach town in North Carolina. Located on an island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River, just south of Wilmington, Carolina Beach is a popular summer destination for students and other beachgoing tourists. The eastern side of the town is an ordinary built-up beach community, with the boardwalks, restaurants, beachgoers, and miscellaneous stores you'd expect. But just to the west of town is something more unique: a state park where you can see rare Venus flytraps in the wild.

Get in

The best way to get to Carolina Beach is by traveling south on NC-421 from Wilmington. Of course, there is also the option of approaching the town by water, provided you have a boat and a place to dock it.

Wave Transit also offers bus service from Wilmington.

Get around

Because of limited parking, the best way to get around Carolina Beach is on foot or by bicycle. Several vendors rent bicycles and pedal-powered vehicles that can hold up to six people (4 adults and two small children). Most of the "touristy" stuff is concentrated in a small area around the boardwalk.

See
A Venus flytrap in the wild at Carolina Beach State Park
  • 🌍 Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road, ☎ +1 910 458-8206, e-mail: . It has one of the most beautiful beaches. Clean brown-black sand (probably due to thorium deposits) and clean water. The water is foamy. Even though the park is called "Carolina Beach State Park", it is not actually on the ocean. The island on which the park resides is a barrier island and the park is located on the inland side of the island. The beaches of the park are actually along the Cape Fear river and an artificial waterway known as Snow's Cut. It's about a one mile walk to get to the ocean from the park. The park has camping, kayaking, and hiking trails through swamps, woods, and the quiet river beaches. It is also one of the few places in the world where you can see Venus flytraps in the wild. To see them and other carnivorous plants, take the 🌍 Flytrap Trail – if you have a keen eye you can spot the insect-eating plants from two of the bridges on the trail. For a map of the trail and guidance on where to look for carnivorous plants, stop by the 🌍 Visitor Center. Or come on Saturday or Sunday at 10AM March–October for a guided Carnivorous Plant Hike on the same trail. Free. (updated Mar 2018)

Do

Jump into the nice Atlantic waters. Just splash around or go surfing. The town has several restaurants, particularly Italian. One thing to note is parking. There are free 2 hr parking spots available beside the road, so don't waste too much time in finding a parking. The best time to visit to avoid crowds is early September. The water is still warm (in the 80s (°F)) but since school has started, most of the tourists are gone.

Buy

Eat
  • 🌍 Britt's Donuts, 11 Carolina Beach Ave N (Located on the boardwalk). Rated by MSN as the second best donuts in the country. They only serve one kind, glazed, but they are to die for. On busy days during the summer the customers will be lined up down the boardwalk to buy them by the dozen. They have been in the same location since the 1930s, and they still make them by hand. 

Drink

Sleep

Go next
Routes through Carolina Beach

Dunn ← Wilmington ←  N  S  → Kure Beach → Fort Fisher


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