With the turn of the new year and warmer days in our sights, we set out to find the crown jewel of the North Carolina coast and found it on Bear Island, a barrier island off the coast of Swansboro and located south, as the shoreline goes, from Emerald Island and north of North Topsail. At roughly three sandy miles in length, and with not a bit of development, Bear Island is an unspoiled paradise waiting to be explored.
And, it's just the sort of remote destination you'll love - if you like getting a million miles away from everything. By boat, it can take a good 30 minutes to arrive at just the back side of the island.
But once you're there, you may never want to leave. Imagine miles and miles of soft, white sand between your toes as you enjoy some of the bluest waters along the coast.
And it used to be so much easier to spend a day in this beachside paradise... that is, until Hurricane Florence ripped through the area last September.
Prior to that unfateful event, you could bring your own kayak, canoe, or small vessel and launch it from the boat ramp at Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro. But the storm damaged the ramp.
... and in roughly 30 minutes tie off at the dock on the backside of Bear Island. But the storm damaged the docks the ferry uses and they're still undergoing repair.
In fact, that storm changed a lot of ways the island is currently being used. You see, before the storm, you could even camp in some pretty posh sites right on the island. Of course they were primitive, but still... beachside camping and that ocean breeze is one of a kind.
Because even though Bear Island is still open for day use if you have the means for getting over there, the folks at North Carolina Parks are working to reopen most of the amenities by July 1, 2019. And that hopefully means the ferry service operated by the state will also reopen making it even easier to spend a nice summer day surfside on one of the most unspoiled beaches in North Carolina.
For now, the Hammocks Beach State Park visitor's center on the mainland is open as usual and, if you have your own water transportation, you can enjoy this isolated beach all you want during the day.
Have you been? Will you be going this summer to check out this unspoiled beach? (We’ll see you there… )
Hammocks Beach State Park is located at 1572 Hammocks Beach Rd., Swansboro, NC 28584. Learn more on the official website of North Carolina Parks. Updates on Hurricane Florence recovery projects and the current status of Hammocks Beach State Park amenities can be found at this link.
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