Cape Fear coast: Wilmington, Fort Fisher and Southport

Route description

Start in Wilmington, whose riverfront walk and brick historic district line the east bank of the Cape Fear River. The Battleship North Carolina is moored directly across the river; drive over the bridge on US-17/74/76 to the parking lot beside it. Allow two hours for the ship, including the cramped lower decks, and come back to the riverwalk at sunset for the view across to the ship.

Head south on US-421 onto Pleasure Island to Carolina Beach State Park, where a short trail through the pine savanna shows wild Venus flytraps, which grow naturally only in a small area around Wilmington. The park’s campground and marina sit on the river side of the island, away from the beach crowds. Kure Beach and its fishing pier come next; the beaches along this stretch are wide and quiet outside summer.

At the end of US-421 is Fort Fisher, where earth mounds, a visitor center and a path around the batteries tell the story of one of the largest land and sea battles of the Civil War. The North Carolina Aquarium is next door. From the Fort Fisher terminal the state ferry crosses the river mouth to Southport in about 35 minutes; it takes RVs, charges a fare, and reservations are wise in summer.

Southport is a small port town of old oaks and waterfront houses at the mouth of the Cape Fear, with a riverwalk facing Bald Head Island, which is reached only by passenger ferry. Drive west to Caswell Beach for the Oak Island Lighthouse, then take NC-211 and US-17 south to Myrtle Beach, about 1.5 hours. The whole trip is around 150 km plus the ferry, easy to do in two or three days.