Kure Beach, North Carolina, is an idyllic spot for visitors wanting to wind down during their vacation. About 15 miles south of Wilmington, Kure Beach is one of two communities along with Carolina Beach on Pleasure Island. In addition to several nearby campgrounds, Kure Beach has rental homes, motels and vacation cottages. Visitors have plenty of recreational activities to choose from, including visiting museums, fishing, surfing, hiking, shelling and going to an aquarium.

Carolina Beach State Park

Within minutes of Kure Beach, Carolina Beach State Park (ncparks.gov) offers campers 83 campsites and two group campsites, all non-electric, for a daily fee. Picnic tables, showers, bathroom facilities and an RV dump station are available for use. The park has six miles of hiking trails where visitors can observe local flora and fauna. Hike the half-mile Flytrap Trail to see the indigenous carnivorous Venus Flytrap plants, or grab a fishing pole and head for the fishing deck or river bank.

Private Campgrounds

Several privately owned campgrounds can be found within minutes of Kure Beach. Carolina Beach Family Campground (carolinabeachfamilycampground.com) is on the north side of Snow's Cut Bridge and Pleasure Island. The campground offers visitors a little bit more luxury, with a community pool, store and laundry facilities on site. The campsites are limited to tents only, though. Camper in RVs will want to consider staying at Water Way Family Campground (waterwayfamilycampground.com). Located just north of Pleasure Island, Water Way is within walking distance of the Intracoastal Waterway separating the mainland from North Carolina's islands. Winner’s RV Park (winnersrvpark.com) is another option for RV travelers. Located on Pleasure Island, it has 21 spaces with hookups, cable and Internet access available. The campground is within walking distance of several public beach accesses.

Attractions

Kure Beach and it surrounding areas offers visitors a plethora of activities. In addition to the natural wonders of the beach, vacationers can look forward to visiting the Civil War-era Fort Fisher and the North Carolina Aquarium without leaving the island. In Wilmington, 15 miles away, the Cameron Art Museum, the USS North Carolina Battleship, Airlie Gardens and the Cape Fear riverfront are waiting to be explored. For even more fun activities, venture south via the Fort Fisher ferry to visit the quaint town of Southport. Another ferry from Southport will take you to Bald Head Island, where you can climb to the top of the Old Baldy lighthouse.

Tips

Leashed dogs are allowed on the Kure Beach strand from October 1 to March 31 only. If you want your pet to run off-leash, head to the Gurney Hood Barking Lot, a fenced dog run at Joe Eakes Park on K Avenue, across the street from the Kure Beach Police Department. While a fishing license is not required to fish off the Kure Beach Fishing Pier, it is required to fish elsewhere. Be mindful of people fishing off the pier and into the surf. Don't swim or surf within 200 feet of the pier. Lifeguards are on duty on Kure Beach daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

About the Author

Jennifer Maxwell is a North Carolina based writer. She received her bachelor's degree from UNC-Greensboro, and has taken master's level courses at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. With 10 years of professional writing experience, she has written on topics ranging from energy to entertainment, religion to travel. Her work has appeared on Eclecticcuts.com, CollegePress.com, as well as in regional print publications.

Photo Credits

  • Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images News/Getty Images
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