Bear Island and Hammocks Beach State Park
add photosVenture to Bear Island and reward yourself with vivid memories of one of the most unspoiled beaches on the Atlantic coast. Accessible only by passenger ferry or private boat, there's just one thing at Hammocks Beach that's crowded—the list of things to do.
Stroll the beach with laughing gulls and sandpipers. Cast a baited hook into endless rows of foaming breakers. Discover tiny specimens of marine life in tidal pools and mudflats. Use a camera or paintbrush to capture the green and gold grasses that color the salt marshes. Spend the night among the sand dunes, or simply bask in the sun and do nothing at all.
Secluded and tranquil, free from intruding commercialism, Hammocks Beach may not be for everyone, but the island is a retreat for people who welcome the challenges of relentless sun, sand, sea and sky.
3 Reviews for Bear Island and Hammocks Beach State Park
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60 families found this helpful
"The best kept secret of the Swansboro Area"
We first learned of bear island as teenagers when we came to visit our grandmother on the NC coast. When you get to the mainland side of the park, you will find a nice picnic area, plenty of parking and the visitors center where you purchase your ferry boat ride. Keep in mind that you need not take anything you can not carry with you as this is just a person ferry, you also need to be prepared to do about a half mile hike threw the sand from the sound side of the island to the ocean side of the island so i highly recommend sandals (that sand gets hot!!)
Once you get to the ocean side you will notice there is a small seasonal place where you can purchase food and drink (but being that im not sure of the hours, i recommend bringing a small cooler), the beach seems to be never ending and no where near as crowded as the regular local beaches. There are bath houses available and even if you choose, primitive over night camping spots available. However again you need to be prepared to haul all of your camping gear so only take the must haves for you night on the island. While the NC beaches are nice, this is my favorite of them all. The reason why i call it the best kept secret of the swansboro area is because most who drive down dont realize the beach is just a boat ride away, so they just go, look, and leave. I believe there is also a limit to how many can go on the island each day. and i love how its not crowded at all (at least no time i have ever been over has it been).
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'10, '11
2 families found this helpful
"Lots of beach..."
...and limited access, which adds up to a good thing. This might be the one (fairly) easily-accessible public beach in North Carolina where you won't have to worry about kicking sand on people next to you.
Bear Island (which has no bears) is a small barrier island just across the Bogue Inlet from the more famous and more visited Emerald Isle/Atlantic Beach area. Aside from a boardwalk across the dunes, a couple of restrooms, a few bathhouses, and a small concession area, there's not much on this three-mile-long island but sand dunes, scrub, and beach. The only easy access is by a cheap ($5 for adults) ferry from the state park landing, located just off the busy highway between Swansboro and Jacksonville on a road not especially well-marked. Only 28 people go out at a time, no more often than every 30-60 minutes (plus a few who take their own boats from the mainland), so crowding is never likely to be a problem. The swimmers and sunbathers tend to stay in one area, so probably 1/2 - 3/4 of the beach is all but deserted. The beach is quite flat, and 30-40 yards wide at low tide, but it gets much narrower when the tide is in. The water is shallow for yards off shore, even at low tide, but currents are always a concern. There are lifeguards in season at the popular beach area, but not all across the island. The tan beach and azure water are beautiful, and there's plenty of space to walk or sit, collect shells, watch the birds/crabs/dolphins, and of course play in the water. Surf fishing is allowed, and overnight campsites are available and can be reserved on-line. Kayaks and canoes can paddle in and poke around the estuary side of the island.
The undeveloped isolation that make it attractive also makes it problematic. There are only two restrooms on the whole island, in sight of each other at the main swimming beach. There are water fountains at the restrooms, but they weren't working when we were there and I wouldn't trust them anyway. There's a concession stand, but apparently it's only open at peak times in summer (weekends, mostly). So, plan to take in all your food and water (alcoholic beverages aren't allowed), and to pack out all your trash. The day we were there it was HOT, so bring plenty to drink. The only shade is at a few sheltered picnic tables, so if you plan to sit out bring an umbrella and, whatever you do, plenty of sunblock. Bugs are alleged to be bad, so repellent is worthwhile. (We went on a windy day and weren't bothered at all.) Open fires aren't allowed, so don't plan on barbecuing.
You pay for the quiet and open space by the trouble it takes to get there and back. Ferry tickets are available at the visitor center, and the $5 a head (cheaper for kids, and maybe free below a certain age) is as good as it gets. But the ferry drops you off at the inland side of the island, so anything you bring has to be schlepped over to the beach side on a half-mile gravel road. You reserve your seat on the outbound boat, but coming back is strictly first-come-first-on, and can be tricky late in the day. (We got to the landing just before the scheduled departure time just to watch the already full boat pull away, and had to kill an hour waiting for it to come back. ) They promise they'll come back for you, though. And there's a nifty visitor center (with air conditioning!) on the mainland site for entertainment while you wait for your boat out, but only a dock and sheltered pavilion for waiting for the return.
The school-aged kids we saw seemed to be living it up, but I'd think hard about bringing a baby or easily-bored toddler along. I'd say the place is more kid-tolerant than kid-friendly, but can give you plenty of fun.
0 families found this helpful
"Check out the Nature Trails"
Also located a short drive and ferry ride from Swansboro is Bear Island and Hammocks Beach State Park. This isn’t an expedition for softies. Bear Island’s 892 acres constitute a naturally preserved area with huge shifting sand dunes, a maritime forest, and marshlands. A primitive family camping area is available, or you can bring supplies for a picnic and take a swim from the unspoiled beaches. If you want to take in the natural beauty of the island, the interpretive displays at the ferry dock will get you started on one of the nature trails.
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