Click the links below to view information about activities for this park.
Boating: The park is open even when the ferry is not operating. Due to sand migration in the channel the ferry uses to transport visitors to Bear Island, the ferry schedule can change on a daily basis. The ferry schedule is available from the Park Menu to the left, or please call the park for more information.
Journey to the island by private boat or marine taxi. Boats may be beached or tied at the island bulkhead, but please do not dock along the ferry pier. When traveling to the island by boat, navigate along the ferry route; boating in the inlet can be dangerous.
Canoeists and kayakers may reach Bear Island and explore the marsh by way of a designated canoe trail. Markers placed along the route indicate points of interest along the way. A map is available on the 'Maps & Directions' page.
Camping: Primitive campsites are located near the beach and the inlet. Fourteen family campsites accommodate six people and two tents each. Two group campsites, available to affiliated groups only, one accommodates up to 12 persons, the other 24 persons. Light and simple is the way to travel as campers must carry all provisions to the campsites from the beach or ferry dock.
Due to sand migration in the channel the ferry uses to transport visitors to Bear Island, the ferry schedule can change on a daily basis. The ferry schedule is available from the Park Menu to the left, or please call the park for more information.
Water and other facilities are available on the island, except from mid-November through mid-March when the facilities are winterized. Fires are not permitted, and campers must remove all trash. Camping is permitted on numbered sites only and permits must be obtained from the park office on the mainland. Campsites are open year round.
Campers must register in the park office on the mainland before going to Bear Island. All vehicles left in the parking lot overnight must be registered at the park office or they are subject to towing.
Education and Events: Rangers hold regularly scheduled educational and interpretive programs about Hammocks Beach State Park. To arrange a special exploration of Hammocks Beach State Park for your group or class, contact the park office.
Educational materials about Hammocks Beach State Park have been developed for grades 6-8 and are correlated to North Carolina's competency-based curriculum in science, social studies, mathematics and English/language arts. The Hammocks Beach program introduces students to the life history of sea turtles, focusing on the loggerhead sea turtle. The program's content includes information about animal adaptation, the sea turtle's lifecycle, endangered species, natural and human threats to wildlife, resource management and stewardship. Accompanying the program is a teacher's booklet and workshop, an electronic copy of the teacher's booklet is available, free of charge, to educators. To learn more about environmental education at the parks, please click the Education tab, above.
Fishing: Puppy drum, flounder, trout and blue fish are frequent catches on Bear Island. Fishing at Hammocks Beach is a favorite pastime in all seasons but is particularly good in the fall.
A Coastal Recreational Fishing License is now required to fish in North Carolina. Rangers will check fishing licenses. There is no fishing access on the mainland.
Picnicking: Pack a picnic to enjoy under a covered shelter that offers respite from the sun. A concession stand provides cold drinks and snacks from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Swimming: Take a dip or catch a wave. A portion of the beach is a designated swimming area. There are lifeguards on duty in the designated swimming area most days from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation • 1615 MSC • Raleigh N.C. 27699-1615 (919) 733-4181