Ferry Schedule
2026 Dates
Hourly ferry service resumes April 3, 2026 and runs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only through April 26, 2026.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| No ferry service | Departs mainland | Departs Bear Island |
| 9:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. | |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. | |
| 11:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. | |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1 p.m. | |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2 p.m. | |
| 2:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | |
| 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | |
| 4:30 p.m. | 5 p.m. | |
Hourly ferry service in May begins May 1, 2026 and runs on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, through May 22, 2026.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No ferry service | Departs mainland | Departs Bear Island | |||||||||||
| 9:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. | ||||||||||||
| 10:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. | ||||||||||||
| 11:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 12:30 p.m. | 1 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 1:30 p.m. | 2 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 2:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 4:30 p.m. | 5 p.m. | ||||||||||||
Beginning May 23, 2026 through September 7, 2026:
Hourly ferry service on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays
Ferry service every 30 minutes on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday + holidays | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Departs mainland | Departs Bear Island | Departs mainland | Departs Bear Island |
| 9:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. |
| 11:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 10:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1 p.m. | 11 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 11:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. |
| 2:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 12 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. |
| 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 1 p.m. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 5 p.m. | 1 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| 5:30 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | 2 p.m. |
| 2 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | ||
| 2:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | ||
| 3 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | ||
| 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | ||
| 4 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | ||
| 4:30 p.m. | 5 p.m. | ||
| 5 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. | ||
| 5:30 p.m. | 6 p.m. | ||
Beginning September 9, 2026 through September 30, 2026: Hourly ferry service on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only. Ferry will operate on Thursday, October 1, 2026 to transition into October schedule.
There is no ferry service on the Tuesday after Labor Day, September 8, 2026.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No ferry service | Departs mainland | Departs Bear Island | |||||||||||
| 9:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. | ||||||||||||
| 10:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. | ||||||||||||
| 11:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 12:30 p.m. | 1 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 1:30 p.m. | 2 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 2:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 4:30 p.m. | 5 p.m. | ||||||||||||
Beginning October1, 2026 through October 25, 2026: Hourly ferry service on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only.
*Ferry will operate on Thursday, October 1, to transition into October schedule.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No ferry service | Departs mainland | Departs Bear Island | |||||||||||
| 9:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. | ||||||||||||
| 10:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. | ||||||||||||
| 11:30 a.m. | 12 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 12:30 p.m. | 1 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 1:30 p.m. | 2 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 2:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | ||||||||||||
| 4:30 p.m. | 5 p.m. | ||||||||||||
Fees
All passengers, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Roundtrip tickets for the ferry is:
- $10 for adult passengers (13 years old to 61 years old)
- $5 for child passengers (3 years old to 12 years old)
- $5 for all seniors 62 years old and older
- Free for children 2 years old and younger
We accept Discover, Visa, and MasterCard debit or credit cards, with proper identification, for the amount of purchase only. Please note that ferry prices are subject to change without notice.
There is an Annual Pass for unlimited ferry use for four people throughout the calendar year.
Rules and Conditions
Carts and wagons are prohibited on passenger ferries unless collapsible. Park staff reserve the right to suspend the use of collapsible carts due to space and weight limitations at any time. Passenger conveyance devices, such as strollers and wheelchairs, are allowed. Canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards are not permitted on the ferry.
Pets are not allowed on the ferry. Guests who bring pets to Bear Island should arrange their own transportation for their pets to the island. The ferry service at Hammocks Beach State Park is the only ferry service that the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation offers. For information about other coastal ferries, please visit the N.C. Department of Transportation's Ferry Division website.
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at the park, except in designated areas.
Please note that the ferry schedule can be interrupted by wind, lightning, or other factors. Please check the park website or call the park at (910) 326-4881 to ensure the ferry is running as scheduled before you visit the park.
Ferry Ticket Sales & Boarding Policies
- Ferry tickets are sold on the day of departure on a first-come, first-served basis. No online or advanced reservations are available.
- Every passenger, babies included, must have a ticket.
- Pets are not permitted on the ferry.
- Carts and wagons are permitted only if collapsible.
- Tickets are purchased for a specific departure time and the scheduled departure time is printed on the ticket.
- Passengers who miss their scheduled departure must visit the park office to exchange their tickets for the next available departure. Priority is not given for missed departures.
- Ticket sales close five (5) minutes before the scheduled departure time.
- Ferry boarding begins ten (10) minutes before the scheduled departure time at the ferry waiting station.
- The boarding gate will close at the scheduled departure time. If you have not boarded the ferry prior to the gate closing, you will not be allowed to board the ferry.
- To request a refund, ticket holders must present the unused ticket and original receipt for a refund to be given.