Location
Bald Head Island is located two nautical miles off the southeastern coast of North Carolina near historic Southport, NC. It is approximately 30 miles south of Wilmington, NC and approximately 60 miles north of Myrtle Beach, SC. The island is accessed by a twenty-minute ferry ride from Southport, NC. The ferry ride is a great way to begin the winding down process to fully enjoy your vacation time.

Things To Do
Bald Head Island Club offers a championship golf course, impeccable croquet greenswards, ocean view tennis courts, children’s play area, and a large swimming facility, plus a handsome dining room and lounge. The George Cobb-designed golf course winds its way over dunes, around lagoons, along the ocean, and through a maritime forest, and was awarded a coveted 4.5 stars by Golf Digest’s Places to Play. For more info, visit the BHI Club’s web site at www.bhiclub.net.

Old Baldy is the island’s symbolic landmark and is North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse, built in 1817. The 109-foot structure is open to the public with spectacular views of the island from the top. Next to Old Baldy is a replica of the 1850’s keeper’s cottage, which serves as the Smith Island Museum. The museum displays artifacts and commemorates more than 400 years of the Cape Fear Region’s maritime history. For more info, visit the Old Baldy Foundation’s web site at www.oldbaldy.org.

Bald Head Island Conservancy is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect, preserve and promote the natural environment of the Smith Island complex including Bald Head, Middle and Bluff Islands.
The Conservancy offers a wildlife overlook where you can see a variety of birds along with turtles and alligators, nature trails through salt marsh and maritime forests, educational programs, and a gift shop, Turtle Central.
For more info, visit the BHI Conservancy’s web site at www.bhic.org.

Beachcombing. Bald Head Island has some of the widest, cleanest, and most secluded beaches on the east coast. The island is surrounded on the east, south and west by 14 miles of uncrowded beaches. With beaches along its eastern, southern and western shores, you can witness the sun both rising and setting over the Atlantic Ocean each day.

Biking/Walking. Enjoy the slower pace of the island by exploring it on bicycle or by foot. Explore the many roads and trails through the maritime forest, along the oceanfront, at the marina, or along the marsh.

Animals/Nature
With so much of the island protected from development, nature is abundant. Bird watching is a popular pastime with colorful painted buntings, ibis, pelicans, and ospreys. Try the Kent Mitchell Nature Trail to see wading birds of the salt marsh, or walk through Bald Head Woods to spy maritime forest species. Alligators sun themselves along the fresh water lagoons. Deer, raccoons, and foxes roam the maritime forest. Ride around in the golf cart around dusk for the best viewing of forest creatures.

Weather
Bald Head Island is the northernmost semitropical environment on the East Coast and is the last point at which sabal palms grow naturally. Moderated by the warm waters of the nearby Gulf Stream, the weather on Bald Head Island is generally mild year-round.

Visit Bald Head Island's live weather station at www.baldheadweather.com.