Carolina Beach, just 30 minutes from downtown Wilmington by car, is on a narrow slip of land between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. Separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway (Snow's Cut), the island is called Pleasure Island. Established in 1857, when Joseph Winner planned the streets and lots for the 50 acres of beach property he had purchased, the island's only access then was by water. In 1866 a steamship began carrying vacationers down the Cape Fear River to Snow's Cut and a small railroad took them the rest of the way into Carolina Beach. In later years, a high-rise bridge was built over Snow's Cut connecting the island with the mainland.

The Carolina Beach/Kure Beach strand has about seven miles of beaches for swimming, protected by lifeguards in season and re-nourished by man if Mother Nature washes the beaches away. Both Carolina Beach and Kure Beach have numerous public beach accesses, many with parking, some with restrooms, and the entire strand is open to the public.
  Places to stay at Carolina Beach
Carolina Beach has a variety of lodging options for every size of group and budget. Return to simpler times and stay at a locally owned mom and pop motel offering casual beach comfort. Choose from full service hotels with private oceanfront balconies and plenty of amenities or book a vacation cottage or room at a quaint beachside inn. Whatever your preference, enjoy stunning oceanfront, harbor, and lakeside views. 
The Carolina Shag
The term "Carolina shag" is thought to have originated along the Atlantic Ocean in Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina during the 1940s. According to Bo Bryan, a Carolina shag historian and resident of Beaufort County, the term was coined at Carolina Beach, North Carolina. 
Carolina Beach Music​
 Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, and to a lesser extent, Beach pop, is a regional genre which developed from various rock/R&B/pop music of the 1950s and 1960s. Beach music is most closely associated with the style of swing dance known as the shag, or the Carolina shag, which is also the official state dance of both North Carolina and South Carolina. Recordings with a 4/4 "blues shuffle" rhythmic structure and moderate-to-fast tempo are the most popular music for the shag, and the vast majority of the music in this genre fits that description.
 Freeman Park at Carolina Beach
Residents and visitors have long enjoyed the beach area now known as Freeman Park. In fact, the area has become one of Carolina Beach's major attractions as it is one of the only beaches in NC that you can drive your 4X4 vehicle on. 

Whether coming to the area to swim, camp, fish, or go boating, crabbing or casting for minnows, people love Freeman Park. Visitors are drawn to the beautiful beach with its variety of wildlife, dunes and majestic sea grasses indigenous to the region.
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Click on the tabs below for details on access, rules, camping, and more.
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Freeman Park
Wrightsville Beach
Van Amberg Realty  
Brad Van Amberg, BIC        Cell: (910) 409-0032           Email: Brad.VanAmberg@gmail.com