Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach SP https://www.ncparks.gov/carolina-beach-state-park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Beach_State_Park Carolina Beach State Park is located on on Pleasure Island in New Hanover County, North Carolina. The park is located along the Cape Fear River and Snow's Cut (part of the Intracoastal Waterway). Pocosin wetlands, a type of wetland that supports rare carnivorous plant species, are found in the park. Carnivorous plants found at this park include Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, butterworts and bladderworts. The park features six miles of hiking trails. Other amenities include a marina, campsites, picnic area, and a visitor's center featuring natural history exhibits.

Carolina Beach State Park TRAILS ACTIVITIES ON THE WATER PARK INFORMATION Carolina Beach State Park 1010 State Park Road Carolina Beach, NC 28428 Office: 910-458-8206 Marina: 910-458-7770 GPS: 34.04297, -77.9066050 carolina.beach@ncparks.gov Please visit the North Carolina State Parks website or contact the park office for the most current information about seasonal hours, activities, alerts, camping fees, programs, rules and weather. AT A GLANCE Boating: A 54-slip marina with two public boat ramps is located at the junction of Snow’s Cut and the Cape Fear River. Fuel, snacks, and fishing and camping supplies are available at the marina store. Restrooms and a laundry room are also available. Showers are provided for boat slip renters. Please contact marina staff for fees. Fishing: Fish for flounder, spot, sheepshead and speckled trout from the riverbank or the wheelchair-­accessible fishing deck. A N.C. Coastal Recreational Fishing License is required. Swimming is prohibited throughout the park due to dangerous currents and sharp drop-offs near the shores. CAMPING 83 family campsites ›› Full hookup site: 9 ›› Electric & water hookup site: 4 ›› Non-electric sites: 70 ›› Wheelchair-accesible site: 1 4 camper cabins ›› Sleep 6 people each ›› Electrical outlets, heating and air-conditioning Established: 1969 Landmark: Sugarloaf Dune, which has been a navigational marker since 1663 and offers a great view of the Cape Fear River 2 group campsites MAKE A RESERVATION www.ncparks.gov 1-877-722-6762 You can find...the rare venus flytrap Trails: 9 trails ›› 2 wheelchair-accessible ›› 1 Kids TRACK trail ›› Over 8.5 miles of hiking ›› 1 mile biking PICNICKING Picnicking: A picnic area with tables and grills is located near the bank of Snow’s Cut, between the campground and marina. Water, restrooms and parking are available nearby. Campground Trail ● easy 1.0 mile Begins and ends at the visitor center and briefly joins the Sugarloaf Trail. Much of this trail winds through a coastal fringe sandhill forest, dominated by longleaf pines and live oaks. Fitness Trail ● easy 1.0 mile Wheelchair-accessible loop with exercise and activity stations set up along the trail. Located off of 7th Street with parking at the Carolina Beach Recreation Center. Flytrap Trail ◆ easy 0.5 mile Wheelchair-accessible trail that loops through pocosin wetlands, longleaf pine and wiregrass savanna communities. Venus flytraps can be seen along the edges of the pocosins. Wildflowers bloom along the trail. Parts of the trail travel along wooden boardwalks. Oak Toe Trail ◆ easy 0.25 mile Spurs off the Sugarloaf Trail and journeys to the Marsh Overlook. Offers views of the Cape Fear River and brackish marsh and sightings of fiddler crab, dwarf palmetto and oak toe lichen. Sand Live Oak Trail ◆ easy 1.5 miles Goes along the river and through an ancient sand dune forest, looping around the southern end of the park before connecting back to Sugarloaf Trail. Part of this trail is on U.S. Federal property. Snow’s Cut Trail ◆ easy 0.75 mile Begins at the picnic area and follows along Snow’s Cut through a pine-hardwood forest. Offers scenic views of the Intracoastal Waterway. TRACK Trail ◆ easy 0.25 mile Section of the Snow’s Cut Trail designated as a self-guided trail for kids. Activity brochures may be found at the picnic area trailhead and at the family campground trail access near campsite #20. ● easy 3.0 miles Sugarloaf Trail Begins at the marina parking area and journies through a coastal evergreen forest, coastal fringe sandhill forest, tidal cypress-gum swamp and longleaf pine savanna on your way to the Sugarloaf Dune. Offers great birding opportunities. Swamp Trail ● easy 0.75 mile Begins and ends along Sugarloaf Trail. Provides access to the group camping area, and offers views of a tidal cypress-gum swamp and brackish marsh. LIMESINK PONDS Limesink ponds are formed by sinkholes in areas where limestone has dissolved over a very long period of time and have caused the surface soil to form a depression. Three limesink ponds, each vegetated by a unique plant community, are found in the sand dunes of the park. Cypress Pond, the most unusual of the three, is dominated by a dwarf cypress swamp forest. Lily Pond is occupied by the oval leaves and white flowers of water lilies. Grass Pond, which dries out almost yearly, is filled with a variety of aquatic sedges. Carnivorous plants thrive in the boggy soil around its edge and in the park's acidic, mineral-poor soil. Cypress Pond PLANT LIFE HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS Several coastal ecosystems are present in the park. Forests with longleaf pine, turkey oak and live oak occupy the relict sand dunes. Between the dunes are pocosins, or dense shrub swamps, populated by pond pines, loblolly and sweet bay, yaupon and evergreen shrubs. Adjacent to the river, brackish marshes consisting primarily of cordgrasses and sedges can be found. Carnivorous plants found at the park: ›› Pitcher plants ››

Pettigrew State Park South Mountains State Park – 2018 Park of the Year Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 234,000 acres of iconic landscape across our state in our parks, recreation areas and natural areas with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomed more than 19 million visitors in 2017. Discover More with a Ranger Across North Carolina, state park rangers are proud of our parks and eager to welcome you and your family. Come to our parks to marvel at our state’s most beautiful natural resources, enjoy your favorite outdoor activities and learn about the rich science, culture and history that make our parks great. Fun facts about North Carolina State Parks ■■ There are 41 places to visit, including 34 parks, four recreation areas and three staffed state natural areas. ■■ The Division manages four state rivers, seven state lakes and six state trails. ■■ There are about 581 miles of trail to explore in our parks. ■■ The first state park created was Mount Mitchell State Park on March 3, 1915. Fort Macon State Park was the second. ■■ The Division celebrated 100 years of being Naturally Wonderful in 2016. ■■ Parks that welcome over 1 million visitors annually include: Jockey’s Ridge, Fort Macon and William B. Umstead state parks and Falls Lake, Jordan Lake and Kerr Lake state recreation areas. ■■ The Division employs over 1,000 people across the state. ■■ Some www.ncparks.gov M N P Q Roy Cooper Governor unique activities you can do in our parks include: wind surfing and hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, cross country skiing and snow shoeing at Elk Knob State Park, driving on the four-wheel-drive beach at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and rock climbing at Chimney Rock, Crowders Mountain, Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain and Stone Mountain state parks. Susi H. Hamilton Secretary 75,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $10,707.92 or $0.14 each. 03/18 Did you know that many plants atop Mount Mitchell are rare in North Carolina but common in Quebec? That the giant sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge are constantly moving? Do you know how to safely hold a crayfish? From fishing lessons to astronomy programs and tree identification hikes to guided paddles, parks offer programs for all ages. Visit our website for a list of upcoming programs at each park. Junior Rangers The Junior Ranger program offers educational and skill-based activities to encourage children to explore the outdoors. Children can complete activity guides, geared for ages 6-12, and attend ranger programs to earn a junior ranger patch unique to each park. Ask about the program at a park office or download the guide at: www.ncparks.gov/junior-rangers. Environmental Education Learning Experiences Parks have their own curriculum guides that are correlated to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Competency goals in science, social studies, mathematics and English/language arts are available. Each program includes pre-visit, on-site and post-visit student activities that have measurable objectives, background information, vocabulary, references and step-bystep activity instructions. Passport Program How many state parks can you visit? Use your passport as a guide and collect stamps, earn prizes and make “Naturally Wonderful” memories! Pick up your passport at a state park near you. North Carolina State Parks 100-Mile Challenge Can you hike, bike or paddle 100 miles in a year? Join the N.C. State Parks’ 100-Mile Challenge and log your miles online to earn digital badges and redeem prizes as you reach various milestones! This is a great way to get outside, get moving and keep track of your activity. Visit www.nc100miles.org to sign up. ■■ Several parks have educational trails, called TRACK trails, that include activities for children to complete along the way. William B. Umstead State Park Jockey’s Ridge State Park Friends Of State Parks Join the Friends of State Parks to help support, promote and advocate for the parks system as a whole, or join the friends group of your favorite park. The group helps provide funding for Junior Ranger and Youth in Parks – Environmental Education programs, as well as grants for state parks projects. You can also make a donation to help keep our parks around for future generations. Learn more at www.ncfsp.org or www.ncparks.gov/support-your-parks. Merchandise Want to show your N.C. State Parks pride? Visit the online webstore and purchase products such as coffee mugs, prints, t-shirts, pins, patches and Christmas ornaments. This exclusive merchandise makes a great gift for special state parks fans, including yourself. www.ncparkstore.com N.C. State Parks License Plate Show your support for state parks every time you drive your vehicle! Purchase an N.C. State Parks license plate through the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicl