I had another absolutely fabulous day trip. They have added a restaurant and some more stores to the island since I had been there. The ferry is always fun and this time on the way home I stood on the bottom front. Warning: you will get soaked!! It was hilarious to me and I enjoyed every minute of it. Our 6 person hold carts were so fun and I love exploring the island. I highly recommend going for the day and precooking a golf cart. Just play on the trails, visit the beach, and be a kid!! read more

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My overall impression of Bald Head Island was that it was a private club, and outsiders were not welcome. This was most explicitly true when I wandered onto a path and was immediately and passive aggressively told that I had to leave as it was part of a private golf course with a tournament going on, even though signage had suggested a pedestrian path to the beach. "You probably knew this was private property", I was told. There weren't a lot of pedestrians on the island, with paths occasionally being present but other times not, leaving me to walk on the road. It's crazy expensive and not easy to rent a golf cart, which appears to be the prevailing mode of transit. I went through an inland forest on a path that wasn't all that well maintained. When I traversed the island to the far side, another private club awaited, which I had to circumnavigate while fearing I'd be sassed again for walking onto someone's unmarked private property. Eventually, I made it to the tip of Cape Fear. Once you get past the private development, the natural area is quite nice. The offshore shoals apparently support an interesting ecosystem, and even from the shore, a variety of cool seaweed was evident. I expect for those who own or rent property here, and who book tours or have boats, there is a lot of great stuff to do on the island. But even then, the ferry is not great, and there are very few businesses on the island and the food in Southport didn't impress me either. If you own a house here, and your own boat, I guess you can do well for yourself. I do not have that much money, and if I did, I wouldn't spend it here. It is not a welcoming or convenient place for the daytripper, which is perhaps why it is not crowded. Clearly, the island was not developed with the public in mind. When I traveled over, I was thinking of other islands I've visited, both locally and across the world. Some have had much better infrastructure and businesses, while others have been left more natural and are less developed. This one was basically a bunch of McMansions. I visited for the cachet of seeing the actual Cape Fear, as I live up the Cape Fear River and often repeat the words Cape Fear without ever having seen it. But it wasn't the visitor experience I'd hoped. read more

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Everyone has their opinion on what their favorite place to be is, mine is the Philippines but in lieu of not living anywhere near by, BHI is our place to get away and relax, We lve the Air BnB we stay at, we love no cars on the island and no street lights and being able to see the stars, the adorable little shops including the grocery, the friendly people. Myself and my wife plan it so we are on the island just after Memorial Day Weekend or Labor Day weekend, when most of the families bail, it almost feels you have the beach to yourself some days. The island is wonderful and the beaches darn near perfect, The quiet, the trip on the ferry,to and from, the valets handling the bags. So much relaxation and the perfect place to do it. I highly recommend this place to anyone. One of the clubs even has a small water park if you want to turn this into a children or grandkids coming along. There is Always the Next Ferry! read more

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Visited BHI Beach access #35. Lovely beach, not crowded, waves were perfect for playing and relaxing in. Bring shade and lots of sunscreen. We came her for a day trip and found about 5 hours is the perfect amount of time to explore using the golf cart service. Recommend for a day trip only with older children. read more

Bald Head Island - Local Flavor Near Me - Bald Head Island, North Carolina

August 2, 2023 As the old saying goes; having a day trip to the island was nothing to write home about. My wife and I have read how natural the island is with wild life and natural vegetation. We did find it natural with human invasion of many homes and condos. We found the trip for one day to be very expensive in which you could visit any beach and see the same thing. I must say for a week long vacation on the island would be fun. We would not recommend a day trip. Dewey & Alma Gaston County, NC read more

I travelled to NC with my boyfriend's family for his birthday and i was so amazed with Bald Head Island. Walking onto this place felt like walking into a tropical paradise with the diverse scenery, beautiful beaches and then lush rainforest when traveling across the island. The little shops were perfect, i was able to get a super cute swim suit, a crew neck, shorts, and a dress all in one stop. The beach is night and day from other beaches in the state which are often packed, and where you struggle to find a spot to sit down and relax. There was so much space to set up and everyone was able to enjoy the day at the beach. The golf cart rentals are so convenient too, making transport so easy! If you happen to be in the southern NC coastal area i 100% recommend taking a day to check out this hidden gem! read more

A secluded island WAY off the beaten path. If you're trying to get away to some real peace and quiet on the east coast, I can highly recommend coming here. The island is accessible only by ferry. Seems like you won't spend less than $1 million for a house here. There are a lot of condos though and those are probably cheaper. But I bet the whole island shares in a pricey HOA. A lot of the places seem to go as vacation rentals because noone in their right mind would live here. The island is mostly car free. The roads don't seem to accommodate cars in most places (too narrow). Anything you do here, including getting here and getting back where you came from, is expensive. I ran in one of their monthly 5Ks that support the the sea turtle conservancy non-profit based on the island. It was a small event without electronic timing. And part of it a difficult run on the beach. The start was from the center of the conservancy at the base of where the old lighthouse once was. Now the Bald Head Island Light is right beside the ferry dock. All in all, it's a beautiful island and I would highly recommend at least paying it a visit for a day of peace and quiet on the beach. read more

I have a question about Bald Head Island for those of you in the know. My parents wanted to take the ferry to Bald Head today but the parking is so far away, even with a handicapped sticker. They couldn't walk that far. They asked about a tram or golf cart to take people to the ferry and the guy said they might do it when they're not busy. Well, one guy working there had his feet up on the desk and was sleeping. Not busy. What do disabled people and the elderly do? read more

I'm tempted to give BHI a 1 so everyone will stay away. Unfair as that would be it's still tempting because part of the charm of this amazing island is the quiet quant ambience it offer to all who visit this 4 mile by 2 mile oasis 2 miles off the coast of South Beach NC. If you are looking for dinner out every night and tons of activities then please don't board the ferry. If you are looking for time to read a book or walk on the beach or in the forest. If you play golf or kayak; if you like to cook a dinner for the family and sit at the table talking or playing dominos then BHI is for you. The hardest part of BHI is the first time you come over. There are no cars so you park in the mainland, give your luggage to valets (like an airline checked luggage), buy your ticket and get on the ferry. The key is to call ahead and schedule what ferry you will be on so they can schedule your island tram to take you and your luggage to the home you are staying in. Once at your home the garage will have a golf cart to use. Just note one thing...golf cart batteries don't go forever. Charge every night and during the day if you are using it often. Also, if you visit the restaurant/bar at the harbor currently named MoJos make sure and have an Old Baldy Boozy Shake...I got to name it and it's the best adult chocolate shake you will run across...oh but don't drive home...the carts are considered NC motor vehicles so you can get a DUI if pulled over by the island police. read more

Awesome. Fun and relaxing. read more

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My family and I are huge fans of Bald Head Island. Yes, it suffers a bit of Rich White People syndrome. I will just get that out there right now. Every time we go is a nature adventure. Definitely plan on spending some time at the Conservancy, and sign up for some of their programs. You will not regret it. There are some truly amazing places in this island that they can take you to that you're not allowed to enter on your own. You're going to want a golf cart to get around, and maybe also a bicycle. Some of the businesses there aren't exactly top notch establishments. They know that you're on an island and have nowhere else to go, and some of the businesses will take full advantage either through pricing or through just not giving a damn about taking care of their shops. But the island... the island is a magical place. It works best if you can bring everything you need with you, and plan on being as self-sufficient during your stay as possible. There is one food market, and it's small, but it is sufficient for "refueling" the pantry during your stay. I've never had a bad experience by asking one of the interns at the Conservancy "what's your favorite thing to do on the island?" Most of them will give me a different answer, but it's almost always a good one. Protip: if you're going to be leaning on the interns as advisors, it's never been a bad idea to drop off a bag of comfort food from the market for their shared kitchen. From night walks on the beach, to sea turtle hatchings, hikes through the maritime forest, or reading a book among periwinkles and crabs in the salt marsh... there are so many parts of this island that seem barely touched by the smiting hand of man, and for that I will forever love this place. read more

Decent place to relax, but the beaches are kind of "meh" Much nicer beaches on Oak Island. A few restaurants, a marina, a little bit of shopping and some history to be found here. No cars, just bicycles and golf carts - or hoof it. read more

My husband and I traveled to NC and was excited to visit this island. We were more than disappointed in that to rent a golf cart was almost $100 a day regardless of what time you got to the island. Since we would have only had 2 hrs before the golf cart was to be returned...we decided to walk the island. That was a huge mistake ! There are no walking lanes or shoulders so you have to share the " road" with the golf carts and they were flying down the roads lIke a bat out of #### with no regard for the pedestrians. Walking down the roads was taking your life in your own hands ! The prices are outrageous for most anything ie: tee shirt ON SALE for $48 and the food was nothing to brag about. Before we left, I spoke to one of the property management companies and voiced my anger over the speeding golf carts....he assured me he would pass my concern to the police department and someone wold call me.....guess what. No call. I guess that just keeps in line with the rest of the experience. They are not out to impress, they just want your money. Never again will I go back ! read more

Perfect place to relax, grocery has great wine and beer selection and maybe some food. Enough restaurants to avoid cooking and the bar at the C Club generally has a relaxed attitude about who can be served. Rent a bike, fish, head for the beach and read. If you do not have fun it is your fault. read more

This is a secluded and quiet place to enjoy the beauty of the beach. The beach area is wide and in off season not crowded. This is a place to get away from everything. You get to leave your car behind (golf carts provide your transportation) and enjoy life at this slower pace. read more

This place is amazing! Not gimmicky at all. So relaxing and fun! Adorable shops and good places to eat. The beaches are beautiful too and not over-crowded. Definitely my favorite vacation spot. read more