Things to Do in Kure Beach, NC: Fort Fisher, the Pier, and a Slower Kind of Beach Weekend
Kure Beach (say "Cure-ee") is the town at the south end of Pleasure Island, wedged between Carolina Beach and the Fort Fisher peninsula. It has no high rises and no boardwalk of its own. It has a 1923 fishing pier, a Civil War fort with a new visitor center, the only rocky outcrop on the North Carolina coast, and a state park where you can drive on the sand. I covered the drive from Greensboro to Kure Beach in the first post of this series. This one is about what to do once you park.
Kure Beach Fishing Pier
The Kure Beach Fishing Pier at 100 Atlantic Avenue was first built in 1923 by L.C. Kure, the man the town is named for, and it is one of the oldest fishing piers on the Atlantic coast, according to the Kure Beach fast facts kept by the Wilmington and Beaches visitor bureau. Rebuilt after storms more than once, it now runs 711 feet into the ocean.
Walking on is free. Fishing requires a daily, weekly, or seasonal pass from the tackle shop, and no state license is needed on the pier, per the pier's own site. The season runs from Good Friday to the Sunday after Thanksgiving, open around the clock. Spanish mackerel, flounder, pompano, and drum are the usual catches. Jack Mackerel's Island Grill is a few steps away on K Avenue when you are done.
Ocean Front Park and the summer calendar
Next to the pier at 105 Atlantic Avenue sits Ocean Front Park and Pavilion, opened in April 2013, with an open air pavilion facing the water, a lawn, a playground, and public restrooms. The Town of Kure Beach runs a full free calendar out of it, listed on its activities and events page. Boogie in the Park puts live music on the lawn the first and third Sundays from May through October, 5 to 7 p.m. In summer there is a Tuesday morning market, Monday evening Turtle Talks about the loggerheads that nest on this beach, and Thursday yard game nights. The Holiday Market lands on November 21 and 28 in 2026.
If you are staying at Sandora, the pier and the park are the short walk that the listing promises, so a Sunday concert does not require moving the car.
Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Drive or bike a few minutes south on Fort Fisher Boulevard and the road ends at the fort. Fort Fisher was the Confederate earthwork that kept the port of Wilmington open to blockade runners through most of the Civil War. It fell to a combined Union land and sea assault in January 1865, which shut the last major supply line to Lee's army. The site has been a National Historic Landmark since 1961.
The reason to go now is the visitor center that opened October 30, 2024. It is a 20,000 square foot, two story building that replaced the 1965 original at about three times the size, built for roughly $25.5 million, with a 100 seat orientation theater and a permanent exhibit called Through Their Eyes that runs from the pre colonial era through World War II, per the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Outside, the tour trail passes reconstructed earthworks, a sally port, and an ammunition magazine with tunnels you can walk.
Admission is free. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday, at 1610 Fort Fisher Boulevard South, per NC Historic Sites. Guided tours cost a few dollars and depend on staffing, so call 910-251-7351 ahead if the tour is the point. If you read my Wafco Mills history, you know I will give this two hours.
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and the coquina rocks
Past the historic site, the state park takes over. Fort Fisher State Recreation Area at 1000 Loggerhead Road has a wide pedestrian beach that never closes, a one mile Basin Trail through salt marsh to an observation deck over Zeke's Island and the Cape Fear River, and the only four wheel drive beach access in the North Carolina state park system, popular with surf anglers. Day use is free. A 4WD beach pass costs $30 on weekdays and $40 on weekends, and driving hours shift with turtle nesting season, per NC State Parks.
Between Kure Beach and the fort, in front of the seawall, sits the coquina outcrop: hardened mounds of shell and coral, the only natural rock formation on the North Carolina coast, per Visit NC. It is only fully exposed at low tide, so check a tide table and go then. When low tide lines up with sunset, it is the place to be.
The Fort Fisher to Southport ferry
At the very tip of the peninsula, the state ferry crosses the mouth of the Cape Fear River to Southport. The ride takes about 35 minutes, a standard car is $7, and reservations are not taken, so arrive early in summer, per the Brunswick County tourism office. The 2026 spring and summer schedule runs 14 to 16 departures a day, listed in the NCDOT ferry schedule. Go over to Southport for lunch and come back on the afternoon boat.
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Closed, for now. The aquarium is in the middle of a 30 month renovation and expansion that will add the largest shark habitat in North Carolina and make it the state's largest aquarium, per ncaquariums.com, which does not yet list a reopening date. In the meantime the aquarium runs Discovery Bay, a smaller experience inside Independence Mall in Wilmington, open daily.
Carolina Beach: the boardwalk, the state park, and the donuts
The Carolina Beach Boardwalk dates to 1887, when a pavilion, the Oceanic Hotel, and the first boardwalks went up. It burned in 1940, was knocked flat by Hurricane Hazel in 1954, was rebuilt in wood in 1989, and got its rides back in a 2008 makeover, per the Town of Carolina Beach. Today it is rides, arcades, and Britt's Donut Shop, which has made one glazed donut since 1939 and closes for the season in early September.
Carolina Beach State Park at 1010 State Park Road is the quieter side of that town: nine miles of trails, the Venus flytrap growing wild in its native range, Sugarloaf Dune (a 50 foot dune that river pilots once steered by), and a full marina on the Cape Fear River with kayak and paddleboard rentals. Day use is free, per NC State Parks. And on the way in or out, Island Burgers & Bites at 254 North Lake Park Boulevard is our burger stop every single trip.
Closer to home: Joe Eakes Park
Back in Kure Beach, Joe Eakes Park at K Avenue and 7th Avenue is where we spend the hour before dinner. An 18 hole disc golf course, par 61, free, sunrise to sunset. Pickleball and tennis courts, a playground, bocce, and the Gurney Hood Barking Lot, the only public place in Kure Beach where a dog can run off leash, all per the Town of Kure Beach. The next post in this series covers the island's dog rules in full, since they differ by town and by season.
A sample three day weekend
Friday: arrive mid afternoon, unpack at Sandora, walk to the pier, dinner at Jack Mackerel's. Saturday: Fort Fisher visitor center in the morning, coquina rocks at low tide, the pool in the afternoon, Big Daddy's for dinner. Sunday: Island Burgers on the way to Carolina Beach State Park, Britt's if it is in season, Boogie in the Park at 5 if it is the right Sunday, then the drive home Monday morning ahead of the traffic.
Where to stay
Sandora is a brand new duplex a short walk from the ocean in Kure Beach, built by Vince Lutheran Homes to the IBHS FORTIFIED Gold standard, with a saltwater pool, two garages, EV charging, and a beach view from the balcony. It books three ways: a 2 bedroom unit that sleeps 6, a 3 bedroom unit with the pool that sleeps 6, or the whole 5 bedroom house that sleeps 12. Pets are welcome in every configuration. Everything else, including the FAQ, is on the Sandora Kure Beach page.
Sandora is booked and managed by Network Carolina Beach, not by Joy Watson Real Estate. It belongs to people we love, and we introduce it with their permission. When you book, mention that Joy sent you. If your trip starts or ends in Greensboro, our own pet friendly rentals are on the Rentals page, and the rest of this series lives on the Joy Watson Real Estate blog. The Greensboro tradespeople we trust are on the Preferred Vendors page.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Kure Beach, NC?
The Kure Beach Fishing Pier, Ocean Front Park's free summer concerts and markets, Fort Fisher State Historic Site and its new visitor center, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area's beach and Basin Trail, the coquina rock outcrop at low tide, the Southport ferry, disc golf at Joe Eakes Park, and the Carolina Beach Boardwalk five minutes north.
Is Fort Fisher free to visit?
Yes. Fort Fisher State Historic Site has free admission and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fort Fisher State Recreation Area next door is also free for day use; only the four wheel drive beach pass costs money.
Is the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher open?
No. As of September 2026 it is closed for a 30 month expansion with no announced reopening date. Discovery Bay, a smaller aquarium experience at Independence Mall in Wilmington, is open in the meantime.
Kure Beach or Carolina Beach: which is better for a quiet stay?
Kure Beach is smaller and has no boardwalk, so it is the calmer of the two. Carolina Beach has the rides, arcades, and nightlife. They are five minutes apart on the same road, so most visitors stay in one and visit the other.
Where can I stay in Kure Beach with a pool?
Sandora, a brand new IBHS FORTIFIED Gold beach house, has a saltwater pool with its 3 bedroom unit and whole house bookings. Details are on the Sandora Kure Beach page.
Joy Watson Real Estate is an independent, non-corporate brokerage in Greensboro, NC. Joy Watson is a licensed North Carolina real estate broker (Broker-in-Charge). Questions about buying, selling, or renting in the Triad? Reach out through JoyWatsonRealEstate.com.
