Hammocks Beach State Park

We had the best time at Hammocks Beach State Park & Bear Island. This was the most affordable and fun way to spend our Labor Day weekend while visiting Jacksonville. We arrived to Swansboro at 1:00 p.m. on a Sunday before the holiday. Parking was simple. We purchased tickets for the Bear Island Ferry at the Visitor’s Center. The center features beautiful butterflies in their garden, a shaded porch with rocking chairs, cool facts and souvenirs inside. Tickets were affordable at $5 for seniors & children and $10 for adults Round Trip to Bear Island. The ferry ride is 15 minutes and so much fun. The staff were so kind and professional. We really enjoyed when the ferry picked up speed. The weather was gorgeous today and allowed us to catch the sea breeze. So thrilling ! Once we docked, we entered the beach trail to bear island. It’s about a 8-10 minute hike. My mom is older and suffers from hip pain and needs another hip replacement. We were lucky to catch a ride on the golf cart with park volunteer Paula. Again such pleasant staff. The park is immaculately clean and bear island was as well. Not 1 piece of trash in site. We enjoyed how peaceful the island was and how clear and clean the water was. We only wish our chihuahua could visit bear island but pets aren’t allowed on the ferry.

I look forward to spending many beach days at Bear Island and picnic days at Hammock. This is a North Carolina bucket list destination when in the eastern Carolina region.

Beautiful!!! Clean and lovely! Maritime forest and dunes are phenomenal and pristine. Ferry is easy, and everyone was helpful. Two wishes: 1) We had no idea how quickly ferry fills up. Arrived at 12:30 and could not get on until 2:30. Should have arrived earlier. 2) Should have brought our own freshwater. The freshwater that is accessible on Bear Island is exceptionally funky.

We had a great first visit to hammocks today! The parking lot was completely full by 11 when we arrived and people were beginning to park in the grass. A ranger told us it was ok to park in the grass—so don’t be afraid to park in the grass around the lots. The next ferry was full but we were able to catch the noon ferry. There were exhibits to look at while you wait and plenty of covered seating—we ended up just sitting and eating our lunch while we waited. The summer Ferry schedule meant there was a ferry departing every half hour. It easily fit 40 people and various chairs/carts/beach accessories. Any wagons have to be able to fold (only in the case there isn’t room for it to remain expanded). The ride was only 10-15 minutes and was enjoyable—we even saw dolphins on the way back. The walk from the ferry to the beach was 10 - 15 minutes (the guides said it was a half mile) and there was a golf cart going back and forth to assist those who needed it. You pass the entrance to the bathroom/concession stand just before you reach the beach as well as a path to the campsites. We scouted out the campsites and decided when we camp later in the summer we will walk down the beach to access our site. The sites all appear to have short trails to the beach and carrying everything down the beach would be much easier than the winding and hilly trail through the dunes. The beach was beautiful and there were lifeguards on duty. There is a well maintained bathroom with running water and real toilets, also a full shower for campers. There are outdoor shower stations, a water fountain, and a potable water spigot for daily beach goers as well. The concession stand is just a short walk down the boardwalk from the bath house. They had chips, pop, ice cream, etc but were cash only so plan accordingly. (Keep in mind there are no trash cans so you have to pack out all of your trash.) They also had a tank of fish at the concession stand and there was a worker there to discuss the fish on display. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our day and are returning to camp later this summer. Overall I was a little surprised at how many people were there (though there was plenty of Beach to space out).

UPDATE: we just camped for a night and would HIGHLY recommend bug spray and long pants/shirts. We had fire ants at the campsite and biting black flies swarming us everywhere all evening. We were desperate to cover up (even despite the heat) because the bug spray didn’t seem to deter them. We ended up just going to bed early so we could escape the bugs in the tent. The next morning we had no issue with bugs so I’m wondering if it was due to there being no wind the first night.

I grew up on the Outer Banks but have since moved away. Have been looking for “my beach” ever since. We discovered this little jewel while on a camping trip and I knew right away, this was going to be “my beach”. It does a take a ferry ride to get to it (or a decent kayak trip) but that’s just a part of the allure of the journey. There is a short walk once you’re in the island but that helps keep you from lugging too much stuff with you.
The beaches are only dotted with beach goers and that’s by design. It’ll NEVER get crowded. The shelling is fantastic! Haven’t found anywhere better.
The story of the island is fantastic too. Make sure to swing by the restrooms and read about it. The snack shack is a refreshing break from the sun and the kids usually have some funny takes on working there.
If you haven’t been, you owe it to yourself to make a trip.

We rented kayaks from Paddle NC at Hammocks Beach State Park, and paddled out to Bear Island. We had Southeast winds and a rising tide so we started out working against both, but that turned in our favor on the return. Bear Island is beautiful. This is a great paddle for bird watchers. We even saw lots of fish.

Spent a beautiful day going over to Bear Island via the State Ferry. Plenty of parking, get a ticket inside and head to the ferry dock for short but fun ride over the the island, then a ten min walk to the beach. Bring what u need due to limited services on the island. Plan ur trip back as ferries can be full and limited.

Beautiful park to have events or just hang out for the day. The ferry ride to Bear island was really nice. We were here for Military appreciation day.

Such an absolutely beautiful park! Take the ferry over to Bear Island and you will be so pleased with the pristine Beach and view!

A hidden gem. My first time here and can’t wait I’m to come back. The visitor center on the mainland has a great view and then it’s a quick, enjoyable ferry ride to Bear Island. There’s a half mile walk to the beach and then it’s nothing but pristine Atlantic shoreline.

Gorgeous Beach! 15 min ferry ride to get to Bear Island, then a 1/2 mile walk through the Island to the beach. Ferry is $10 per adult and $5 for kids 5-12. Small cash only snack bar with great, affordable options. Nice clean bathrooms and rinse stations. We will definitely be going back soon.

One of my very favorite places in eastern NC. So beautiful 😍. We visited in the winter which was perfect for the trails. No bugs! Very well kept. Safe vibe. Awesome visitors center with smiling happy park rangers there to help any way they can. Nice little history lessons. Beautiful views! We packed a lunch and ate at one of the many picnic tables on the grounds. Can't wait till summer when we can take the ferry ride to bear island.

First time visiting today. Tough wind and current. Great kayak launch area. The maps are a bit outdated due to storms, etc. Clean facilities. Wheelchair accessible. Handicapped parking areas. They have kayak rentals and also a hose to wash off your kayak or paddleboard. There are some parking spots that are in the shade.

Great family fun. Nice boat ride out to Island and beach was beautiful. Water was warm. Walk back to boat was hot but not bad. Snack bar was very nice and food was all good. Very nice staff at snack bar.

Camped for 2 nights in July. Secluded sites, minimal light pollution, and lots of quiet made for a special experience. Could hear Marines on nearby Browns Island firing artillery morning and night. Typical challenges with beach camping, essentially in the 'backcountry desert' but there is at least a water source available for refills. The privacy of the beach and the easy ferry access made this a great place for summer day trips too!

Another very enjoyable North Carolina State Park. In 2018 it was rated the #1 NC coastal state park. You can camp, but you will be transported to Bear Island with everyone else on the ferry and rough camp on Bear Island. This was finally a beach experience similar to what I experienced in 1967 on Emerald Isle when I was in the USMC at Camp Lejeune.
The park is well maintained, the staff is pleasant and informative and the ferry process is easy and reasonable. If you visit at peak times on holidays or summer weekends, they have a capacity limit for Bear Island, and they won't ferry more people over to island until people depart.
I was hoping to find shark's teeth, but I was unsuccessful. I found more at Topsail Beach.

It is always beautiful here. It's one of my favorite places in the world to be. However, do not come here when it's hot, especially if there's an excessive heat warning. It was really brutal. I will stick to fall and spring from now on. But I have nothing but love for this place.

This was the best $10 I have spent on entertainment in a long time. For $5 a person you pay to go on a 20 minute ferry ride, to Bear Island, and Bear Island is a small gem that you should add to in your vacation plans. It has a lot of open beach front, that is very clean, but has plenty of shells for those of us that like shell hunting.

You can also camp out on Bear island overnight, and that seems like a ton of fun, but we did not have the opportunity to do that during this trip. I would definitely go back.

Very nice clean park. Very educational, wonderful trails with a clear map and am overall lovely way to spend your time. I would just like to point out that the vending machine did not work. I had cash, card, and coins but it wouldn't take anything.

Beautiful park. Very clean facilities. Paddle NC offers kayak rentals. We launched our own kayaks from the boat ramp. $7 fee for the boat ramp access. This was a first time visit and I didn't get to see everything that this park has to offer but I highly recommend a visit.

The kayak-in campsites are beautiful and serene. I've been making annual trips here for years. One word of advice for people making the kayak-in journey for the first time - the staff at the visitor's center may not have the knowledge to give correct information on routes, water sources, and how to get to the beach from the kayak-in sites. I don't mean this in a bad way - the staff members are very nice people! However, two of my friends were first-timers paddling out to the campsites, and the staff did not seem to understand the kayak-in campsites. My friends were given incorrect instructions when they checked in. Fortunately I was there to act as their guide so we had a wonderful experience.