🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 NC’s LARGEST Undeveloped Island — 5,653-acre undeveloped barrier island — the largest undeveloped barrier island on the southern NC coast and a National Estuarine Research Reserve
Masonboro Island State Natural Area protects 5,653 acres of undeveloped barrier island — the largest such island on the southern North Carolina coast. Designated a National Estuarine Research Reserve component, Masonboro Island is a living laboratory for coastal science — researchers study how undeveloped barrier islands respond to hurricanes, sea level rise, and coastal erosion. The island supports nesting loggerhead sea turtles, nesting colonial waterbirds (terns, skimmers, pelicans), and over 200 bird species. Accessible only by boat, the island offers pristine beaches, tidal creeks, and salt marshes.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | New Hanover County, NC |
| Entry Fee | Free (boat access only!) |
| Size | 5,653 acres — LARGEST undeveloped! |
| Status | National Estuarine Research Reserve! |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to Masonboro Island?
Masonboro Island is accessible only by private boat, kayak, or water taxi from Wrightsville Beach or Carolina Beach. There are no facilities on the island — bring everything you need and pack out all trash. The island’s isolation is what makes it ecologically priceless.
About Masonboro Island
Masonboro Island State Natural Area is the longest undisturbed barrier island remaining in southern North Carolina — 5,653 acres and 8.4 miles of pristine ocean beach with no roads, bridges, or development. Accessible only by boat, the island is a component of the National Estuarine Research Reserve and hosts nesting loggerhead and green sea turtles, black skimmers, and least terns. Roughly 87% of the island is salt marsh and tidal flat — the engine that drives coastal ecosystem productivity.
Things to Do
Primitive camping (leave-no-trace only), kayaking through the marsh, surfing, shelling on the undeveloped beach, fishing, birdwatching, and experiencing what the entire North Carolina coast looked like before development.
Make it a road trip: Pair a visit with Carolina Beach State Park (a short drive away) or Fort Fisher State Recreation Area (a short drive away).
🏝️ Visit Masonboro Island SNA
5,653 acres — NC’s largest undeveloped island, boat access only!
Wildlife & Nature
Masonboro Island SNA — 5,046 acres — is the largest undisturbed barrier island on the Southern NC coast. The island is accessible only by boat. Its beach, dunes, salt marsh, and tidal flats support loggerhead sea turtles, piping plovers (threatened), and Wilson’s plovers. Bottlenose dolphins swim in the channels.
Nearby Attractions
Wilmington — 10 miles north. Wrightsville Beach — adjacent. Carolina Beach SP — 10 miles south.
