Brunswick County coast
Things to do in Oak Island
Things to do in Oak Island, North Carolina: public beaches, parks, and landmarks. Unchecked businesses stay off the list.
Last updated October 15, 2026.
The beach
A long residential strand, busier with year-round life than Sunset, Ocean Isle, or Holden. The Point, at Lockwood Folly Inlet, feels different from the central accesses. Inlets are not swimming beaches. Motor vehicles and e-bikes stay off the public beach. The fire department's beach-safety crews patrol in season, fly hazard flags, and keep rescue tubes at the public accesses. That is a patrol, not a lifeguard in every chair. Check the town for this year's patrol dates.
Oak Island Pier
The town owns Oak Island Pier at 705 Ocean Drive. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2019, stands 27 feet high, and runs 880 feet. A second pier, Ocean Crest Pier, is privately owned. Fishing permits are sold at the Pier House, and the town says a coastal recreational fishing license is not required on the town pier. Hours change with the season. Swimming is prohibited within 250 feet of the pier. Check the town pier page before you go.
Oak Island Lighthouse grounds, in Caswell Beach
Walk the grounds and the boardwalk even if you skip the climb. The tower is concrete, banded gray, white, and black. The Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse run top tours up 131 metal ship stairs to an outside balcony. Climbers must be at least 9, wear sneakers, and reserve ahead. The Friends currently offer those climbs at no charge. Days are seasonal and mornings only. Check oakislandlighthouse.org for which mornings are on.
Southport
The riverfront in Southport is the classic day off the sand: a small historic town on the Cape Fear, a short drive from the island bridges. The waterfront is the point.
Fort Fisher and the aquarium, farther north
Fort Fisher State Historic Site and the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher are in Kure Beach, up the coast in New Hanover County. A real rainy-day or history day. Not in Oak Island. Not even in Brunswick County. The aquarium posts current hours and admission on its own site.