State Park · North Carolina
A ferry-access barrier-island park on North Carolina's southern coast, where a passenger boat carries visitors to undeveloped Bear Island for swimming, shelling, paddling, and primitive beach camping.
Field briefing
Hammocks Beach State Park starts with access, not mileage.
Before you go
The whole trip turns on the Bear Island ferry, which runs daily through Labor Day and on a reduced schedule into fall, then stops for the winter. Buy ferry tickets, carry in all your water and food, and decide early whether you want a day trip or a primitive beach campsite, since the island has no services once you step off the boat.
The landmarks worth the trip. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Weather, crowds, and what the season changes about the trip.
Mild and breezy, with cool ocean water and the ferry season beginning around mid-May.
Pack Sun protection, water, and a wind layer for the open boat ride.
Hot and humid, with the busiest ferry weekends and the warmest swimming.
Pack Sun shirt, lots of water, and everything carried in, since Bear Island has no stores.
Warm early, then cooling, with quieter beaches and a shortening ferry schedule after Labor Day.
Pack Layers, sun protection, and a check on the reduced fall ferry days.
Cool and quiet, with the ferry not running and Bear Island reachable only by private boat.
Pack Warm layers and a plan for paddling or boating, since the ferry is off-season.
Bear Island ferry
The signature experience: a passenger ferry from the mainland visitor center to undeveloped Bear Island, with more than three miles of empty Atlantic beach on the far side.
Bear Island beach and dunes
A wild barrier-island beach with high dunes, maritime thicket, shelling, and sea turtle nesting in summer. There are no concessions, so carry in everything you need.
Marsh paddle trails
Marked paddle trails wind through the salt marsh between the mainland and Bear Island, a quieter way to reach the island when the ferry is full or off-season.
Lock the boat, ferry, tide, or water access first, then fit the route list around that schedule. For one day in Hammocks Beach State Park, make Bear Island ferry the non-negotiable, add Bear Island beach and dunes only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Marsh paddle trails as the flexible finish.
Turn Hammocks Beach's conditions into water, pack, and sleep-system decisions.
Build around access
Plan the transfer before the trail list.
Plan your trip
4 quick tools, already seeded for Hammocks Beach State Park. Tune the route, pack weight, weather margin, and overnight setup after the access plan is real.
Start with the gear decisions this park changes: footing, weather, camping, and water.
Kit Authority
Hammocks Beach State Park packing list
0 of 16 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
Checklist mode
16 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
The buying guides that match what Hammocks Beach asks of your kit, with our current top picks across budget and use case.
For the full experience, reserve a primitive Bear Island campsite and take the ferry across, but pack as if there is nothing on the island, because there is not. Day visitors and anyone who wants a bed should base in Swansboro, a short drive from the mainland visitor center, which has lodging, food, and supplies. Emerald Isle and the southern Outer Banks beaches are nearby alternatives.
Camping reservations
Camping at Hammocks Beach means camping on Bear Island, a primitive barrier-island site with no electricity, no running water beyond non-potable pumps, and access only by the park ferry, paddling, or private boat. Check in at the mainland visitor center first.
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Booking window
North Carolina State Parks campsites are reserved through the state ReserveAmerica system. Bear Island campers must also buy ferry tickets and check in at the visitor center, with no late arrivals.
Where to book or verify
North Carolina State Parks reservation information through ReserveAmerica.
Official park page with ferry schedule, fees, and camping details.
Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.
Campgrounds to know
Make the transfer plan before the trail plan.
Weather windows, boat schedules, flight buffers, and backup days shape what is realistic.
Getting there
Shuttle access
The mainland visitor center sits near Swansboro on North Carolina's southern coast, off NC 24 between Jacksonville and Emerald Isle.
Transfer plan
Drive to the visitor center, park there, and take the passenger ferry to Bear Island.
Transfer plan
Outside the ferry season, the island is reachable only by private boat or by paddling the marked marsh paddle trails.
Pair this with lodging: the best base is the one that protects the departure window, pickup point, or weather buffer.
Most visitors take the park's passenger ferry from the mainland visitor center, a roughly 20-minute crossing that runs daily through Labor Day and on a reduced schedule into fall. When the ferry is not running, you can reach the island by private boat or by paddling the marked marsh paddle trails.
Yes, but only at primitive sites with no electricity or potable water, reached by ferry, boat, or paddle. Reserve through the North Carolina system, check in at the mainland visitor center, and carry in everything you need, since the island has no stores.
There is no park entrance fee, but the Bear Island ferry costs about $10 per adult and $5 for children and seniors for a round trip. A North Carolina State Parks annual pass covers the ferry for up to six people.