Brimming with wildlife and diverse habitats through its six miles of hiking trails, Carolina Beach State Park [1010 State Park Road, Carolina Beach, NC 28428] is a premiere natural destination near Wilmington. Located where the intracoastal meets the Cape Fear River close to the coast, a surprising element is Sugarloaf, a 50-foot sand dune.
The isolated hill has been a significant navigational point for mariners since the 1600s. There is no swimming at the park, but local beaches are just a few minutes drive down the road.
Further down the trail head to the swamp where you can wander the boardwalk looking for venus flytraps. I didn’t see any of the towns favorite carnivorous plant, but I did find others.
Tiny vibrant sundews and flowering pitcher plants were easy enough to spot!
If you time your visit right, there are carnivorous plant hikes led by rangers. Watch your step around here, I almost stepped right on a worm snake and saw plenty of others kinds form a safe distance.
From swamp to cypress pond the scenery changed quite a bit. Muddy ground was changed up for white sand. Step lightly once more, I found a velvet ant which has a sting so brutal it is also known as a cow killer.
In the pond was a merganser hunting about.
Trade scrubby sand for forested trails and the sound of drilling woodpeckers.
Remember always the motto of this park! Watch where you step as lizard dart across the path tripping you up, though you’d probably never be quick enough to step on them.
There is so much wildlife about, never a dull moment hiking through the park.
Good to know:
+Parking is free
+Camping is available