Fort Macon State Park
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Immensely beautiful park! The dunes are giant! We went a few times at sunset and things were pretty quiet. The park is well maintained and the scenery is just stunning. We plan to return and spend more time there in the future.
Very cool place to see a small fort that contains a lot of history as well as display items to learn about the life of a solider during the civil war and World War I Make sure to get your Junior ranger badge if you are a fan! It's super cute and different than the NPS version.
I don't know how I missed this park on prior trips. In a credit to the state of North Carolina, it is free to enter like all state parks. If they charged, I'm sure people would still come. An easy drive in leads to an ample parking lot and a visitor center of solid construction. The exhibits surrounding the fort cover multiple wars, as well as the fascinating environment and a doctor who apparently was a bit of a naturalist a la the Master and Commander novels. The fort, while not the most impressive I've ever seen, is in good condition and is open to exploration. There are some steep drops from the upper level and small children will need supervision, but there is nothing preventing one from getting a look around. That's not the end, though. A substantial three-mile nature trail covers diverse environments and largely kept me off the beach. The only drawback is that it apparently allows bikes, and e-bikes are not the greatest fit for that trail. There are plenty of other attractions in the area, particularly those accessible by boat as you get east of here, but to be able to just drive here and get all kinds of diverse experiences is a boon. Watch out for those little button cacti.
Fort Macon State Park is a pre-Civil War fort. Admission is free to visit. Besides the fort there are trails and a beach. I started at the Visitor Center where there are restrooms; a museum; educational displays; and a gift shop. I liked that there was a video to watch before going to the fort so I could get some of the history. I also did part of a guided tour. The Fort is in great shape and built to protect the Beaufort Inlet. It is built of bricks and stones with the walls being almost 5 foot thick. 9.2 million bricks were used. The fort is shaped like a pentagon. Some of the displays are interactive. There are 26 vaulted rooms and the surrounding area has a lot of ecology with over 300 different birds and other sea life living there.
Nice beach, nice views. Lots of fishing. Was able to watch someone catch and release a huge ray!
We've been to this spot a number of time but this was the first time we hiked on the nature trail. Once you get away from the buildings this trail is so pretty! It was just over a 3 mile loop. It was fairly quiet midweek during November but we did see some other hikers and a handful of runners. While visiting the fort, we pretty much had the entire fort to ourselves. The inside exhibit rooms were closed and they were doing repairs while we were there. Their website said the exhibit rooms sustained a lot of damage during Hurricane Florence and they are still making repairs years later. We ventured inside just for a few minutes to check out the gift shop. During our visit masks were required inside, and staff were all masked. They also have a really nice beach here too!
Unfortunately, the dive shop in Morehead City canceled two days of diving without any contingency plan. That left a group of 16 divers with nothing to do. Fort Macon was one of those historic experiences we decided to take in. Never knowing anything about the fort, we spent about 90 minutes touring the grounds and walking the fort, learning the history. Unfortunately, we missed out on the cannon firing (on Saturday) as we were there on a slightly drizzly, overcast day. Overall the fort's history is cool, dating back to the early 1800s. A neat snippet of history was that Edward Teach's (aka Blackbeard), ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge was known to have sailed the Beaufort Inlet and subsequently sank in shallow water off shore from the state park. The fort is well fortified with 4.5 foot walls with some interesting features you can explore. Didn't walk any of the surrounding trails, but it was a neat piece of history through the ages from the 1800s to the Civil War and WWII before being turned into a state park permanently in 1946. If you have 30-60 minutes, it's worth the stop.
(From the archives of last July) The below links will give you a better idea of what you'll see here than I could ever summarize. https://files.nc.gov/ncparks/maps-and-brochures/fort-macon-fort-history-brochure.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncparks/maps-and-brochures/fort-macon-factsheet_0.pdf This fort was built as a coastal defense in response to the War of 1812 which exposed the US coast line as being very porous to an attack by Britain or anyone for that matter. The fort sat as an after thought that was lightly staffed and for all intensive purposes forgotten about for nearly thirty years. Enter the Civil War in 1861 and things somewhat change. The North Carolina militia took over the fort for the Confederacy on April 14, 1861. They hold the fort until the Union army shows up the following April and take the fort fairly easily. After that the Union would hold the fort for the remainder of the war. After the war the fort is used as a civil and a military prison until it was deactivated in 1877. In 1898 the fort got a new life for the Spanish-American War as a training ground. In 1903 the Army abandons the fort and it sits until 1924 when NC got the fort and the land around it via Congressional Act to start a state park system. If you go, the fort is open year round and offers fantastic displays inside its visitor center about coastal life, the history of the fort and a hell of a gift shop. There is a beach and swimming is allowed. But as you can see below. Caveat Emptor. www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/us/shark-attacks-north-carolina.html There isn't a whole lot to do in the Crystal Coast area, but if you're here a visit to Fort Macon is well worth it. A+
What an educational experience we had at Fort Macon State Park near Beaufort, NC! The drive thru the lush thicket and foliage set the stage for our visit. We could just imagine what it was like in in 1826, when this Civil War fort was built. It gave me pause to absorb all the history that happened here. The visitors center was large, clean, beautifully designed and informative. The ladies at the front desk were provided is with a plethora of knowledge. Cases were filled with soldiers' uniforms and other memorabilia. They had a mini museum and a self guided tour of wildlife, scenes from the period showing how people lived, and artifacts from the war. We sat through a fascinating documentary on underwater sea life. Also in the main rotunda was a penny press machine if you'd like a token of your visit, or meander through the impressive gift shop full of cool souvenirs, books, postcards, etc. We took a self guided tour of the pentagonal fort itself, an amazing brick structure. We walked around the entire perimeter where we imagined soldiers that fought here. There were canons set up and coves depicting a typical soldiers' life during this period. Even the wooden floor at the entrance was a magnificent piece of work! Some of the rooms were closed due to Hurricane Florence, but we still enjoyed our visit, learning about this important piece of history. The views from the top were incredible and we let our minds drift back into a time when this battle took place. Be careful walking up the steep steps as they can be a tad precarious. It was sobering to think of the results that took place here, but I truly appreciated learning about some of America's history. I highly recommend visiting this fort, no need to be a Civil War buff or a great historian, just someone who regards learning about the past and reflecting upon how it affected our future.
Very interesting history and the park is well taken care of. Also it is free to go and walk around so it is totally worth it!
This is a great spot if you're looking to get some history and get a good hike in. Stopped by here with my parents in the morning after breakfast and we first did Elliott Coues Nature Trail which is a 3.2 mile round trip trail. Tip: make sure you bring plenty of water. The trail has a few scenic overlooks where you can try to spot birds and other wildlife. After the hike, we checked out Fort Macon. I was amazed by the engineering efforts behind building such a structure. Inside, you'll find different areas including a cooking area where they baked bread for the soldiers. There was even an incident where someone baked inedible bread!
If you are a civil war history buff then this park in Atlantic beach is a must stop. Lots of interesting displays and exhibits in the visitors center. Then you can take a guided or self guided tour of the fort as we did. Make you think as you see the old cannons, the rooms where men slept, ate and lived, the supply rooms, water cistern, ect that 150+ years ago the this was a living, working fort protecting the coast line of North Carolina from Union attack. Before you get to the fort, the is a large pick nic area on the right that is on the ocean with clean restrooms. As we walked out onto the beach and looked out over the ocean we thought that this fort has protected this coast line from everything from Union war ships to German U-Boats. There is also a sign where the Queen Anne's Revenge, ship of the infamous pirate Blackbeard sunk off the coast near this area.
One of our mornings while at the beach, my wife and I got up early and drove down to Fort Macon State Park. We were told this would be a good spot to find trails to go for a short run, and it was true. There was plenty of trails, to safely walk and run on, rather than along the busy road with beach bums driving by at crazy speeds. There is plenty of parking and nicely maintained trails we found. After our run, we decided to poke into the fort it self, which was free to enter, and we explored some of the space, and some of the educations exhibits. They had a little bit of something for everyone, and tried to make the visitors center exciting and fun for kids. I'd 100% visit this spot again, maybe when it's not so hot, but either way, we enjoyed our visit. The park and fort are well maintained, and preserved, with clean restrooms, and staff to answer any questions you might have. read more
Okay, this place is quite the gem of beaches in the area. Tons of free parking. Lots of shelters with grills. Convenient and clean bathrooms. Even a massive covered shelter with a snack bar and lockers to keep your stuff in. Oh yeah, did I mention all of this is FREE?? Even at 3:00pm, the beach wasn't over crowded and there was plenty of parking. On rainy days, you can forgo the beach and check out the Fort Macon museum. There are even trails you can walk! Not hard to spend an entire day here! There were park rangers patrolling to keep everyone safe and maintain the beauty of the park. Not much more you can ask for. read more
Immensely beautiful park! The dunes are giant! We went a few times at sunset and things were pretty quiet. The park is well maintained and the scenery is just stunning. We plan to return and spend more time there in the future. read more
Very cool place to see a small fort that contains a lot of history as well as display items to learn about the life of a solider during the civil war and World War I Make sure to get your Junior ranger badge if you are a fan! It's super cute and different than the NPS version. read more
I don't know how I missed this park on prior trips. In a credit to the state of North Carolina, it is free to enter like all state parks. If they charged, I'm sure people would still come. An easy drive in leads to an ample parking lot and a visitor center of solid construction. The exhibits surrounding the fort cover multiple wars, as well as the fascinating environment and a doctor who apparently was a bit of a naturalist a la the Master and Commander novels. The fort, while not the most impressive I've ever seen, is in good condition and is open to exploration. There are some steep drops from the upper level and small children will need supervision, but there is nothing preventing one from getting a look around. That's not the end, though. A substantial three-mile nature trail covers diverse environments and largely kept me off the beach. The only drawback is that it apparently allows bikes, and e-bikes are not the greatest fit for that trail. There are plenty of other attractions in the area, particularly those accessible by boat as you get east of here, but to be able to just drive here and get all kinds of diverse experiences is a boon. Watch out for those little button cacti. read more
2 years ago
Fort Macon State Park is a pre-Civil War fort. Admission is free to visit. Besides the fort there are trails and a beach. I started at the Visitor Center where there are restrooms; a museum; educational displays; and a gift shop. I liked that there was a video to watch before going to the fort so I could get some of the history. I also did part of a guided tour. The Fort is in great shape and built to protect the Beaufort Inlet. It is built of bricks and stones with the walls being almost 5 foot thick. 9.2 million bricks were used. The fort is shaped like a pentagon. Some of the displays are interactive. There are 26 vaulted rooms and the surrounding area has a lot of ecology with over 300 different birds and other sea life living there. read more
1 month ago
1 year ago
Absolutely stunning! One of my favorite beaches on this side of NC. Will be returning without the dogs. Love that there was water between the surf so you can still swim safely and enjoy no waves. read more
We've been to this spot a number of time but this was the first time we hiked on the nature trail. Once you get away from the buildings this trail is so pretty! It was just over a 3 mile loop. It was fairly quiet midweek during November but we did see some other hikers and a handful of runners. While visiting the fort, we pretty much had the entire fort to ourselves. The inside exhibit rooms were closed and they were doing repairs while we were there. Their website said the exhibit rooms sustained a lot of damage during Hurricane Florence and they are still making repairs years later. We ventured inside just for a few minutes to check out the gift shop. During our visit masks were required inside, and staff were all masked. They also have a really nice beach here too! read more
5 years ago
Unfortunately, the dive shop in Morehead City canceled two days of diving without any contingency plan. That left a group of 16 divers with nothing to do. Fort Macon was one of those historic experiences we decided to take in. Never knowing anything about the fort, we spent about 90 minutes touring the grounds and walking the fort, learning the history. Unfortunately, we missed out on the cannon firing (on Saturday) as we were there on a slightly drizzly, overcast day. Overall the fort's history is cool, dating back to the early 1800s. A neat snippet of history was that Edward Teach's (aka Blackbeard), ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge was known to have sailed the Beaufort Inlet and subsequently sank in shallow water off shore from the state park. The fort is well fortified with 4.5 foot walls with some interesting features you can explore. Didn't walk any of the surrounding trails, but it was a neat piece of history through the ages from the 1800s to the Civil War and WWII before being turned into a state park permanently in 1946. If you have 30-60 minutes, it's worth the stop. read more
7 years ago
(From the archives of last July) The below links will give you a better idea of what you'll see here than I could ever summarize. https://files.nc.gov/ncparks/maps-and-brochures/fort-macon-fort-history-brochure.pdf https://files.nc.gov/ncparks/maps-and-brochures/fort-macon-factsheet_0.pdf This fort was built as a coastal defense in response to the War of 1812 which exposed the US coast line as being very porous to an attack by Britain or anyone for that matter. The fort sat as an after thought that was lightly staffed and for all intensive purposes forgotten about for nearly thirty years. Enter the Civil War in 1861 and things somewhat change. The North Carolina militia took over the fort for the Confederacy on April 14, 1861. They hold the fort until the Union army shows up the following April and take the fort fairly easily. After that the Union would hold the fort for the remainder of the war. After the war the fort is used as a civil and a military prison until it was deactivated in 1877. In 1898 the fort got a new life for the Spanish-American War as a training ground. In 1903 the Army abandons the fort and it sits until 1924 when NC got the fort and the land around it via Congressional Act to start a state park system. If you go, the fort is open year round and offers fantastic displays inside its visitor center about coastal life, the history of the fort and a hell of a gift shop. There is a beach and swimming is allowed. But as you can see below. Caveat Emptor. www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/us/shark-attacks-north-carolina.html There isn't a whole lot to do in the Crystal Coast area, but if you're here a visit to Fort Macon is well worth it. A+ read more
What an educational experience we had at Fort Macon State Park near Beaufort, NC! The drive thru the lush thicket and foliage set the stage for our visit. We could just imagine what it was like in in 1826, when this Civil War fort was built. It gave me pause to absorb all the history that happened here. The visitors center was large, clean, beautifully designed and informative. The ladies at the front desk were provided is with a plethora of knowledge. Cases were filled with soldiers' uniforms and other memorabilia. They had a mini museum and a self guided tour of wildlife, scenes from the period showing how people lived, and artifacts from the war. We sat through a fascinating documentary on underwater sea life. Also in the main rotunda was a penny press machine if you'd like a token of your visit, or meander through the impressive gift shop full of cool souvenirs, books, postcards, etc. We took a self guided tour of the pentagonal fort itself, an amazing brick structure. We walked around the entire perimeter where we imagined soldiers that fought here. There were canons set up and coves depicting a typical soldiers' life during this period. Even the wooden floor at the entrance was a magnificent piece of work! Some of the rooms were closed due to Hurricane Florence, but we still enjoyed our visit, learning about this important piece of history. The views from the top were incredible and we let our minds drift back into a time when this battle took place. Be careful walking up the steep steps as they can be a tad precarious. It was sobering to think of the results that took place here, but I truly appreciated learning about some of America's history. I highly recommend visiting this fort, no need to be a Civil War buff or a great historian, just someone who regards learning about the past and reflecting upon how it affected our future. read more
4 years ago
Very interesting history and the park is well taken care of. Also it is free to go and walk around so it is totally worth it! read more
This is a great spot if you're looking to get some history and get a good hike in. Stopped by here with my parents in the morning after breakfast and we first did Elliott Coues Nature Trail which is a 3.2 mile round trip trail. Tip: make sure you bring plenty of water. The trail has a few scenic overlooks where you can try to spot birds and other wildlife. After the hike, we checked out Fort Macon. I was amazed by the engineering efforts behind building such a structure. Inside, you'll find different areas including a cooking area where they baked bread for the soldiers. There was even an incident where someone baked inedible bread! read more
5 years ago
If you are a civil war history buff then this park in Atlantic beach is a must stop. Lots of interesting displays and exhibits in the visitors center. Then you can take a guided or self guided tour of the fort as we did. Make you think as you see the old cannons, the rooms where men slept, ate and lived, the supply rooms, water cistern, ect that 150+ years ago the this was a living, working fort protecting the coast line of North Carolina from Union attack. Before you get to the fort, the is a large pick nic area on the right that is on the ocean with clean restrooms. As we walked out onto the beach and looked out over the ocean we thought that this fort has protected this coast line from everything from Union war ships to German U-Boats. There is also a sign where the Queen Anne's Revenge, ship of the infamous pirate Blackbeard sunk off the coast near this area. read more
Got to love NC State Parks. This secluded beach, historic site, and awesome visitors center makes this one of my favorites. No admission fee. The concessions at the beach are pretty limited, but cold drinks and ice cream were popular choices. Pack your own picnic if you're planning to spend all day. Restrooms, showers and pavilions are available at the beach. The visitors center offers guided tours or meander around exhibits at your own pace. It is rich in NC history and a great way to sneak in an educational outing while vacationing at the beach. Wednesday afternoons at 4 the cannons are fired. Other Ranger led programs are available throughout the week. No camping. read more
2 years ago
10 years ago
We had an afternoon for sightseeing and decided to head over to Fort Macon State Park to see what it was all about. We had no idea what we would see or do. Driving up to the park, it doesn't seem as impressive because you literally can't see the fort for obvious reasons, it's hidden. We walked around the grounds at first heading towards the overlook to the beach. It was a beautifully clear day so you could see for a long way. We then headed over to the visitor's center and the fort itself. The information in the visitior's center was really cool. Lots of information about the area. We walked over the fort and we were completely amazed at how cool it was! You can take a self-guided tour through the fort. They have rooms set up with artifacts and information about the fort and its uses. The fort itself is massive and quite pretty. The brick is awesome and we actually saw a bride having some pictures done there. They surely will turn out amazing with that backdrop. We wandered around the fort for about an hour. You do have to be very careful. The steps are steep and there are drop offs everywhere. Definitely worth a visit! read more
We checked out this beach adjacent to Atlantic Beach & Pine Knoll Shores and this place has a public access and more crowded with life guards watching over swimmers, cool! We decided to park and we walked on the beach at the entrance going South until we could not go any further. It was about an hour and a half trek, very nice shorelines this AM but could tell current still strong with wind gusts about 10mph. It was a good hike. We could imagine how the fort stopped the rebels during the civil war and the germans from coming ashore when the fort was reactivated during WW. We also visited the fort last time we were here but this review is about the beach park! The park has a concession stand and while parking was free, it charges $3 for showers...still, for those jot lodging in the area this is a good access to the beach and shores where those had fallen once walked... I like where we are staying (in the middle) because there is a direct access to the beach from the hotel but the neighboring beaches from one end at Emerald Isle to the other Fort Macon are just as swell! read more
11 years ago
This is two state parks in one. The beach access portion includes a large covered area with a great view of the water. Great spot for fishermen - not the place for playing in the water. The fort has a visitor's center with restrooms and many displays with the history of the fort. Just a short walk from the visitor center is the actual Fort Macon. There are many signs reminding visitors that the fort was built for war, and as such there are many things that are not "tourist friendly" such as uneven walking areas, steep steps, and sudden drop offs. For the history/ explorer fans that's great information as there are many places in the fort to explore as you like. If you are a general tourist that means you REALLY need to be more cautious. Those that don't pay attention could find themselves falling 10+ feet in some areas. They do have a safe walkway into the fort with several displays of how the fort was used over the years. I was impressed with a lithograph of the fort being surrendered to the Union forces. The lithograph was placed so that you can see the same perspective of the artist. That placement of the lithograph in that spot really helped me have a better understanding of the events that happened here. Great historical treasure. Enjoy - just be aware of the environment! read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
Great public beach area. Plenty of parking, concessions, bathhouse, lifeguards. Recommend if needing a day spot at the beach. read more
They have quite an amazing visitors center, complete with hands on exploration (pepsi museum-where you can act out tasks in the olden days) history and nature information. It's a great place to take kids. The fort outside can be brutal on hot days, but the air conditioned rooms below that tell snippets of history can be a sanctuary from the heat. It's definitely worth checking out. The beautiful sandy beaches are just over the hill and so convenient to the water. There's a wash off station in the parking lot (carefully disguised to look like bike racks). They don't sell food (which is surprising- it would be a great place to have a snack stand) but there are some vending machines on the outside restrooms. Plenty of parking and all of its free read more
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More info about Fort Macon State Park
2303 E Fort Macon Rd
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
Directions
(252) 726-3775
Call Now
Visit Website
https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/fort-macon-state-park
Hours
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Ask the Community - Fort Macon State Park
Does the day area at the beach have public showers?
Yes from Memorial to Labor Day.
