The actual address is 1037 Salter Path Rd…read more A small 15 car parking lot with changing area and outdoor showers. Rather secluded and completely empty when I went there at around 6pm mid August Friday evening. I believe there are 2 areas for a small picnic and grill as well. Make your way up the wooden walkway and in a minute you get to the ocean, beach wide open for you after taking the steps down. There are shells everywhere washed up on shore and tiny little crabs burying into the sand. Only been there once but the waves were rather large that day, not good for kids. Could be different on other days, but were far stronger than at the Pier on emerald Isle.

This beach access is a wonderful spot. There are several picnic tables available, so, even if you…read moreare not going to the beach, it is a nice place to stop by. There is a grove of Live Oak here that are gorgeous. Again - even if you are not going to the beach it is worth it to stop and see the trees. There is plenty of parking here and the services are kept up. The place is kept neat and clean. There are bathrooms here as well. I enjoy the outdoor showers as we can get showered off and clean off our equipment after coming in from the ocean before getting back into the car. The walk to the ocean is a dream across a well built and properly maintained wooden walkway. It cuts directly through myrtle and yaupon stands so you can see inside that incredibly interesting biome. It is a unique and wonderful experience for birdwatchers and artists. The walkway continues to rise above the dunes and the view of how a barrier looks in pristine state is received. Wonderful! The walkway continues down to the beach. There are stairs that lead down to the shore. Though it is difficult getting a wheelchair down there is a small deck at the top where, with umbrellas or other means, the view and breezes could be enjoyed. The beach itself is a great place to visit. The waters are clear. There is no lifeguard here so all caution should be taken. Riptides and occasional sharks occur here. At high tide the two 'shelves' that are close in will be obscured, so be careful. During turtle breeding season there may be nests near this location. I love to observe them even if I am not there during hatching. Shorebirds sometimes abound and porpoises, dolphins and even whales may be seen!

This is a great place to spend the day with family or friends. They have kayaks and boats to rent…read morefor a few hours or the whole day. There are plenty of fishing space if you dont want to go out in the water. There are bbq grills and brick benches under an overhang that are free to use. So you can bring the family and grill food while they play or fish. If you dont have poles you can also rent them here with tackle equiment.

Had an awesome time with Riley and KK. They took us out to the Gulf Coast and made sure we had a…read moregreat time and caught a lot of fish. Top notch operation and will be booking again.

I would like to thank Captain John and first mate Collin for a fishing trip of a life time. When I…read morebook this trip they had to work around the weather and as soon as they had good weather they got us out on the water and everyone caught nice fish including a Black Finn Tuna weighting in at 22.3 pounds.

This is a gorgeous park to walk dogs, ride bikes or jog. There is a nice paved path that goes…read morearound the lake and a reading tour with pages from kids books that you can stop and read. There's also a picnic shelter and a nature trail that is up off the lake, more wooded. Dogs are supposed to be leashed but have found that people use the nature trail and take dogs off leash up there, even though they're not supposed to. The lake trail does go close to the water's edge at several points and the dogs can take a quick dip - but no swimming for humans! There's also a boat launch and looks like a great place to go kayaking.

I can't believe I've never been to this park before! It was such a great spot for a walk around the…read morebeautiful lake and to play! The main path (1.3 miles) is paved with additional dirt trails on the sides. The playground is absolutely amazing and my kid loved it. The park was clean and there were lots of people out. The bathrooms were decent and there was picnic tables under shelter. Parking was filling up but it was a sunny day in February so I think people were out enjoying it. They have kayak launches that I'd love to come back to try!

Highly recommend Fishbones Inshore Fishing Charters and Captain Junior Sinclair. Went fishing July…read more20, 2016 with my wife. Even though a front went through the night before and the bite was a little slow, Captain Sinclair worked extremely hard to put us on the fish. I caught a 31 inch monster red drum. I also caught a 21 inch keeper and my wife a 24 inch keeper. We also caught of number of smaller ones. A bonus is the beautiful scenery. We saw an alligator and a nesting pair of osprey.

Great charter captain, and great with the kids. It was the highlight of our camping trip.read more

This place is terrible on all fronts. There is no service, a woman sits you, you get your food…read morebrought to you but it's self service for drinks ( burnt old coffee btw ) and the whole place is old and dirty. The old woman that worked the front was deeply unpleasant as well, short snippy, like we were inconveniencing her. The plus was that it did not take long to get our food, but maybe it should have because it was absolutely disgusting and nearly inedible. It cost 60$ for self serve drinks and food (barely ) served on paper plates. Save your money.

The pier is attached to the back of the Seaview Restaurant on the main drag in North Topsail Beach…read more Parking is free, but limited as half of lot is for patrons of the restaurant only. Upon entering the pier shop, one is greeted by a gruff gentleman who has little time for those who do not immediately understand the plethora of rules. We had to deal with his condescending attitude again as we left the pier. When leaving, visitors are to go through a gate that leads to a path around the shop rather than back through the shop. The gate was stuck and could not be opened after numerous tries. We went back through the shop and had to listen to him tell us we had not tried hard enough. The 5th star is withheld due to this gentleman's attitude with the public. The pier is wonderful. It is very well maintained and obviously popular among the local fishermen and fisherwomen. There were many stations to cut, filet and clean one's catch. A plethora of benches line the pier for seating. A ruler is present at the end of the pier to measure fish, and QR codes are posted to order lunch from the attached restaurant. A large observation tower sits at the end of the pier. The pier rules are posted in plain view and there is even a fire extinguisher should a need arise! We really enjoyed seeing what the fishermen and women were catching and all of them were very friendly and willing to share their knowledge. I would definitely recommend taking a walk on the pier when in the area.

The landscape was beautiful and the trails were clearly marked. I was there by myself and felt very…read moresafe. If you're ever looking for a nice quiet place to go for a nature hike, this is your spot.

This lovey trail is part of Croatan National Forest. It's free, and there's a small parking lot…read morewith a restroom at the trailhead. I visited on a warm weekday afternoon between Christmas and New Years and saw only a few other folks out on the trail. There's a big loop that's about 1.5 miles, or you could do a shorter loop. The trail is mostly shaded and quite flat, making it an easy stroll and accessible for kids (including strollers) and people who need low intensity hikes; there are many benches along the way. Many parts are wooden bridges out over the marshland; at the right time of day you can see fiddler crabs in the water. (If it's recently rained, don't go at high tide; parts of the trail may be wet or muddy!) You'll find a really nice variety of trees and micro climates- the grasses and small trees in the marsh land are quite different from the hardwood forests and pines just a few feet further inland. This trail would be especially lovely at sunrise or sunset. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the Emerald Isle/Swansboro area!

Great pier for fishing right in the middle of Emerald Isle. I personally have never fished off of…read moreit but I do love to walk out on it to take in the peaceful serenity of the ocean. I know quite a few folks that fish off of it a and bring home some great catches. Love that there is a convenience store and a restaurant attached to the pier for convenience​. Great for grabbing some delicious seafood, snacks, souvenirs and other beach essentials for your day on the pier or beach. It even has showers and bathrooms that are nice and clean. All in all a great attraction on Emerald Isle and definitely worth a visit.

I lived in California for many years and now have lived in North Carolina for a few years. I have…read moreNEVER been to a pier that charges for access to it. They can make up whatever story they want, but when you exclude people and have them pay, it is just wrong. Atlantic Beach has a pier if you want to walk and fish off it and it is completely free. Who ever came up with this idea is keeping people from just enjoying a good day out.

We live only 2 miles from Goose Creek State Park and we absolutely love the park.. perfect place…read morefor us to ride our bicycles & take our little Chihuahua ( always on her leash)& walking the numerous trails..& the picnic areas are well maintained as are restrooms.. though we haven't utilized the campground area they definitely appear awesome, the cabins are very nice( our grandchildren have stayed there several times.,,

**RV SITE REVIEW** A…read morecouple weeks back me and my dad camped for one night at Goose Creek State Park, and we stayed at RV site #20. This RV site was fantastic. All of the sites were flat (which is what you want), and offered plenty of privacy (The sites were very spacious from one another). All RV sites consist of 30 and 50 amp hookups, as well as a connection to fresh water, and a sewage pipe. The bath house was new and clean. It was modern on the inside, offered hot water (even in 20 degrees), and was well taken care of. The camp host does a great job at taking care of this site. I would highly recommend that you stay/visit Goose Creek when you can. It is a great hidden spot that offers a wide array of trails and activities.