Things to Do
Bald Head Island enjoys pleasant coastal breezes all summer long, lending it the perfect setting for spending the day outdoors. And that’s a good thing because there’s plenty of resources for everyone in the entire family to stay active. Here’s just a few of the activities you can do on Bald Head Island.
Bald Head Island is a bird watcher`s delight. It is home to many rare species. Osprey, eagle kingfisher, sandpiper, and herons might be spotted anywhere on the Island- but the lagoons, nature trails and creeks offer the finest viewing opportunities.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
The dock master can arrange small boat or fishing equipment rentals/provide information about fishing charters. Bald Head Island`s marshes and creeks are best reached by kayak or canoe.
Location: Bald Head Island
Phone: (910) 457-7380
The Bald Head Island Club offers a fun, safe, individualized camp program for children 5-12 years old. Camps include golf and tennis instruction, swimming, arts and crafts, movies and field trips. The Club also offers Junior Golf and Tennis programs throughout the summer.
Location: Salt Meadow Trail, Southport, NC
Phone: (910) 457-0265
The Shoals Club offers a variety of programs for families such as movies, games and story times.
Location: 100 Station House Way, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 454-4888
The Bald Head Island Conservancy offers a wide range of excellent children`s programs and camps with ever-changing content.
Location: Bald Head Island Conservancy, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-0089
Bring your crab traps and enjoy an old fashioned pastime of catching crabs in the Bald Head Island creeks.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
Croquet enthusiasts from around the world come to play at the Bald Head Island Club. The Golf Shop also schedules beginner`s lessons and clinics.
Location: Salt Meadow Trail, Southport, NC
Phone: (910) 457-7310
Please note that the fitness center fees are included in the cost of the Bald Head Island Club temporary membership.
Location: Salt Meadow Trail, Southport, NC
Phone: (910) 457-7300
Please note that the fitness center fees are included in the cost of the Bald Head Island Club temporary membership.
Location: 100 Station House Way, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 454-4888
Bald Head Island offers great fishing all year. Offshore – tuna fishing begins during March. Billfish and Marlin run in May. In early June, enjoy the annual Bald Head Island Fishing Rodeo, when contestants compete for the largest catch of Wahoo, tuna and dolphin. Surf fishers enjoy fishing for red drum, pompano, blue fish, Spanish mackerel, flounder and speckled trout. The dock master can arrange small boat or fishing equipment rentals as well as provide information about fishing charters.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
The Bald Head Island Club is best known for its world class golf course, designed by George Cobb and opened for play in 1974. This beautiful course was recently restored by Tim Cate, who breathed new life into the tired layout, making it much more aesthetically pleasing. The 18-hole course can be challenging, but more importantly, it offers the player an insider’s view of the Island. It’s not rare to see a gator sunning itself, ospreys flying overhead, or egrets, fox, and deer running across the fairway. The complex includes an extensive practice facility and a full-service golf shop offering apparel, equipment, and much more. The club’s professional golf staff also offers private lessons, clinics, and activities year round.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-7310
Enjoy the beauty of Bald Head Island by taking a self guided 20 – minute walk through the maritime forest and along the salt marsh and tidal creek. In the summer, the Bald Head Island Conservancy conducts turtle walks at night and alligator and bird walks in the morning. Space is limited. Call the conservancy for more information.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-5786
Old Baldy is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse. It is open to the public. Climb to the top and enjoy a spectacular view. Visit the Old Baldy museum next door and see how the early lighthouse keepers lived. Historic narrated tours of the island are also available.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-7481
Buy a ferry day pass at the Bald Head Island terminal and spend a leisurely afternoon in historic Southport. Stroll the quaint and charming downtown and treat yourself to great antiques, shopping and dining. We’re sure you’ll enjoy the ambiance of this lovingly preserved Southern Village.
Location: Southport, NC
The Bald Head Island Club has four Mono-Ten tennis courts. Equipment rental and sportswear are available through the tennis shop. The tennis pro offers lessons/clinics. Call the tennis shop to reserve your court time.
Location: Bald Head Island
Phone: (910) 457-0159
The Conservancy is a non-profit organization, and offers a variety of educational programs. These include fishing schools, and great children’s programs. We highly recommend the turtle walk. These begin with a short discussion of the magnificent 300-pound loggerhead turtles that nest on Bald Head Island beaches, and the hatchlings that will emerge. Then accompany the naturalist to the beach to view the nesting or hatchling sites. Space is limited. Call for reservations.
Location: Bald Head Island
Phone: (910) 457-5786
Geocaching is part treasure hunt and part island adventure, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular outdoor activities on BHI. Offered by the Riverside Adventure Company, this game involves searching for “caches” hidden around the island using a GPS-enabled device. By following the supplies coordinates, you’ll track down the boxes while seeing and learning about the island. Riverside Adventure Company also offers a GPS-powered scavenger hunt game that’s perfect for those spending a week or more on BHI because players have the chance to win weekly awards.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
Coastal Urge is your source for everything kiteboarding on Bald Head Island. They offer 90-minute land-based kiteboarding lessons designed to teach you the ins and outs of this thrilling sport. Once you pass the lesson, you’ll learn how to launch your board and start flying along the water.
Location: 12 Maritime Way, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-4552
Surfing is, as you might expect, big on BHI because the waves are reliable, especially on East Beach, the island’s top draw for surfers. Rental boards and boogie boards are available from the Sail Shop if you don’t have one of your own. First-time surfers can also take surfing lessons through the Sail Shop as well, so they can enjoy hanging ten like a seasoned surfer.
Location: 96 Keelson Row, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-6844
Standup paddleboarding (SUP) is like surfing, but it’s more of a tranquil way to move about the water. This activity involves standing on a paddleboard and using a paddle to help balance and navigate you over the clear, calm waters. Because this activity is slow-paced and practiced on peaceful waters, it is not only fun, it can even be meditative, and it’s a great way to see the native wildlife along the coast. From paddleboard rentals to guided trips to lessons, Coastal Urge is your all-in-one solution for all of your paddleboarding needs on BHI.
Location: 86 Keelson Row, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (800) 383-4443
Sailing has long been a popular sport among visitors to Bald Head because the light breezes coming in off the waters were simply made for this soothing activity. The Sail Shop is where you can find sailing lessons for both kids and adults. The shop also offers Fun Sail trips where an instructor can take you and up to four others on a two-hour guided tour of the Cape Fear River and South Beach.
Location: 96 Keelson Row, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-6844
There are creeks and tributaries all across Bald Head Island where you can enjoy a leisurely kayak trip. Bald Head Creek is especially fun and easy to navigate in a kayak or canoe. Plus, nature is all around you when you’re kayaking up the river, making for a truly memorable experience. Or, if you don’t want to head out exploring the rivers on your own, you can always book a kayaking tour offered through the Bald Head Island Conservancy.
Location: Bald Head Island Conservancy, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-0089
Take a hike along the M. Kent Mitchell Nature Trail and enjoy unencumbered views of the island’s marshes.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
The Bald Head Woods Maritime Forest Preserve is another excellent place to hike.
Location: Bald Head Island, NC
A visit to the Bald Head Island Conservancy will have you walking side by side the newly hatched loggerhead turtles as they make their way from their nest to the ocean. The nightly Turtle Walk happens between the first week of June and September, so if you’re visiting BHI during that time, this is something you won’t want to miss. Each turtle nest will hatch once per year, so you will potentially get to see this event in action.
Location: Bald Head Island Conservancy, Bald Head Island, NC
Phone: (910) 457-0089