The Carolina ocean beaches offer many flavors from the rugged, weather-beaten outerbanks of North Carolina to the tropical island ambience of the low country beaches of South Carolina. And not all Carolina beaches face east. You must enjoy the experience of relaxing in a beach chair while the sun rises over your left shoulder. And if you were to be in the same chair at the same spot at sunset, Old Sol would disappear over your right shoulder. Where? North Carolina’s Crystal Coast (Morehead City area) and Brunswick Islands (Long Beach area) are both south-facing beaches.
- NC Outerbanks Public Access Beaches
This is the group of islands extending from the Virginia border to the southern tip of Ocracoke Island (mouth of the Pamlico River). Swimming is very dangerous, and is discouraged, along the Cape Lookout National Seashore. - NC Central Coast Public Access Beaches
This area is popularly known as the Crystal Coast. Here the Atlantic Ocean beaches face south. The beaches on Bogue Banks (which extends from Bogue Inlet eastward to Beaufort Inlet) accessed from Beaufort and Morehead City are included here. - NC Southern Coast Public Access Beaches
We have included the beaches on Topsail Island (Jacksonville area), Wrightsville (Wilmington) and Pleasure Island (south of Wilmington), collectively known as the Cape Fear Coastal Area. Also included in this section are the south-facing beaches off the south coast of Brunswick County (Southport area). - SC Grand Strand Public Access Beaches
The Grand Strand is a series of islands separated from the South Carolina mainland by the Inland Waterway and extends from the North Carolina border (North Myrtle Beach), through Myrtle Beach, to Georgetown in the south. - SC Charleston area Public Access Beaches
This includes the beaches in the Charleston – Mount Pleasant to the Edisto River. - SC Resort Islands Public Access Beaches
This includes the beaches extending from the Edisto River to the Savannah River (Harbor Island to Hilton Head Island near the Georga border).
