Fall Things to Do

Escape to Fall's Natural Wonders

Venture beyond a typical day on the coast with a fall getaway to Kure Beach. Experience autumnal activities like outdoor festivals, eco-tours and strolls along the shoreline amid with mild temperatures, less crowds and ocean breezes. Fall is the perfect time to set out on a new adventure, and in Kure Beach, you’ll find plenty of ways to explore.

Cape Fear Kite Festival

FALL FESTIVALS

The island provides the perfect coastline for surf fishing and hosts the area’s prime land-based surf fishing tournament each October, the Pleasure Island Surf Fishing Challenge. All are welcome to join the fishing-filled weekend for a chance to win cash and prizes. Set your sights on the sky at the annual Cape Fear Kite Festival, featuring two days of kite-flying cheer. Participants from all over come to fly their colorful kites of all sizes and styles on the beach at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. The event is held the first full weekend of November.

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Zekes Island Kayak

ADVENTURE AROUND EVERY CORNER

Mild temperatures make fall the perfect time to set out on a guided kayak tour of Zeke’s Island Reserve with local outfitters to discover unique wildlife and an active landscape of tidal flats, salt marshes, dunes and ocean beaches. Or, paddle out on a kayak or canoe rental to Shark Tooth Island, an uninhabited island home to coveted seashells and shark teeth. Take a walk through history and explore the South’s largest earthen fort at Fort Fisher State Historic Site. Or, dive a little deeper with Carolina Diving Adventures to find The Condor, a sunken Civil War ship and North Carolina’s first heritage dive site, located approximately 700 yards off the beach.

Experience Nature's Paradise

Family picnic

TAKE TIME TO UNWIND

Relax with a quiet picnic or round of disc golf at Joe Eakes Park, or bring the whole family to Ocean Front Park and Pavilion to stroll along the oceanfront boardwalk. Enjoy unspoiled scenery at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, where you can observe rare species like loggerhead sea turtles and piping plovers or hike along the Basin Trail through salt marshes and a maritime forest. Or, gas up your four-wheel-drive vehicle and purchase a permit to cruise along the recreation area’s beach strand. Discover an under-the-sea experience by meandering through the exhibits of aquatic wildlife at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Say hello to Luna, a rare albino alligator, get up close to stunning animals like otters, stingrays and sharks and stroll through the outdoor garden to see a rescued bald eagle habitat.

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