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Town in North Carolina, United States
Photo: Mx._Granger, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
Carolina Beach is a beach town just south of Wilmington, North Carolina. The eastern side of the town is an ordinary built-up beach community, a popular summer destination for students and other beachgoers. But just to the west of town is something more unique: a state park where you can see rare Venus flytraps in the wild.
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It has one of the most beautiful beaches. Clean brown-black sand (probably due to thorium deposits) and clean water. The water is foamy. Even though the park is called "Carolina Beach State Park", it is not actually on the ocean. The island on which the park resides is a barrier island and the park is located on the inland side of the island. The beaches of the park are actually along the Cape Fear river and an artificial waterway known as Snow's Cut. It's about a one mile walk to get to the ocean from the park. The park has camping, kayaking, and hiking trails through swamps, woods, and the quiet river beaches. It is also one of the few places in the world where you can see Venus flytraps in the wild. To see them and other carnivorous plants, take the short, easy Flytrap Trail, which starts from the parking lot at the end of Nature Trail Lane. If you have a keen eye you can spot the insect-eating plants from two of the bridges on the trail. For a map of the trail and guidance on where to look for carnivorous plants, stop by the Visitor Center. Or come on Saturday or Sunday at 10AM March–October for a guided Carnivorous Plant Hike on the same trail. Other carnivorous plants in the park (some of them easier to spot) are pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts, and bladderworts.
Rated by MSN as the second best donuts in the country. They only serve one kind, glazed, but they are to die for. On busy days during the summer the customers will be lined up down the boardwalk to buy them by the dozen. They have been in the same location since the 1930s, and they still make them by hand.
Fresh seafood, with a commitment to sustainability and protecting the oceans.
North Carolina's only oceanfront Marriott and direct, instant access to the beach.
Spacious, clean, and well-equipped beach houses and condos, aimed at groups of four or more.
Bryant
Multi-bedroom coastal houses and condominiums with various amenities.
Carolina Beach is located on an island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River, just south of Wilmington. The best way to get to Carolina Beach is by traveling south on NC-421 from Wilmington.
Read in the guideBecause of limited parking, the best way to get around Carolina Beach is on foot or by bicycle. Several vendors rent bicycles and pedal-powered vehicles that can hold up to six people (4 adults and two small children).
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Wilmington · Regional · ILM
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