A Great Home Base for the Brunswick County Coast
Spend the day on Oak Island, wander the Southport waterfront, head into Wilmington or stay closer to camp. Southport is about 20 minutes away, Oak Island 25 and downtown Wilmington 30.
Close Enough to Explore in Every Direction
In The Pines sits between the beaches and Wilmington rather than tying your whole trip to one destination. That makes it easy to plan a beach day, a Southport day and a Wilmington day, then come back to the same fire pit each evening.
A few of the places guests head for:
- Oak Island25 min
- Southport20 min
- Downtown Wilmington30 min
- Myrtle Beach, SC60 min
Beach Days and Waterfront Wandering
Oak Island
Spend the day on the beach, visit the lighthouse, fish, book a charter or simply slow down by the water.
- Oak Island Lighthouse
- Fort Caswell
- The Oak Island and OIB piers
- Charter fishing boats
- Farmer’s market
- The Oyster Festival, every October
- Skydive Coastal Carolinas, for the brave
Southport
Walk the waterfront, grab a meal, browse downtown, explore local history or catch a ferry for a completely different kind of day trip.
- The Provision Co., Oliver’s on the Cape Fear, Edgewater 122, Fishy Fishy Cafe
- Southport Coffee Co. & Kitchen
- The Fort Fisher and Bald Head Island ferries
- Price’s Creek Lighthouse
- Fort Johnston Museum & Visitor Center
- Brunswick Little Theatre and the antique shops
- Filming locations from Dawson’s Creek, A Walk to Remember and Safe Haven
A City Day, About 30 Minutes Away
Wilmington
- The downtown riverfront and the Cargo District
- Battleship North Carolina
- Airlie Gardens and the arboretum
- Wrightsville Beach
- Horse-drawn carriage, trolley, walking and boat tours
- Jungle Rapids, go-karts, putt-putt and a waterpark
- Defy Gravity and Flip N Fly, for a rainy afternoon
- Kilwins and Bombalatti’s, for afterwards
Carolina Beach & Fort Fisher
- The Carolina Beach boardwalk amusement park
- Fort Fisher State Historic Site
- The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Food, Coffee & Essentials Close to Camp
The nearest towns, for the grocery run and the night you don’t feel like cooking.
Eat
- Bald Head Coffee, Mama C’s Taqueria, Fat Andy’s, The Pepperoni Grill, The Office Coffee & Wine Bar, Boiling Spring Lakes
- Brunswick Beer and Cider, The Joyce, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, Pizzettas, Farmhouse Kitchen, Port City Java, Leland
Supplies
- Lowes Foods, Walmart, Dollar General and the ABC store
- Gator Hole, for fishing supplies
When the beach isn’t the plan
Outdoors
- Brunswick Nature Park, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking
- Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson State Historic Site
- Swamp Park at Ocean Isle Beach, zip lines, aerial adventure, guided ATV tours
Golf
- The Lakes Golf Club, Olde Fort Golf Course, Cape Fear National, Magnolia Greens
- The Golf Barn, putt-putt, and family friendly
Common questions
How far is the beach?
Twenty minutes to Southport, twenty-five to the Oak Island beaches, thirty to downtown Wilmington, and about an hour to Myrtle Beach. You sleep under pines rather than beside a parking lot, and you are still at the sand before the morning is gone.
What is there to do on a rainy day?
Wilmington is half an hour: the Battleship North Carolina, the aquarium at Fort Fisher, Jungle Rapids, Defy Gravity and Flip N Fly. Closer to home, the camp store, a bag of mining dirt and a cabin with a Smart TV.
Where should we eat?
Close by, Boiling Spring Lakes and Leland have Bald Head Coffee, Mama C’s Taqueria, Fat Andy’s, Brunswick Beer and Cider and Shuckin’ Shack. Southport is worth the twenty minutes for The Provision Co., Oliver’s on the Cape Fear and Fishy Fishy Cafe.
Can we take a ferry?
From Southport, yes, the Fort Fisher ferry across the Cape Fear River and the Bald Head Island ferry both leave from there, about twenty minutes from the gate.
Is there fishing nearby?
Charter boats run out of Oak Island, and both the Oak Island and Ocean Isle Beach piers are open to walk-on fishing. Gator Hole in Boiling Spring Lakes has the supplies.
Where do we buy groceries?
Lowes Foods, Walmart and Dollar General are all a short drive, along with the ABC store. Most guests do one shop on the way in.
Not covered here? Call 910.845.5040. We are family-owned, so you will most likely be talking to one of us.
Rather talk to a person? 910.845.5040