2 Best Sights in Southport, The North Carolina Coast

About 10 miles north of Southport, you can explore the ruins and excavations of a colonial town and see the Civil War earthworks of Fort Anderson. The visitor center has a video presentation and a museum of historical items found at the site. Living-history events with costumed interpreters range from Civil War reenactments to colonial-era cooking demonstrations. It's also a great spot for a picnic.

If you're approaching the town from Kure Beach and Fort Fisher via U.S. Route 421, the state-operated year-round car ferry provides a 35-minute Cape Fear River ride between Old Federal Point at the tip of the spit and the mainland. Bald Head Lighthouse on Bald Head Island is seen en route, as well as the Oak Island Lighthouse and the ruins of Price's Creek Lighthouse—in fact, this is the only point in the United States where you can see three lighthouses at the same time. It's best to arrive early (30 minutes before ferry departure), as it's first come, first served. During peak season, there are 16 scheduled ferries each day.