We took a family vacation to Bald Head Island, a gorgeous spot off the coast of North Carolina, in July. It was my first time visiting, but our family had been there before for a destination wedding. It was a quiet, peaceful island and a great spot to take your whole family!
Everything You Need to Know About Bald Head Island
In this post I’m breaking down as many details as possible, including tips to taking the Bald Head Island Ferry, the best Bald Head Island restaurants and shopping, Old Baldy Lighthouse, where to stay, how to get guest memberships at Shoals and Bald Head Island Club and more.
Getting To and From with the Bald Head Island Ferry
Let me back up a little bit further than the ferry… We flew into Myrtle Beach. This was our second choice of airports, but a direct + cheaper flight ultimately is how we made the call. The other airport I suggest looking at is Wilmington (btw, if you don’t already have it, here’s how to get TSA precheck for free!). You can take an Uber/Lyft from the airport or use a shuttle service. We used Angel’s Taxi LLC. This is a much cheaper option than renting a car + paying to park at the ferry dock. On your way to the dock, make a pit stop at Walmart for groceries. You can either buy totes to take on to the ferry, or you can pack large cooler bags or extra suit cases in your luggage. I highly recommend doing the grocery pick up option that way you can pick up and not waste time shopping.
Our shopping list included: snack foods (Oreos, Ritz Crackers, Cheese, popcorn), alcohol (Daily’s frozen cocktails, beer, Seagrams), grilling food (meat, pastas, frozen veggies), easy meals (peanut butter and jelly, lunch meat, bread) and some fresh fruit.
Speaking of shopping… if you have room in your suitcase, pack your liquor bottles. It wasn’t the cheapest to buy on the island, and Walmart only carries wine + beer meaning you would need an additional stop at a liquor store.
Once you get dropped off at the dock, you’ll purchase a ticket for the next ferry and check your bags and totes. I’d suggest you get there ~30 minutes before the ferry is scheduled to leave to make sure you + your luggage make it to the island.
Bald Head Island Ferry Tickets
You can purchase your round trip ticket at the Deep Point Terminal. Round-trips on the Bald Head Island Ferry are $23 for adults, $12 for children 3-12 and two and under free. They also offer discounted tickets if you are doing a same-day round trip from the island (and require no baggage or tram service). You can make a tram reservation online or by calling 910-457-5003. See the full schedule online. The trams pick you and your luggage up in Bald Head Island to take you directly to where you are staying.
Bald Head Island Ferry Weekday Schedule
Bald Head Island Ferry Weekend Schedule
Beach House Secured Through Tiffany’s Beach Properties
There are so many places to stay on the island! Lucky for me, I didn’t have to do the research because we stayed at the same beach house that my family stayed at on their first trip. The house was booked through Tiffany’s Beach Properties. On their website you can search for properties based on how many the house sleeps, how many bedrooms, price and available dates. When you click the property, you can see details such as location (beach front, ocean view, etc), dog policy, golf carts included and the “extras” on site. When traveling with a family, these extras are more important than you think. For example… our house came with a pack and play, high chair, beach chairs and a grill.
Where We Stayed
Speaking of our house, let’s dive into the details. The address is: 332. S. Bald Head Wynd, Bald Head Island NC 28461. It’s a four bedroom, four bathroom house with a sleeping den with two twin beds. The kitchen was stocked with spices, coffee machine, microwave, fairly new fridge and oven, ice maker (this was CLUTCH) and kitchen tools and plates, bowls, etc. The house came with two golf carts, one four passenger and one six passenger. In our garage we also had a few bikes, some beach chairs and a few beach toys. Our house also had a great shelf full of beach reads and board games.
The patio was loaded with outdoor seating: rocking chairs, two tables and lounge chairs. The bugs were out during our trip, so we didn’t end up utilizing this as much as I hoped, but it’s still worth noting. Also, the house has a boardwalk that leads directly to the beach. Easy access is the best access.
What to Do Around Bald Head Island
We spent most of our time on the beach or hanging out at the house, but we did do a bit of exploring! We took the golf carts to visit Old Baldy Lighthouse, use the pool at Shoals Club, walk the trails and just take in the sights. Speaking of Old Baldy Lighthouse, there’s a cute church located next to it and that’s where the destination wedding took place!
Bald Head Island Restaurants
We only ate out twice (and does coffee really count as going out?), but Delphina Cantina is a must if you’re going out! The atmosphere was adorable… and a pitcher of Strawberry Mango margs (nearly 7 drinks) was only $40. Apparently they have some great pizza you can pick up, but we didn’t stay long enough to try that. Next door to Delphina Catina is Sandpiper Coffee and Ice Cream. We went twice… Too good to only experience once! A few other Bald Head Island restaurants that caught my eyes are Mojo’s on the Harbor and Honey’s BBQ Shack.
Bald Head Island Shopping
We didn’t shop much, but we did peak into a few stores and we found a great variety of both tourist-y items and adorable beach clothes. My two favorites are Riverside Adventure and Island Passage Clothing. If you’re looking to grocery shop on the island (including beer and wine), stop by Maritime Market BHI.
Old Baldy Lighthouse
Old Baldy Lighthouse is North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse and a great spot to visit during your trip. There are 108 stairs you can climb if you want to make it to the top. They also have guided tours and a museum to learn about the history. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for kids 3-12. The hours vary by day, but can be found here.
Guest Memberships at Shoals Club + Bald Head Island Club
If you want to have access to a gym, pool, additional restaurants and golf, you can get a guest membership at one of the two clubs on the island. Bald Head Island Club was the closest to our beach house, and there is also Shoals Club.
Bald Head Island Conservancy
The Bald Head Island Conservancy is located near Shoals Club on Bald Head Island. They have activities specific for children, as well as activities for the whole family to enjoy. They also sponsor 5Ks, in case you feel like getting a workout in while you’re on vacation.
Family Photos on the Beach
Is it even a family trip without getting a family photo? We worked with Snapp Shot Photography to get a huge family photo, as well as individual family photos. It’s a husband-wife team and they were great with the kiddos (7 month + 4 years). I can’t wait to see the photos and share!
This post by Style Your Occasion is super helpful if you’re looking for family photo outfit ideas.
What a perfect blog post describing all the fun things to do on the island we love!
It was so nice meeting you and your family for a fun photo session with us and we can’t wait to debut your images…coming soon! Thanks a bunch for the shout-out!
Erin and Corey : Snapp-Shot Photography