Carrot Island
Beaufort, NC
Carrot Island is the heart of the Rachel Carson Reserve, a cluster of undeveloped islands just across the water from downtown Beaufort, reachable only by boat, kayak, or passenger ferry. Wild horses have grazed the marsh grass here for generations, visible from the water on almost any crossing.
Wild horses and a genuine boat-only crossing keep this feeling like a real discovery even though it's a short paddle from downtown Beaufort, though there's no direct route for anyone without a boat or kayak.
How we score beachesLaunch a kayak from the Beaufort waterfront rather than driving to a boat ramp. The crossing is short and calm, and it puts you right at the reserve's boardwalk in about fifteen minutes of paddling.
No vehicle access to the island itself. Motorboats launch from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission ramp at 2370 Lennoxville Road; kayaks and canoes can launch from the Beaufort waterfront.
A boardwalk near the reserve's eastern end leads from the water to a viewing area. The rest of the island is undeveloped sand and marsh, uneven underfoot.
The crossing is calmest in the warmer months, roughly April through October, before the same June through November hurricane season that affects the rest of the Crystal Coast picks up. Birding is best during spring and fall migration.
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