Sunset over the beach at Oak Island, NC, with the Oak Island Pier in the distance and the sky reflected on wet sand
Oak Island · Brunswick County · North Carolina

The beach, the way locals know it.

Today's weather, water and tides, and where to check the rip-current risk. Every one of the island's 65 public beach accesses on a top-down map. And the easiest ways onto the sand for wheelchairs and strollers.

Open the beach access map → Wheelchair beach access
65public beach accesses
10accesses with Mobi-Mats
9loaner beach wheelchairs + 1 floating
9+ miof south-facing beach

Today on Oak Island

Right now
72°
Loading forecast…
Water temp
75°
Ocean water
Rip current risk
Check today ↗
It changes day to day. Get today's risk from the National Weather Service surf zone forecast: look for Coastal Brunswick.
Tide
Rising
Loading tides…
Sunset
7:00
 
Beach flags
Check at your access
We don't show live flags. See what each color means ↓

Live from the National Weather Service and NOAA. If a box says unavailable, check the official source.

Tides at Yaupon Beach

Loading the next high and low…

NOAA station 8659182 · Oak Island, Yaupon Beach · predicted times, Eastern

5-day outlook

National Weather Service, Wilmington NC · water temp: NOAA Wrightsville Beach sensor
Top-down beach map

Every access, from The Point to McGlamery Street.

Satellite view of all 65 public beach accesses, plus the marsh boardwalks, parks, kayak launches and fishing docks. Pick a section to zoom in, then tap any pin for parking, restrooms and directions.

Full-screen map →
Oak Island from above
Beach accessWheelchair-friendlyMarsh boardwalkParkDock / launch
Beach access for everyone

Roll right onto the sand.

The Town lists 20 handicap-accessible beach entry points. 10 of them have Mobi-Mats, firm roll-out mats that carry wheelchairs, walkers and strollers across the soft sand. The Town also lends beach wheelchairs free of charge.

10Mobi-Mat access points
20handicap-accessible entries (10 with Mobi-Mats)
9beach wheelchairs (8 adult, 1 child) + 1 floating
$02-day loan, no deposit
See every accessible access →Reserve a wheelchair: 910-278-5518

Borrow a beach wheelchair, free

  1. Call Parks & Recreation to reserve. 910-278-5518
  2. Keep it for two days. No deposit. 8 adult chairs, 1 child chair.
  3. Roll on at a Mobi-Mat access. There are 10, all on the accessible-access list.

From the Town of Oak Island Parks & Recreation. Call ahead in summer.

Coming up on the island

What's on soon.

All events →
Explore

More than the beach.

Salt marsh along the Davis Canal scenic walkway

Marsh boardwalks

Wooden walkways across the Davis Canal salt marsh. Great for egrets, fiddler crabs and a car-free stroll to the beach.
Sunset over Oak Island rooftops and maritime forest

Parks & the Nature Center

Middleton Park's splash pad and pirate-ship playground, plus the Nature Center, dog parks and waterfront parks.
Surf fisherman casting from the beach at Oak Island

Fishing, kayaks & crabbing

The pier, fishing tees, floating docks, kayak launches and the 78th Street crab dock.
Wide empty beach on Oak Island under a blue sky

Find a quiet stretch

End to end the island is about 12 miles, from the Point in the west to Caswell Beach and the lighthouse in the east (the Town of Oak Island part is 9+ miles). Use the map to find parking, restrooms and the access nearest your rental.
Watch before you come

See the island first.

A few Oak Island videos to get a feel for the place before you pack the car. They play right here and load only when you tap.

Oak Island from the air, in 4K

A 4K drone flight over Oak Island.

by Charlotte Drone · YouTube

Top 5 attractions on Oak Island

Five attractions worth planning a beach week around.

by Harvey Family Video · YouTube

Beaches & Intracoastal views

A tour of the beaches and the Intracoastal side.

by Raleigh to Wilmington: NC's Best Places to Live · YouTube

Walk the Yaupon Beach Pier

A tour of the Yaupon Beach Fishing Pier.

by Carolina Things · YouTube

Aerial experience (4K)

Oak Island in 4K from the air.

by Port City Heights · YouTube

Caswell Beach from above

4K drone views at Caswell Beach, the island's east end.

by San Jose Real Estate Photos · YouTube

All island videos by area: walkways, Davis Canal, piers, lighthouse →

More from the source: the Town of Oak Island posts its own drone videos on YouTube. Videos belong to their creators and are shown with YouTube's standard embed.

Beach safety

Read the flags. Know the rip.

Oak Island has no stationed lifeguard towers. The Town's Beach Safety Unit patrols by UTV, rescue watercraft and drone, usually May through September. Rip current risk changes day to day: check the National Weather Service beach forecast and the flag at your access before you go in.

🌐 En español: seguridad en la playa →

🟢
Green: low hazardCalm conditions. Never swim alone.
🟡
Yellow: medium hazardModerate surf and/or currents. Weak swimmers stay out.
🔴
Red: high hazardHigh surf and/or strong currents. Stay out of the water.
🟣
Purple: marine pestsJellyfish or other dangerous marine life spotted.

Caught in a rip current?

  1. Don't fight it. Rips pull you away from shore. Stay calm and save your energy.
  2. Swim parallel to shore until you're out of the pull, then angle back in.
  3. Float and wave if you can't swim out. Yell for help.
  4. Helping someone? Call 911 and throw something that floats. Don't swim in after them.