Bald Head Island Natural Area
Nature preserve
1,113 acres0.8 mi of trail
Kent Mitchell Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: KudzuVine · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Bald Head Island
More than half of Bald Head Island’s land is conserved: 56%
56% of Bald Head Island’s land is conserved, about 1,397 acres. The biggest trail networks: Bald Head Island Natural Area (0.8 mi). 1,160 acres are parks and preserves, 6,106 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
56%
1,397 acres · of 3.9 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
5.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,160 ac
6,106 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Bald Head Island Natural Area, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
The Common at Cape Fear Station
Park
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
1,397 conserved acres
56% of Bald Head Island’s land. Water is left out: Bald Head Island has 3.9 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bald Head Island’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation200 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits10 ac
Other state land1 ac
Not recorded1,398 ac
State Park · 1,159 acConservation Easement · 211 acState Other or Unknown · 188 acPrivate Conservation · 51 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 14 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bald Head Island State Natural Area State Park | Not recorded | 1,159 | Open |
| Bald Head Woods Coastal Reserve State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 188 | Open |
| Smith Island Land Trust Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 29 | Unknown |
| Bald Head Island Conservancy Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| Bald Head Island Conservancy Complex Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1 | Unknown |
Things to do
2 places to go in Bald Head Island
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bald Head Island
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
25 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.7 mi
North Bald Head Wynd1.5 mi
West Bald Head Wynd0.9 mi
Dowitcher Trail0.5 mi
Earl of Craven Court0.4 mi
Keelson Row0.4 mi
Dogwood Trail0.4 mi
Sabal Palm Trail0.4 mi
Cape Fear Trail0.3 mi
Kent Mitchell Nature Trail0.3 mi
South Bald Head Wynd0.3 mi
15 more trails
Horsemint Trail
0.3 miPalmetto Cove Court
0.3 miBay Tree Trail
0.3 miKeepers Landing
0.3 miPoor Mans Pepper Trail
0.2 miSalt Meadow Trail
0.2 miSandwich Tern Trail
0.2 miLighthouse Wynd
0.2 miTurk's Head Court
0.2 miTransom Row
0.2 miIndian Blanket Court
0.1 miMarket Alley
0.1 miGreen Teal Trail
0.1 miLive Oak Trail
0.1 miWater Thrush Court
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
4Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bald Head Island: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 58 | 60 | 66 | 73 | 80 | 86 | 89 | 88 | 83 | 76 | 67 | 60 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
April is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 8.1 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Bald Head Island →
Questions about parks and trails in Bald Head Island
Where can I hike in Bald Head Island?
The longest trail networks: Bald Head Island Natural Area, 0.8 miles; Marina Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Bald Head Island’s trails?
Bald Head Island Natural Area and The Common at Cape Fear Station don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bald Head Island?
9,551 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bald Head Island or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,160 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bald Head Island neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →