North Carolina's ferry system began in the mid-1920s with a private tug and barge service crossing Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks. Other private ferries subsequently developed that were subsidized by the state during the 1930s and '40s. In the late '40s and '50s, the state began purchasing the private ferry companies, and today the North Carolina ferry system has seven ferry routes, 21 ferries and more than 400 employees. More than 1.1 million vehicles and more than 2.5 million passengers are transported every year over five bodies of water.

The Southport-Fort Fisher ferry service is not only a mode of transportation that saves miles of driving, it's also a wonderful scenic tour. On the approximately 30-minute cruise, the ferry provides a panoramic view of the mouth of the Cape Fear River above Southport. On the Brunswick County side, huge yellow cranes mark the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point, the largest distribution center in the country for military supplies. Other sights include Old Baldy, North Carolina's oldest lighthouse on Bald Head Island; Price's Creek Lighthouse, which guided Confederate blockade runners through New Inlet during the Civil War; and the Oak Island Lighthouse, the nation's brightest. For information on tours and attractions, see our Attractions section for Carolina Beach, Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach.

The Fort Fisher ferry terminal on Pleasure Island is near the southern terminus of U.S. 421 on the right. The Southport terminal is on Ferry Road, just off N.C. 211, about 3 miles north of town. During summer months, plan to get to the terminal at least 30 minutes before departure. The ferry is extremely popular and capacity is limited to about 36 cars.

Fares

Pedestrians, $1

Bicycle Riders, $3

Motorcycles, $10

Vehicle and/or combination less than 20 feet, $15

Vehicles and/or combinations in excess of 20 feet up to 40 feet, $30

Vehicles and/or combinations greater than 40 feet to 65 feet maximum, $45

Call in advance if ferrying larger vehicles. Rates and schedules are subject to change. For information about the Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry only, call (910) 457-6942 or (800) 368-8969. For statewide and individual ferry information call (800) BY-FERRY (293-3779) or go to the website www.ncferry.org

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