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.

See today's weather, tides and water temperature, find any of the island's 65 public beach accesses on a map, and see which ones work for wheelchairs and strollers.

Open the beach access map → Wheelchair beach access
65public beach accesses
10accesses with Mobi-Mats
7beach wheelchairs to rent from the Town
12 milesend to end, Caswell Beach included

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, nearest ocean sensor that is reporting (named in the tile)
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 or click 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 10 Mobi-Mat accesses, firm roll-out mats that carry wheelchairs, walkers and strollers across the soft sand, and 5 ramp structures. Parks & Recreation also rents beach wheelchairs, and some of them float.

10Mobi-Mat access points
5ramp structures (Town list)
7beach wheelchairs to rent (3 break down)
$50cash deposit; up to 2 days Apr–Sep, 7 days Oct–Mar
See every accessible access →Reserve a wheelchair: 910-278-5518

Rent a beach wheelchair

  1. Call the Recreation Center to reserve. 910-278-5518 (no online booking)
  2. Bring a $50 cash deposit. Keep the chair up to 2 days from April to September, or up to 7 days from October to March.
  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 page. Book early; daily fees start Jan 1, 2027. All the rental rules.

Coming up on the island

What's on soon.

All events →

Full calendars: Town of Oak Island calendar ↗ · City of Southport calendar ↗ · Brunswick County 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.
On the water

Sunset cruises, charters & boats.

Most boat rides and charters leave from Southport, just over the bridge.

🐬
Sunset cruises & boat tours8 boat rides and tours, including sunset cruises and wildlife tours.
See the boat rides →
🎣
Fishing charters13 charter captains, inshore and offshore.
See the charters →
⛵
Southport waterfront15 minutes over the bridge: the riverwalk, the Yacht Basin, sunset cruises, shops, restaurants and the ferries.
Explore Southport →
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

Walk the Oak Island Pier (formerly Yaupon Pier)

A walk out the Town pier at 705 Ocean Dr, filmed under its old name.

by Carolina Things · YouTube

Aerial experience (4K)

Oak Island in 4K from the air.

by Port City Heights · 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.