Covers Swansboro, Emerald Isle, Cape Carteret, Cedar Point and Hubert. 17 places: 3 indoor and 14 outdoor or seasonal. Tap a source link to double-check before you go.
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo.com (weather data CC BY 4.0). Forecasts change; check before you go.
📍 Swansboro
Onslow County branch library with Family Storytime for ages 0-5: stories, songs, rhymes and movement.
Family Storytime Tue 9:30 AM, Wed 9:30 and 10:30 AM, Thu 10:30 AM. Phone 910-326-4888.
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: onslowcountync.gov
📍 Cape Carteret · Swansboro area
Carteret County branch library with a weekly storytime and Little Explorers sensory play for ages 0-4.
Storytime Thursdays 10:30 AM; Little Explorers Tuesdays 10:30 AM.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Branch opening hours
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: carteretcountync.libguides.com
📍 Cape Carteret · Swansboro area
Gym with an indoor heated saltwater pool (3-5 ft deep, about 86°F) open to day-pass visitors, plus learn-to-swim lessons from infants to adults.
No lifeguard: kids under 16 must be with an adult. Phone 252-393-1000.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Whether kids pay the full day-pass price; family open-swim times
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: ccaw.net
Swipe for 3 photos →
📍 Swansboro
Mainland visitor center, trails and paddling, plus a passenger ferry to Bear Island, a 4-mile undeveloped beach with a bathhouse.
The park's phones are down right now; email [email protected]. No lifeguards on Bear Island this time of year. Strollers are allowed on the ferry; wagons only if collapsible. Ferry tickets are sold same day, first come, first served.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: ncparks.gov
📍 Swansboro
18-acre town park with a playground, a free accessible splash pad with shaded seating, a skate park, courts, a 0.66-mile fitness and nature trail, and restrooms, next to the town recreation center.
Swansboro Parks & Rec 910-326-2600.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Splash pad hours and season dates; general park hours (the town lists shelter hours); age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: swansboro-nc.org
📍 Cedar Point · Swansboro area
Croatan National Forest trail with boardwalks over the salt marsh at the mouth of the White Oak River. Look for fiddler crabs, herons and egrets. Short and long loops.
No restrooms or drinking water at the trail. Croatan Ranger District 252-638-5628.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Loop lengths and stroller access (from trail listings, not this Forest Service page); age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: fs.usda.gov
📍 Emerald Isle
Emerald Isle's big public beach access with restrooms, outdoor showers, a covered picnic pavilion, grills and volleyball courts.
Lifeguards 10 AM-5:30 PM, April-September. Parking payment questions: 800-291-6111 (Towne Mobile app or card at the kiosk). Emerald Isle Parks & Rec 252-354-6350.
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: emeraldisle-nc.org
📍 Emerald Isle
Playground with restrooms next to the town community center (indoor gym), plus outdoor basketball and tennis courts.
Emerald Isle Parks & Rec 252-354-6350.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Playground hours; age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: emeraldisle-nc.org
📍 Emerald Isle
Ocean fishing pier with a bait and tackle shop, rod rentals, beach gear, restrooms and beach parking. No fishing license needed on the pier.
Beach parking $5 an hour (max $30 a day), April 15-Sept 1. Phone 252-354-2919.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Walk-on (non-fishing) price; when it closes for the 2026 season (the pier's site says it is open 24 hours 'until fall'); age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: bogueinletpier.com
📍 Emerald Isle
41-acre wooded park on Bogue Sound with trails on the NC Birding Trail, a pier and floating dock, a 9-hole disc golf course, a picnic pavilion with grills, and restrooms. Accessible.
Borrow disc golf sets at the Community Center (leave a driver's license as a deposit). Emerald Isle Parks & Rec 252-354-6350.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: emeraldisle-nc.org
📍 Emerald Isle
Public beach access with a picnic pavilion, restrooms, outdoor showers, grills and 167 parking spaces. Accessible; leashed pets allowed.
Lifeguards 10 AM-5:30 PM, April-September. Emerald Isle Parks & Rec 252-354-6350. Parking payment questions: 800-291-6111 (Towne Mobile app or card at the kiosk).
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: emeraldisle-nc.org
📍 Emerald Isle
Playground next to the town's NC Wildlife boat ramp on Bogue Sound, with a picnic shelter and a pier.
Emerald Isle Parks & Rec 252-354-6350.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Restrooms; whether the equipment is inclusive (reported by news and realty sites, not the town); age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: emeraldisle-nc.org
📍 Cape Carteret · Swansboro area
18-hole mini golf with caves and waterfalls, go-karts, the Sky Trail and a driving range, next to Mac Daddy's bowling, arcade and grill.
Phone 252-393-8131 (Golfin' Dolphin), 252-393-6565 (Mac Daddy's).
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Mini golf hours; arcade game prices
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: thegolfindolphin.com
Swipe for 2 photos →
📍 Ocean · Swansboro area
Easy, flat Croatan National Forest walk through longleaf pines past several ponds. Numbered signs match a trail guide; look for sundews, woodpeckers and frogs. Loops from 0.75 to 1.9 miles.
Foot traffic only. Restrooms at the Coastal Federation office across the road, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-5 PM. Wear bright orange in hunting seasons (Oct-Feb and Apr-May). Trail lengths per the Coastal Federation: Green 0.75 mi, Blue 1.75 mi, Orange 1.9 mi.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Stroller access; age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: nccoast.org
📍 Swansboro
Small town park with a nautical-themed playground for younger kids, a picnic shelter and restrooms.
Swansboro Parks & Rec 910-326-2600.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Exact age range; age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: swansboro.recdesk.com
📍 Swansboro
Small downtown park on the White Oak River with a boardwalk, a fishing dock, picnic spots, history signs and restrooms, a short walk from Front Street shops.
Christmas Flotilla Fri Nov 27, 2026, 5-8 PM: lighted boats on the river, and Santa arrives by boat to greet kids at Pugliese Pavilion. Shuttle from the Ward Farm fields. Swansboro Parks & Rec 910-326-2600.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Kayak launch (from the visitor site); age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: swansboro.recdesk.com
📍 Hubert · Swansboro area
41-acre county park with a playground and tot-lot pavilion, a half-mile nature trail with 27 learning stations, a 3/4-mile fitness trail, picnic pavilions, and fields and courts.
Onslow County Parks & Rec.
⚠️ Not yet confirmed: Restrooms; whether hours change by season; age fit
✅ Last checked Oct 23, 2026 · Source: onslowcountync.gov
Playground, story time, splash pad, farm or rainy-day spot in Swansboro & Emerald Isle: tell us and we'll check it out.
Public places only, like parks, libraries, museums and businesses open to everyone. We check every suggestion before it goes on the site, and we never list homes or private property.