Public access to water is easy
Municipalities of Southport-Oak
Island and the State of North
Carolina have teamed to provide
outstanding public access to area
waters.
Long ago, this state became a pro
ponent of public access to water
ways for recreational purposes.
North Carolina has been a leader in
providing financial assistance to
local governments in their own
quests to provide recreational
waterfront access.
Chief among the beneficiaries of
state grants for public waterway
access has been the Town of Long
Beach. In the.early 1980s, Long
Beach became a champion of public
beach access when the town actual
ly bought back all street-ends termi
nating at the Atlantic Ocean and on
the Intracoastal Waterway.
Today, every oceanfront street-end
is a public access area. Most public .
oceanfront access areas feature lim
ited parking facilities, refuse dispos
al containers and dime crosswalks
for the protection of frontal sand
dunes.
A specially designed oceanfront
access at 57th Place West has been
built to afford access to the handi
capped. The area provides wheel
chair access to the beachfront and a
beach platform.
On the Intracoastal Waterway side
of the island, Long Beach provides
access to that body of water at sev
eral points. All street-ends are pub
licly owned and community parks
have been built at the ends of 52nd
Street East, 21st Street West and 30th
Street West.
Malcolm Register Park at 52nd
Street East and Robin Schuster Park
at 30th Street West also feature pub
lic fishing tees, built with grants
from the state's Division of Marine
Fisheries. Register Park is set to
undergo major expansion this year
and more amenities, which now
include a covered picnic area, char
coal grills and benches, are expect
ed.
Schuster Park features a covered
picnic area, charcoal grills and chil
dren's playground equipment. 21st
Street Community Park is also
equipped to handle a family picnic.
Boating access to the Intracoastal
Waterway in Long Beach is provid
ed tree at public boat launch ramps
on the north end of 54th Street East
and at Blue Water Point Marina at
the north end of 57th Place West.
Access has also been provided at
several points along Davis Canal,
the third body of public water in
Long Beach. The town's Scenic
Walkway between 20th Street SE
and 19th Place East is a pedestrian
link from the wooded area of town
to the beachfront, across the Davis
Canal marsh. A second walkway
across the Davis Canal marsh at
32nd Street SE is under construc
tion.
A canoe trail on the Davis Canal is
accessible by a public canoe launch
area at 31st Street SE, next to the
Long Beach Recreation Center.
Neighboring Yaupon Beach has
provided oceanfront access at each
of its seven publicly owned street
ends. This year, the town completed
a new public park with a breathtak
ing view of the Elizabeth River
marsh at the north end of Barbee
Boulevard. This is an outstanding
picnic spot and good place to relax.
One of the best views on Oak Island
can be found from the Barbee park.
Caswell Beach affords public
access to the beachfront from a
parking area located across Caswell
Beach Road from the Carolina
Power and Light Co. pump station.
Southport has done an outstand
ing job of making the Cape Fear
River the focal point of the city and
of providing public access to it.
Riverwalk was completed several
years ago. About a half-mile in
length, Riverwalk begins downtown
and travels around and through the
city's historic Old Yacht Basin to its
newer Small Boat Harbor, home of
Southport Marina. Riverwalk termi
nates in a grand observation deck
located in the Intracoastal Waterway 1
marsh.
Of course, the public is invited to
fish free of charge for the Southport
city pier, right next to Waterfront
Park, one of the best spots in town
for picnicking or just feeding the
seagulls.
mmmm
Canoe trails in Long Beach
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