Fodor's Expert Review Southport–Fort Fisher Ferry

If you're approaching the town from Kure Beach and Fort Fisher via U.S. Route 421, the state-operated year-round car ferry provides a 35-minute Cape Fear River ride between Old Federal Point at the tip of the spit and the mainland. Bald Head Island Lighthouse on Bald Head Island is seen en route, as well as the Oak Island Lighthouse and the ruins of Price's Creek Lighthouse—in fact, this is the only point in the United States where you can see three lighthouses at the same time. It's best to arrive early (30 minutes before ferry departure), as it's first come, first served. From April through September the ferry runs 16 times a day each way, with departures from 6:15 am to 7 pm from Fort Fisher and from 5:30 am to 6:15 pm from Southport; the rest of the year it makes the trip about 14 times a day. On weekends, the earliest morning ferry is dropped.