Masonboro Island

Masonboro Island
Masonboro Island as seen from the mainland
Map
Geography
LocationMasonboro Township /
Federal Point Township,
New Hanover County
Coordinates34°07′32″N 77°51′29″W / 34.12556°N 77.85806°W / 34.12556; -77.85806
Area0.721 km2 (0.278 sq mi)
Highest point
[1]
Administration
United States
StateNorth Carolina

Masonboro Island is a barrier island in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The island, which is undeveloped and accessible only by boat, is a component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve and a North Carolina State Natural Area.[1][2] It lies south of Wrightsville Beach, separated by Masonboro Inlet, and north of Carolina Beach, separated by Carolina Beach Inlet. The island is a destination for boating, surfing, and camping.

Masonboro Island is a mix of marshes, dunes and tidal flats, with beaches along its Atlantic coastline and a chain of small hills and wetland islands along Masonboro Sound, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The beaches are a nesting ground for loggerheads and green sea turtles, and the waters on the sound side of the island are a nursery for spot, mullet, flounder and pompano.[3]

  1. ^ a b MPA Global
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ParkSize was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ NC Coastal Reserve Archived 2010-01-04 at the Wayback Machine