The Bear Island ferry follows the seasons more closely than any timetable. In 2026 it opened on April 3 with Friday-to-Sunday boats, went to five days a week in May, ran every thirty minutes from Thursday to Sunday through the summer, and by October was back to three days a week ahead of its winter shutdown. North Carolina's Division of Parks and Recreation runs it from Hammocks Beach State Park near Swansboro, in Onslow County, and describes it as the only ferry service the state parks system operates.
What sits at the far end explains the summer queues. Bear Island is a 4-mile-long barrier island with an undeveloped ocean beach, a bathhouse and beachfront campsites, about 2.5 miles away by water through the marshes; the ride takes around fifteen minutes. Seats cannot be reserved. Tickets are sold on the day of travel, first come, first served, for a named departure, and the park warns that the island fills up.
A season can also disappear altogether. The state suspended the boat in April 2024 for a large water and sewer construction project on the island and only restarted it on May 14, 2025, which is why each year's dates are worth checking afresh rather than assuming.
Friday to Sunday in October, then nothing until spring
October 2–25, 2026: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
| From Hammocks Beach mainland dock | From Bear Island landing |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | 10:00 |
| 10:30 | 11:00 |
| 11:30 | 12:00 |
| 12:30 | 13:00 |
| 13:30 | 14:00 |
| 14:30 | 15:00 |
| 15:30 | 16:00 |
| 16:30 | 17:00 |
2026 ferry schedule (park leaflet updated March 17, 2026) and status of facilities as of October 1, 2026, from NC State Parks; read October 13, 2026 NC State Parks — Hammocks Beach Ferry Schedule · 2026-10-13
Ten dollars return for adults, and even babies need a ticket
Every ticket is a round trip. Passengers aged 13 to 61 pay $10, children from 3 to 12 and seniors from 62 pay $5, and children aged 2 or under ride at no charge, yet each must be issued a ticket.
The visitor center takes Discover, Visa and MasterCard, debit or credit, with identification. The NC State Parks annual pass covers four ferry tickets, but pass holders still have to collect those tickets at the visitor center, and the pass does not reserve a place.
| Adult, 13 to 61 | $ 10 |
| Child, 3 to 12 | $ 5 |
| Senior, 62 and over | $ 5 |
| Child, 2 and under (ticket required) | Free |
2026 fares from NC State Parks, which says they can change without notice; checked October 13, 2026 NC State Parks — Ferry Schedule, fees; 2026 ferry information leaflet · 2026-10-13
From the visitor center dock to the sound side of Bear Island
Hammocks Beach mainland dock
Tickets, the waiting station and the dock are all in the park's mainland area off Hammocks Beach Road, beside the visitor center, which keeps 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours from September to May. Campers bound for the island must check in there before 5 p.m. to get an overnight parking permit.
Bear Island landing
The ferry ties up on the sound side of the island, and the campsites, bathhouse and ocean beach are reached on foot from there, as the park map shows. Private boats get no public docking on Bear Island, and in October the last boat back leaves at 5 p.m.
Marsh channels for 2.5 miles between Swansboro and the ocean beach
The map shows why the trip takes a quarter of an hour even though the island looks close: the boat follows creeks through the marsh behind Bear Inlet, a route the park puts at 2.5 miles, and the open beach stays out of sight until you walk across the island. Paddlers can make their own way on the marked Bear Island paddle trail, 2.7 miles one way, but canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are not allowed aboard the ferry.
Other passenger boats to Southern islands follow other models entirely. At Bald Head Island, farther down the North Carolina coast, a private company regulated as a utility sells the ride with a tram and baggage included, and on Florida's Gulf coast the state park at Caladesi Island is reached by a family-run concession boat.
Getting a seat on one of the last boats of 2026
- Email rather than phone, for now
The park posted on October 13, 2026 that its phone lines were down. Until they are back, questions go to [email protected].
- Come early on a Saturday
Tickets are sold on the day only, each for a particular sailing, and October offers just eight boats in each direction.
- Pets stay on the mainland
Dogs and other pets cannot ride the ferry; owners who want them on the island must bring their own boat.
- Only carts that fold
Wagons must be collapsible, and staff can bar even those when the boat is busy. Strollers and wheelchairs are allowed.
- No lifeguards this late
The island's concession stand has closed for the season and no lifeguards are on duty; restrooms, showers and drinking water at the bathhouse remain open.
- Camping after October 25
Bear Island campsites are reached by the seasonal ferry, canoe, kayak or private boat, so once the last ferry has gone, only the last three remain.
The year the boat did not sail, and how the 2026 season was built
The suspension shows how much the island depends on a single boat. When NC State Parks announced the return on May 1, 2025, it reopened Bear Island's primitive and group campsites for reservations from the same evening as the first sailing, and set the summer pattern that 2026 repeated: hourly early and late in the week, every half hour from Thursday to Sunday and on holidays until Labor Day.
The 2026 leaflet, updated on March 17, laid out the year in stages: weekends from April 3, Wednesday to Sunday in May, the busy summer timetable from May 23 to September 7, Wednesday to Sunday again in September and Friday to Sunday in October. Every sailing is limited by a Coast Guard passenger count, and once the number of people on the island matches what the remaining departures can bring back, the park stops selling trips out.
End-of-season questions about the Bear Island ferry
Which day brings the final sailing of 2026?
Sunday, October 25, 2026. That afternoon, like every October weekend day, the final departure from the mainland is the 4:30 p.m. boat, and the island's final one goes at 5 p.m.
Can I book the Hammocks Beach ferry ahead of time?
No. Tickets go on sale on the day of departure only, first come, first served, and there is no online or advance booking.
What does a Bear Island ticket cost?
$10 round trip for adults aged 13 to 61, $5 for children aged 3 to 12 and for seniors 62 and over, and no charge for children 2 and under, though each must hold a ticket.
Is there any ferry to Bear Island in winter?
No. NC State Parks lists no service in November, December, January, February or March. Sailings resumed for 2026 on April 3; the 2027 dates had not been published by October 13, 2026.
Kayak or dog: will either go on the ferry?
Neither. Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are not carried, and pets are not allowed aboard; both can reach the island only under their own steam or by private boat.
Why was there no ferry in 2024?
The boat was suspended from April 2024 while a major water and sewer construction project was carried out on the island. Service returned on May 14, 2025.
Is the ride from the mainland long?
About 15 minutes for the 2.5-mile trip through the marshes.