Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach has lifeguards between 10 am and 5 pm from Memorial Day to Labour Day.  In addition to lifeguards, this beach has many other amenities including restrooms, showers, nearby grassy recreational areas, nearby watersports equipment rental facilities, a nearby walking trail, and nearby water fountains.

Dogs on leash are allowed at Wrightsville Beach from October 1 to March 31.  Dogs are prohibited at this beach for the rest of the year.

Wrightsville Beach offers many activities and there are many exciting things to do at Wrightsville Beach including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, swimming, volleyball, surfing, fishing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, biking, paddleboarding, skimboarding, jet-skiing, water-skiing, boating, parasailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching. 

Wrightsville Beach is ideal for all kinds of surfers because the clear water here is known to have gentle and fun surfing waves.  The southern part of this beach is known for occasionally offering excellent waves.  The best season for expert surfers is during autumn and winter because the water here offers powerful waves during this time.  This beach also hosts many surfing competitions. 

The Wrightsville Beach water temperature is warm throughout the year, making it ideal for water activities. 

If you are planning to surf, swim, kayak, or scuba dive here, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves.  Please also note that there are some seasonal surfing and kitesurfing related regulations that visitors need to follow here – you can visit the town of Wrightsville Beach’s official website for more information on the local surfing and kitesurfing regulations. 

If you like fishing, the two piers at this beach – Johnnie Mercer’s Fishing Pier and Crystal Pier – are amazing fishing sites and you can catch many kinds of fish here.  If you like biking, please note that bikes are permitted here at all times between October 1 and April 1.  Between April 1 and October 1, bikes are not allowed between 9 am and 6 pm. 

If you like beachcombing, this beach is a popular site for beachcombing and you can find many kinds of shells here – the best time to beachcomb here is during low Wrightsville Beach tides.  If you want to beachcomb here, you can check the Wrightsville Beach tide chart before visiting this beach so that you arrive during low tide.. If you like taking pictures with amazing views, Wrightsville Beach offers excellent Instagram-worthy views of the Cape Fear shoreline and the Atlantic Ocean, particularly at sunset.

Wrightsville Beach offers multiple wheelchair-friendly access ramps to visitors with disabilities – you can visit the town of Wrightsville Beach’s official website for more information on the exact location of the disabled-friendly access ramps.  This beach also offers beach wheelchairs for visitors with disabilities.  If you want to use a beach wheelchair, you can call the local authorities at (910) 256-7925 for more information.  In addition, there is also a disabled-friendly playground for visitors with disabilities near this beach.

Getting to Wrightsville Beach is easy – this beach is located along Lumina Avenue and it is easily accessible from Causeway Drive, which is a part of United States Route 76.  There are multiple paid parking lots near this beach and some of the lots here are located at 2398 North Lumina Avenue, 650 South Lumina Avenue, and 23 East Salisbury Street.  You can visit Wrightsville Beach’s website for more information regarding the exact locations of the parking lots near the beach.  The parking lots here usually require either a $5 per hour fee or a $25 per day fee between March 1 and October 31 – parking near Wrightsville Beach is free between November and February.  

The beach and the town of Wrightsville Beach are named after a local judge named Joshua G. Wright, who lived nearby in either the late 18th century or the early 19th century.  This beach and the area near it also host many fun events including swimming events and sailboat races.

There are many attractions near Wrightsville Beach.  Wrightsville Beach Museum of History is a museum that offers interesting exhibits on the city of Wrightsville Beach’s history and it also offers interesting artworks.  Wrightsville Beach Park is a recreational park that offers many amenities including multiple basketball courts, a playground, sand volleyball pits, softball field, and tennis courts – this park hosts many fun events including a farmers market, a concert series, and a movie screening.  Airlie Gardens is a 67-acre botanical garden that offers many smaller gardens, a chapel built in 1835, a 500-years old oak tree, lakes, and a seasonal butterfly house – this garden also has walking trails and it also hosts many fun events including a summer concert series, and a winter festival named Enchanted Arlie.  New Hanover County Arboretum is an arboretum that offers many smaller gardens including a Japanese garden, a children’s garden, and a Contemplation Garden that honors the United States military.  The arboretum also has a koi pond, along with seasonal art exhibits.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Jungle Rapids is a water park that has many fun and interesting seasonal water-based rides and it also has many other fun things to do and explore including go-karts, an indoor playground, a laser-tag arena, and a mini golf. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Wrightsville Beach.  Oceanic offers excellent seafood dishes with Southern-style culinary influences including shrimp-and-grits, oysters, and crab cakes – it also serves steaks, pasta, and salad and it offers live music performances.  Brasserie Du Soleil is an upscale French restaurant that serves many amazing dishes for lunch and dinner including boeuf bourguignon, shrimp provencal, escargot, French onion soup, and croque monsieur.  Bluewater Waterfront Grill offers amazing locally inspired coastal cuisine including for lunch and dinner including seafood, pasta, Southern-style dishes, baby back ribs, steaks, and soups.  Tower 7 offers amazing Mexican dishes for lunch and dinner including chile rellenos, tostadas, taquitos, burritos, and enchiladas.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Trolly Stop Hot Dogs is a hot dog stand that offers amazing hot dogs.  Another great nearby restaurant and bar is Wrightsville Beach Brewery that offers a variety of excellent alcoholic beverages, along with a variety of delicious bar foods including pizzas, tacos, salads, pastas, and chicken wings. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Wrightsville Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Hotel Ballast Wilmington,Tapestry Collection by Hilton offers many amenities including a pool, a gym, and multiple restaurants.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Resort Lumina on Wrightsville Beach that offers many amenities including multiple pools, a hot tub, a gym, rental facilities for beach chairs and beach umbrellas, a cocktail lounge, and multiple restaurants.  Another moderately priced hotel is the 3-Star Homewood Suites by Hilton Wilmington/Mayfaire, NC that offers many amenities including a pool, a fitness center, a whirlpool, a putting green, and complimentary breakfast.  The 3-Star Shell Island Resort is another moderately priced hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a bar, a restaurant, a lounge, a gift shop, a sand volleyball court, a fitness room, and rental facilities for beach chairs and umbrellas.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Blockade Runner Beach Resort offers many amenities including a pool, a garden, a fitness center, a restaurant, a bar, a firepit, poolside cabanas, and beach chairs and umbrella rentals.  If you are looking for another modestly-priced and flexible accommodation option, you can rent a vacation rental home near Wrightsville Beach and there are many Wrightsville Beach rentals nearby.