Oak Island NC
Oak Island is a great place to live or vacation. Some of North Carolina best beach are located on Oak Island. Include are the Carolina beaches of Long Beach, Yaupon Beach, and Caswell Beach. Oak Island is a South Brunswick Barrier Island situated between Bald Head Island North Carolina and Holden Beach. Oak Island is the most populated and largest of the Brunswick County Barrier Islands beach in North Carolina and home to more than 5,000 Oak Island residents.
Oak Island is 12.6 miles long and averages about one mile across. Family activities are present in great abundance. With 50 public beach accesses public boat ramps, canoe and kayak-friendly areas, as well as parks, playgrounds,island oak resort spa, extensive sidewalks, and pedestrian and recreation trails, make Oak Island an ideal haven for the active nature lover by Long Beach parks and recreation. Considered by some to be the best beach in North Carolina Activities include golf, fishing, boating, crabbing, claming, shelling, walking on nature trails or just plain relaxing on the beach. You’ll also find a variety of dining options, shops and accommodations, including Oak Island motels and private Oak Island vacation rentals.
Town of Oak Island North Carolina , Long Beach,
Yaupon Beach , and Caswell Beach.
Oak Island consists of the Town of Oak Island and the Town of Caswell Beach with areas of salt marsh, freshwater wetlands, maritime forests and miles of beach strand. With a complex ecosystem, the island is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life. Loggerhead, Green and Kemp Ridley sea turtles, considered to be some of the island’s most important residents, return annually to lay their eggs. Wind-swept live oaks and yaupon trees, beautiful beaches and nature trails make this a nature lover’s paradise. The southward orientation of these beaches means you can experience both spectacular sunrises and sunsets, right over the ocean.
The history of Oak Island stretches back to 1826 when construction first began on Fort Caswell on what is now Caswell Beach. The Oak Island Lifesaving Station opened and the Oak Island Lighthouse was completed in 1889. Serving to protect and guide sailors around the turbulent waters of the nearby Cape Fear River, the station became home to the first residents of Oak Island.
Throughout the 1800’s Oak Island remained mostly undeveloped and
played host to fox hunters, a sport important to the Island’s early
development. In 1936 the Inter-coastal Waterway was completed, deepening
the Elizabeth River and creating a true “island.” Then in
1936, Earnest D. Middleton purchased land on Oak Island. A timber 
exporter
from Charleston, SC, Middleton began development in an area known as Long
Beach and by 1939, Long Beach was open to the public. Oceanfront lots
were offered for $350 each and the island hosted about 40 small cottages,
a pavilion, dining room and 20 bath houses. On Saturday nights, the town
came alive with orchestras and dancing. But the building boom was short-lived
as shortages during World War II halted construction. After the restrictions
were raised, Long Beach grew to about 300 homes.
Unfortunately, in 1954, disaster struck in the form of Hurricane Hazel, wiping out all but five homes on the island. Residents were forced to take shelter in nearby Southport, but rebuilding began soon thereafter and in 1955 the town was incorporated. E. F. Middleton and developer G.V. Barbee continued development, discovering a safe haven in the woods-side Davis Creek area. Laid out with major roadways running perpendicular to the ocean rather than parallel, the town was considered more of a permanent resident rather than a resort community. Land area: 8.0....Zip code 28465