Things to do nearZekes Island

Zekes Island sits within the Cape Fear coast of Brunswick County, North Carolina, forming part of a barrier island chain that has remained largely free of human development. Its protected status under the National Estuarine Research Reserve system means the land is managed for conservation and low-impact recreation rather than commercial use, preserving habitats that have nearly vanished elsewhere along the Atlantic seaboard.

The island's interior holds a mix of dune ridges, shrub thickets, and tidal creeks that shelter an impressive variety of wildlife. Oystercatchers, terns, pelicans, and egrets are common sights, and loggerhead sea turtles nest on the ocean-facing beach during summer months. The tidal flats on the sound side reward patient observers with fiddler crabs, whelks, and foraging shorebirds probing the mud at low water. Reaching Zekes Island by kayaking across the adjacent waters adds its own sense of adventure to the visit.

Nearby, No Name Island lies less than a kilometer away and shares a similarly wild character, making it easy to explore both in a single outing. For those drawn to North Carolina's barrier island reserves more broadly, Masonboro Island Reserve to the north offers another exceptional stretch of undeveloped coast. Zekes Island is worth the effort precisely because so few places on the East Coast still offer this quality of solitude and ecological richness.