Just across the water from Bald Head Island and Southport is Oak Island, a narrow strip of land that includes Caswell Beach and the Town of Oak Island.
Caswell Beach is the site of Fort Caswell, a military stronghold that dates from 1827. Located on the eastern tip of the island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, Fort Caswell is now owned by the North Carolina Baptist Assembly, which welcomes visitors of all denominations each year. The community has some summer homes, but the area has mostly permanent residences. The year-round population is nearly 500, but up to 3,500 people can be staying on this part of Oak Island in the summer. You will find a golf club, which is open to the public year round. There is no business district on this portion of the island but it is convenient to the Town of Oak Island and Southport on the mainland.
The US Coast Guard station, in operation at this site since the 1930s, is located in Caswell Beach as well. Be sure to visit the Oak Island Lighthouse, which guided seafarers beginning in 1958. In 2003 it was formally declared surplus by the General Services Administration of the U.S. Government and was deeded to the town. Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse (FOIL) has been formed with the purpose of preserving and caring for the lighthouse and the 5 acres of beach-front property that was deeded along with it (see our Volunteer Opportunities chapter). This organization provides tours of the historic structure on a regular basis during the season and by reservation during the rest of the year.
As the name implies, the Town of Oak Island is famous for its beautiful live oak trees. An unusual feature is the east to west positioning of the island which means the 10 miles of beaches face south. On the north side of the island, separating it from the mainland, you will find the Intracoastal Waterway. A third water feature is Davis Creek, which wends its way through the island.
Recreational opportunities include a golf course on the mainland portion of the town, 65 beach-access points, three public parks, a skate park, a recreation center, tennis courts, miniature golf and two fishing piers, as well as opportunities for surf fishing. There are a number of motels, and the business district now includes a Food Lion grocery store along with the many small shops and restaurants. Though Oak Island is being discovered along with Southport (with a year-round population of nearly 9,000 in the Town of Oak Island ), it still offers a quiet respite for a peaceful vacation. For the most part, a visitor will enjoy renting a house for an extended vacation. In fact, vacation rental is the liveliest business here, with more than a dozen vacation rental companies operating on Oak Island (see our Vacation Rentals chapter). Recent growth in the area has led to the development of additional condominium units, but they remain in the minority as far as housing units go.
In recent years the town expanded its limits to include the commercial district along N.C. 133 approaching the Oak Island Bridge. In the spring of 2008, the town floated a proposal to expand its mainland limits farther to the intersection of N.C. 211 as well as to encompass the Oakwood Glen development on Airport Road. At this writing the proposal is still under consideration. In October of 2008, the town also purchased the former Yaupon Beach Pier. Plans for the use of the pier are under consideration, however, grant restrictions require the town, though allowed to lease the pier, to retain ownership. They also require the town to maintain it for public recreation use for at least 25 years and to dedicate the land as a recreation site in perpetuity. Another new development is a second bridge to Oak Island, which is under construction at Middleton Avenue from which a connecting road will intersect with N.C. 211 at Midway Road in Bolivia.
