Passenger Ferry Service

 

• Southport/Fort Fisher, NC State Ferry System

North Carolina state-owned ferry service operates on the Cape Fear River to connect the town of Southport in Brunswick County with Fort Fisher in neighboring New Hanover County. Reservations are not available and the crossing takes approximately 30 minutes. The year round schedule is set forth in the table below but note that dates and times are subject to change:

 

Southport	Fort Fisher
YEAR-ROUND DEPARTURES October 2, 2007—March 31, 2008 September 30, 2008 – December 31, 2008
5:30 a.m.	--
--	6:15 a.m.
7:00 a.m.	--
7:45 a.m.	7:45 a.m.
8:30 a.m.	8:30 a.m.
9:15 a.m.	9:15 a.m.
10:00 a.m.*	10:00 a.m.
10:45 a.m.	10:45 a.m.*
11:30 a.m.	11:30 a.m.
12:15* p.m.	12:15 p.m.
1:00 p.m.	1:00 p.m.*
1:45 p.m.	1:45 p.m.
2:30 p.m.	2:30 p.m.
3:15 p.m.	3:15 p.m.
4:00 p.m.	4:00 p.m.
4:45 p.m.	4:45 p.m.
--	5:30 p.m.
6:15 p.m.	--
--	7:00 p.m.
*  Additional runs:  April 1—September 29, 2008

 

The ferry fare schedule for one way is listed below:   Pedestrian                                                            $1.00 Bicycle Rider                                                        $2.00 Motorcycles                                                          $3.00 Vehicle and/or combination less than 20’                 $5.00 Vehicle and/or combination 20’ up to 40’                  $10.00 Vehicle and/or combination over 40’ up to 65’           $15.00

To contact the South Port/Fisher Ferry, call (910) 457-6942 or (800) 368-8969

 

To find out about additional passenger ferry service in North Carolina, visit the website: www.ncferry.org or contact:

North Carolina Department of Transportation
Ferry Division
113 Arendell Street, Room 120
Morehead City, NC 28557-4257
Phone: (252) 726-6446 or (919) 772-6446
1-800-BY-FERRY (1-800-293-3779)

Source: NC 2008 Ferry System Schedule, NC Department of Transportation, Ferry Division, [www.ncferry.org], February 2008.

 

• Bald Head Island Ferry, Indigo Plantation in Southport/Bald Head Island (Brunswick County)
  The ferry departs for Bald Head Island from Indigo Plantation in Southport daily every hour on the hour from 8am to 6 pm except at 12 noon. It returns to the mainland daily every hour on the half hour from 8:30am to 6:30 pm except at 11:30am. The ferry runs later to and from the island from 7pm to 10:30pm, but reservations must be made prior to 6pm. Day trips cost $15 per person, round trip. Children 12 and under $8. Reservations are encouraged. For more information, call (910) 457-5006 or visit website at: www.baldheadisland.com.

• Elwell Ferry, Kelly NC (Bladen County)
  In operation since 1905 and one of three inland river ferries remaining in operation in North Carolina. The Elwell Ferry, operating on the Cape Fear River, is a 2-car cable ferry located in the community of Kelly in southeastern Bladen County. Located on Elwell Ferry Road in Kelly, it crosses the Cape Fear River near Kelly to Carvers along NC Hwy 87. The Elwell Ferry serves as a living reminder of life at the turn of the century. Hours of operation are 5:30 a.m.—6:30 p.m. on a year-round basis except for Christmas Day with operation by a private contractor under the authority of the NC Department of Transportation. The ferry must be closed from time to time due to high water. For information concerning the ferry, contact NCDOT Bladen County Maintenance Engineer’s Office at (910) 862-3396.
  

Source: NC Department of Transportation, Ferry Division (www.ncferry.org) and NCDOT Bladen County Maintenance Engineer’s Office, February 2008.