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Boat Ramps in North Carolina

Discover 410 public boat launches, ramps, and marina access points throughout North Carolina. Find the perfect launch site for your next boating adventure.

410
Total Boat Ramps
Brunswick County
13 ramps - Most in County
100
Counties Covered

North Carolina Boating - Sounds, Piedmont & Mountains

North Carolina's boating divides naturally between the mountains, the piedmont lakes, and the coast, and all three are worth understanding separately.
The coast is the one that gets the most attention nationally, and for good reason. The Outer Banks create a unique boating environment where the sounds behind the barrier islands, Pamlico, Albemarle, Core, and Bogue, offer hundreds of square miles of protected shallow water, and the inlets provide access to the open Atlantic. Pamlico Sound is the largest lagoon on the East Coast and can generate serious wave conditions in strong wind despite being a sound rather than open ocean. Don't underestimate it.
The Cape Fear River and the Intracoastal Waterway running through the Wilmington area provides access for transient cruisers and local recreational boaters. The ICW through North Carolina is popular with the snowbird cruising crowd moving between the Northeast and Florida in spring and fall.
The piedmont lake system, Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, Kerr Reservoir, Badin Lake, and others, serves the Triangle and Charlotte metro populations with good reservoir boating. Kerr Reservoir on the Virginia border is one of the largest in the region and has solid ramp infrastructure with excellent striper fishing.
Western North Carolina's mountain lakes, Fontana, Nantahala, and Hiwassee, are managed by TVA and the Forest Service and have ramp access, though Fontana in particular is large enough and remote enough to demand self-sufficiency.
NC Wildlife Resources Commission manages the majority of public boat access sites statewide, and most are free to use with a valid registration.

Complete Guide to Boating in North Carolina

Discover the best boat ramps, popular water bodies, boating regulations, and essential information for North Carolina.

Read the Full Guide →

Featured Boat Ramps in North Carolina

Browse by County

Brunswick County

13 ramps

Jackson County

12 ramps

Craven County

12 ramps

Carteret County

12 ramps

Chatham County

11 ramps

Dare County

10 ramps

Onslow County

10 ramps

New Hanover County

10 ramps

Vance County

10 ramps

Bladen County

9 ramps

Wilkes

9 ramps

Beaufort County

8 ramps

Montgomery County

8 ramps

Cherokee County

8 ramps

Swain County

8 ramps

Carteret

8 ramps

Currituck County

7 ramps

Iredell County

6 ramps

Mecklenburg County

6 ramps

Hyde County

6 ramps

Wake County

6 ramps

Stanly County

6 ramps

Montgomery

6 ramps

Halifax County

5 ramps

Davidson County

5 ramps

Gaston County

5 ramps

Pasquotank County

5 ramps

Perquimans County

5 ramps

Wayne County

5 ramps

Pender County

5 ramps

Hertford County

5 ramps

Wilkes County

5 ramps

Graham

5 ramps

Pitt County

4 ramps

Warren County

4 ramps

Durham County

4 ramps

Richmond County

4 ramps

Caldwell County

4 ramps

Burke County

4 ramps

Graham County

4 ramps

Macon County

4 ramps

Tyrrell County

4 ramps

Washington County

4 ramps

Chowan County

4 ramps

Pamlico County

4 ramps

Robeson County

4 ramps

Edgecombe County

4 ramps

Martin County

3 ramps

Northampton County

3 ramps

Davie County

3 ramps

Lincoln County

3 ramps

Catawba County

3 ramps

Clay County

3 ramps

Jones County

3 ramps

Duplin County

3 ramps

Bertie County

3 ramps

Cumberland County

3 ramps

Rockingham County

3 ramps

Person County

3 ramps

Gates County

3 ramps

Rowan County

3 ramps

Nash County

3 ramps

Yadkin County

3 ramps

Dare

3 ramps

Alexander County

2 ramps

McDowell County

2 ramps

Camden County

2 ramps

Johnston County

2 ramps

Greene County

2 ramps

Columbus County

2 ramps

Caswell County

2 ramps

Anson County

2 ramps

Henderson County

2 ramps

Rutherford County

2 ramps

Scotland County

2 ramps

Granville County

2 ramps

Macon

2 ramps

Watauga

2 ramps

Hyde

2 ramps

Swain

2 ramps

Harnett County

1 ramp

Hoke County

1 ramp

Sampson County

1 ramp

Stokes County

1 ramp

Forsyth County

1 ramp

Polk County

1 ramp

Surry County

1 ramp

Lenoir County

1 ramp

Transylvania County

1 ramp

Buncombe County

1 ramp

Guilford County

1 ramp

Alamance County

1 ramp

Transylvania

1 ramp

Jackson

1 ramp

Clay

1 ramp

Amherst

1 ramp

Onslow

1 ramp

Madison

1 ramp

Craven

1 ramp

Jones

1 ramp

About Boating in North Carolina

North Carolina offers excellent boating opportunities with 410 boat ramps across the state. Whether you're looking to launch on lakes, rivers, or coastal waters, our directory helps you find the perfect access point for your watercraft.

Finding the Right Boat Ramp

When selecting a boat ramp in North Carolina, consider these factors:

  • Number of launch lanes to avoid congestion during peak times
  • Parking availability for vehicles and boat trailers
  • Launch fees - many public ramps are free to use
  • Ramp surface condition (concrete, asphalt, or gravel)
  • Hours of operation and seasonal accessibility
  • Nearby amenities like restrooms, fish cleaning stations, and bait shops

Explore All Ramps Below

Browse our complete directory of boat ramps in North Carolina below. Use the filters to narrow your search by county or specific features you need.

Sans Souci Ferry

Provides access to Cashie River. Located in Sans Souci, NC. Public access.

Sawyers Creek

Provides access to Sawyer'S Creek. Located in Camden, NC. Public access.

Rose Bay

Provides access to Unnamed Canal (Rose Bay). Located in Hyde County. Public access.

Perquimans

Provides access to Perquimans River. Located in New Hope, NC. Public access.

Plymouth

Provides access to Roanoke River. Located in Plymouth, NC. Public access.

Brumley Road

Provides access to Knotts Island Bay. Located in Knotts Island, NC. Public access.

Cannons Ferry

Provides access to Chowan River. Located in Cannon Ferry, NC. Public access.

Pinnacle

Provides access to Catawba River – Lake Norman. Located in Iredell County. Public access.

Cool Springs

Provides access to Swift Creek. Located in Askin, NC. Public access.

Hydeland Canal

Provides access to Hydeland Canal. Located in Hydeland, NC. Public access.

Big Flatty

Provides access to Big Flatty Creek. Located in Pasquotank County. Public access.

Oxford

Provides access to Catawba River – Lake Hickory. Located in Taylorsville Beach, NC. Public access.

Lemmons Branch

Provides access to Little Tennessee River (Fontana Lake). Located in Swain County. Public access.

Bear Creek

Provides access to Tuckasegee River (Bear Creek Lake). Located in Jackson County. Public access.

Great Lake

Provides access to Hunters Creek (Great Lake). Located in Craven County. Public access.

Hancock Creek

Provides access to Hancock Creek. Located in Craven County. Public access.

Haywood Landing

Provides access to White Oak River. Located in Jones County. Public access.

Trenton

Provides access to Trent River. Located in Jones County. Public access.

Sharon

Provides access to Catawba River (Lookout Shoals Lake). Located in Statesville, NC. Public access.

Lookout Shoals

Provides access to Catawba River (Lookout Shoals Lake). Located in Sunrise Beach, NC. Public access.

Straits Landing

Provides access to The Straits. Located in Carteret County. Public access.

Shell Rock Landing

Provides access to Unnamed Canal (Intracoastal Waterway). Located in Bear Creek, NC. Public access.

Slocum Creek

Provides access to Southwest Prong Slocum Creek. Located in Havelock, NC. Public access.

Oyster Creek

Provides access to Core Sound. Located in Carteret County. Public access.

Willis Landing

Provides access to Bear Creek. Located in Onslow County. Public access.

Cedar Island

Provides access to Pamlico Sound. Located in Carteret County. Public access.

Salters Creek

Provides access to Salters Creek. Located in Carteret County. Public access.

Morehead City

Provides access to Bogue Sound (Intracoastal Waterway). Located in Morehead City, NC. Public access.

Newport

Provides access to Unnamed Canal (Newport River). Located in Newport, NC. Public access.

Pollocksville

Provides access to Trent River. Located in Pollocksville, NC. Public access.

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