Emerald Isle Woods Park — Attraction in Emerald Isle

This is my absolute favorite little hidden secret on the island. It's never crowded and always beautiful. I love taking my dog on walks, here, as well as walking out onto the dock and looking over the ICW. Definitely a well kept space for locals and tourists alike. If you're visiting the area and want a quiet, well shaded place to take a small, easy-level "hike" this is the place to do it! Pretty spacious parking available, too, as well as a really decent public restroom house with some picnic tables outside (right at the trailhead). You WILL run into deer, here, so be careful during rutting season! And, of course, it is a swampy area on an island with snakes, bugs and birds so be careful in general. Bring your bug spray! Edit: if you're looking through reviews with photos, the cool steps that went directly into the water of the dock are no more. Those were there years ago, but the dock has since been rebuilt (and is very nice!), and now instead has a ramp that goes down onto a...

8-23-25

We come to parks to hike and we like this one for a quick hike. There are several parking lots on the trail (3) with the last one handicap parking or a drop off. We parked at the second one.

We use AllTrails and this helped us navigate. I recommend this. We walked an outer loop of sorts that was about 1.2 miles. The trail itself is deceivingly hilly, mostly shaded with low canopy, well maintained, sandy with a ton of roots, with maybe easy to moderate ability required.

There are several boardwalks and two piers, one with a kayak launch and another opening, perhaps to getting into the sound to wade/swim.

There are views of the Emerald Isle Bridge from the trail piers that are excellent. A few views of houses that are cool as well.

There is disc golf among the trails if this...

Emerald Isle Woods Park – Emerald Isle, NC

I had a wonderful time visiting Emerald Isle Woods Park. The trails are peaceful and shaded, making them perfect for a relaxing walk, and the boardwalk opens up to stunning water views that are worth the trip alone. I really appreciated how clean and well-maintained the park is, including the restrooms, which makes the whole experience more enjoyable.

There’s so much variety here—a 9-hole disc golf course, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and even water access for fishing or launching kayaks. It’s also pet-friendly, which is a big plus. The atmosphere is calm and never overcrowded, making it easy to simply slow down and enjoy nature.

This park is a true gem in Emerald Isle, and I’ll definitely be...