North Carolina is known for its beautiful stunning pristine beaches with sometimes tricky parking. We hope you will find it easier to find free and cheap parking by the best beaches in N.C. with this guide. Whether you are going on a fishing trip with your father, son, or friends or doing a family trip to rent a beach house at the ocean, it’s helpful to know where free parking is.
The beaches we will be writing about in this article are:
- Atlantic Beach
- Kure Beach
- Sunset Beach
- Carolina Beach
- Wrightville Beach
- Ocean Island Beach
- Topsail Island
After reading this article, you will be the expert on all things parking-related near N.C. beaches.
What to Know about Free Parking near the Best Beaches in North Carolina
When parking for free near theBest Beaches in North Carolina, United States, there are certain things to keep in mind:
- Be respectful to residents
- Avoid parking infront of any driveways
- Avoid parking infront of any doors or entrances
- Park close to the kerb to avoid being a hazard to traffic
- Do not double park
- Check the parking signs before leaving your vehicle
Free Parking near Atlantic Beach, NC
If you are visiting Atlantic Beach, NC, you can park anywhere for free for 30 minutes. After that, metered parking is required and available. Residents get 3 hours of free parking. Paid parking runs from May 8 to August 31, but outside of those months, parking is completely free.
Is there free parking at Atlantic Beach, NC? The only free parking near Atlantic Beach, NC is 30-minutes of free parking, available along the perimeter of:
- West Dr.
- Atlantic Blvd.
Cheap Parking at Atlantic Beach, NC
While free parking is extremely limited, there are plenty of cheap parking options available at Atlantic Beach. Parking meters require $3/hr and can be found on the following streets:
- New Bern Ave. Beach Access
- Henderson Blvd. Beach Access
- West Boardwalk CAMA lot
- Circle Point Grass Lot
- Circle Pavilion Paved Lot
- East Dr.
- W Bogue
- E. Terminal
- E Bogue
Free Parking near Kure Beach, NC
Kure Beach, NC, has paid parking enforced from 8 am to 5 pm during certain months of the year. From April 9 to September 30, paid parking is in effect. Outside of those times, parking is completely free! Additionally, customers shopping close to:
- K Avenue
- Fort Fisher Avenue
- Atlantic Avenue
- And in between, you can enjoy 30 minutes of free parking. Otherwise, parking is paid for via the Premium Parking app.
Cheap Parking at Kure Beach, NC
Though free parking is limited, plenty of cheap parking options are available. Kure Beach offers mainly parking services paid through the Premium Parking App.
Is there cheap parking at Kure Beach, NC? Yes, for cheap parking at Kure Beach, look up the following locations:
- I Ave.
- 201 K Ave.
- 118 N. 3rd Ave.
- 121 Atlantic Ave.
- 204 6th Ave.
- 199 N. Third
- 117 7th Ave.
- G Ave.
Free Parking near Sunset Beach, NC
Similar to some other beaches, parking near Sunset Beach is impossible to find for free. An exception is for those who have a hotel stay booked. Of course, that doesn’t qualify as free. For inexpensive parking, read on for our recommendations!
Cheap Parking at Sunset Beach, NC
For easy cheap parking at Sunset Beach, it’s best to park at Sunset Beach Pier. As street parking is limited and enforced, it’s not worth getting a ticket when other parking options are available.
Parking at Sunset Pier costs $10 for an entire day, and if you’re an avid fisherman, it’s included in your price, making it free.
Free Parking near Carolina Beach, NC
Carolina Beach has no free parking available from March 1 to October 31. Parking meters and public parking lots make for primary parking options at this beach. Those who wish to use those methods must use the Park Mobile app. Parking is free to enjoy between October 31 and March 1 near the beach.
Two parking lots that offer 2-hour free parking are:
- 302 Cape Fear Rd.
- C.B. Lake Park
Cheap Parking at Carolina Beach, NC
While free parking is a major challenge to find, there are plenty of cheap parking options, including lots and street parking.
Rates:
Metered Parking $3/hr (max 2 hours)
Lot Parking $5/hr or $20/day
Are there cheap parking lots at Caroline beach, N.C.? The following recommendations are the most inexpensive parking Lots we found at Carolina Beach, they are:
- 1810 Canal Dr.
- 1708 Canal Dr.
- 100 Sand Piper Ln.
- 309 Carolina Beach Ave.
- 218 Canal Dr.
- 110 Carl Winner Dr.
- 209 Canal Dr.
- 107 Woody Hewett Ave.
- 100 Atlanta Ave.
Free Parking near the Wrightville Beach, NC
Unfortunately, free parking near Wrightsville Beach is few and far between. As other popular N.C. beaches explained, free parking exists mainly close to hotels and only for guests. While we don’t recommend it, if you felt you wanted to risk your car getting towed, you could park near hotels. Otherwise, it’s best to utilize the cheap parking options available.
Cheap Parking at Wrightville Beach, NC
Is there cheap parking at Wrightsville Beach, NC? There are plenty of options to park cheaply at Wrightsville Beach, NC, at the following locations for just $5/hr or $25/day:
- South Lumina
- East & West Salisbury Street
- North Lumina
- North Wrightsville Beach
- Jack Parker Boulevard
- Wynn Plaza
- Ocean View
- Moore’s Inlet
Free Parking near Ocean Island Beach, NC
Free parking is practically impossible to find in Ocean Isle Beach; however, if you stay at one of the hotels, you’ll have free parking available.
Cheap Parking by Ocean Isle Beach, NC
For cheap parking, by Ocean Isle Beach, NC, it’s best to park at the pier as there’s direct beach access, great fun for everyone, and a low price tag involved. A day’s worth of parking costs $8, and while you may initially scoff at the need for a day’s worth of parking, Ocean Isle Beach and its pier is a day-long adventure you’ll never forget.
Free Parking on Topsail Island, NC
The town of North Topsail Beach has implemented paid parking in all the Towns car parks on the island. It isn’t so bad knowing that these parking fees go towards the maintenance of the beach. So you could say you’re getting your money back in an environmentally friendly way.
So, Is there any free parking on Topsail Island? You can park in any of the town-controlled parking areas on Topsail Island absolutely free of charge from 5 pm to 9 am 365 days of the year.
Cheap Parking on Topsail Island, NC
While Topsail Island has implemented paid parking, it’s still quite affordable, and there are many options offered. Here is the list of where there is cheap parking on Topsail Island, NC:
- Reeves Street
- Chestnut Street
- 21st Avenue
- 13th Avenue
- Rodney Knowles Park
- Myrtle Drive
- 4030 Island Drive
- Jeffries #1 Lot
- Jeffries #2 Lot
- Town Park S
- Town Park N
- Jenkins
- Bay Court Parallel
- Marina Way Parallel
- North End Lot
Look at the following graph to see a detailed list of all the parking lots and how many parking spaces are available in each parking lot.
| Street Name | # of Parking Spaces Available |
| Reeves St. | 10 |
| Chestnut St. | 20 |
| 21st Ave. | 12 |
| 13th Ave. | 12 |
| Rodney Knowles Park | 14 |
| Myrtle Dr. | 15 |
| 4030 Island Dr. | 150 |
| Jeffries #1 | 80 |
| Jeffries #2 | 217 |
| Town Park S. | 20 |
| Town Park N. | 23 |
| Jenkins | 20 |
| Bay Court Parallel | 12 |
| Marina Way Parallel | 12 |
| North End Lot | 35 |
Save $500 and Follow these Topsail Island Beach Regs
How? You will save $500 by following the below regulations and not getting fined, that’s how.
- No glass is allowed on the beach.
- Fireworks are NOT allowed on the beach!
- Never disturb a sea turtle or nest.
- Items left on the beach after sunset will be removed by the town.
- Don’t feed the wildlife.
- Driving is only allowed on the beach at certain times.
- Open fires are not allowed on the beach
- Stay off the dunes!
- Camping is prohibited.
- Fill the holes
- Dogs must be leashed at all times
- Paid Parking is enforced in certain areas – check the signage
- Umbrellas, canopies and tents are allowed
Well although I did hope to find you more opportunities for free parking spots, I think there is enough to get on with here. That just leaves me to wish you a very happy day on whichever beach in our beloved North Carolina, you descide to visit.
Drive Safe, Keep Safe!
