Metal Detecting on North Carolina's Cape Fear & Topsail Island

8 locations · 2 prohibited · 6 allowed

Rules last verified: 2026-09-28 · North Carolina statewide rules

From Topsail Island down to Kure Beach the town beaches are open to detecting under hole rules. On Topsail Island — North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach — attend and fill anything deeper than 12 inches (North Topsail wants it filled 30 minutes before sunset). Wrightsville Beach just asks you to fill every hole. Carolina Beach is the strictest: 12 inches max, toy shovels only, filled by 5 p.m. Kure Beach allows 16 inches, restored before sunset. At the south end, both Fort Fisher sites are closed — the State Recreation Area beach under the state-parks rule and the Historic Site under a ban on even carrying a detector.

Beaches and parks on the Cape Fear

🔴 Fort Fisher State Recreation Area Prohibited · New Hanover County
Metal detectors are not allowed in any state park area except to locate lost personal property when authorized by a Special Use Permit. Fort…
🔴 Fort Fisher State Historic Site Prohibited · New Hanover County
State historic sites rule 07 NCAC 04N .0102(b)(3): on historic-site property no one may, under any circumstances, use or carry a metal detec…
✅ Wrightsville Beach Allowed · New Hanover County
No town ban or permit for metal detecting (the Wrightsville Beach code has no detector provision). Digging: fill every hole, trench or depre…
✅ Carolina Beach Allowed · New Hanover County
No town ban or permit for metal detecting (the Carolina Beach code has no detector provision). Digging (Sec. 28-61): no hole over 12 inches …
✅ Kure Beach Allowed · New Hanover County
No town ban or permit for metal detecting (the Kure Beach code has no detector provision). Digging (Sec. 13.14.020): holes no wider than 5 f…
✅ Topsail Beach Allowed · Pender County
No town ban or permit for metal detecting (the Topsail Beach code has no detector provision). Digging: holes deeper than 12 inches need a re…
✅ Surf City Allowed · Pender / Onslow County
No town ban or permit for metal detecting (the Surf City code has no detector provision). Digging: holes deeper than 12 inches need a respon…
✅ North Topsail Beach Allowed · Onslow County
No town ban or permit for metal detecting (the North Topsail Beach code has no detector provision). Digging: holes deeper than 12 inches nee…

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Other North Carolina regions

Outer Banks · Crystal Coast · Brunswick Islands