North Carolina Reserve

The Zeke's Island Component

Flora (plant life), Fauna (animal life) & Endangered Species Tidal Range & River Flow, Soil Types & Geology

Zeke's Island is located in Brunswick and New Hanover counties, approximately four miles south of Kure Beach. Access is available via U.S. 421, 22 miles south of Wilmington. This component of the North Carolina Reserve is bounded by Federal Point to the north, Smith Island to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Cape Fear River to the west. The lagoon-like complex at the Zeke’s Island site is one of the most unusual areas of the North Carolina coast. There are three main islands within the component of the reserve - Zeke’s Island covering 42 acres of high ground, North Island encompassing 138 upland acres, No Name Island covering about three acres and the beach barrier spit of 64 acres. The islands are fringed with extensive marshes and tidal flats.

Habitat and communities include tidal flats, intertidal (low) salt marshes, supratidal (high) salt marshes, shrub thicket, maritime forest, dune areas, sandy beach and rock jetty.

Watershed
Zeke's Island is part of the lower Cape Fear region, an area whose outstanding estuarine and ocean resources have long-supported an important commercial fishing industry. The Cape Fear estuary drains the largest watershed in North Carolina, containing 27percent of the state's population. The Cape Fear River itself (about 320 km in length) is formed in the Piedmont province by the confluence of the Haw and Deep rivers in Chatham County. It is joined by two tributaries just upstream of Wilmington, the Black River and the Northeast Cape Fear River. The Black River drainage represents about 17percent of the Cape Fear drainage system and the Northeast Cape Fear River about 18percent.

Visiting the Site
Zeke's Island is open year-round, but is accessible only by small boats, canoes and kayaks. It is extremely dangerous to walk on the Civil War era rock jetty due to its poor condition, slippery surface and rough waters.