1999 Map of Cape Fear

About this map

Smith Island anchors this coastal survey, where the iconic Bald Head Lighthouse stands watch over the southernmost point of North Carolina. The landscape is defined by the shifting sands and intricate tidal systems of Cape Fear, including the expansive Frying Pan Shoals reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean. Inland, the map reveals a network of saltwater arteries such as Bald Head Creek, Middle Creek, and Deep Creek that carve through the marshes of Cape Island and Bluff Is. While the Bald Head settlement shows established development and a golf course by this era, the eastern coastline remains largely defined by the natural reach of East Beach. This edition provides a clear record of the intersection between human development and the dynamic maritime environment at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.