1980 Map of Kure Beach

About this map

Smith Island and the complex tidal estuaries at the mouth of the Cape Fear River are revealed in stark detail through this 1980 color infrared orthophotograph. The imagery captures the winding hydrology of Muddy Slough and the marshy expanses surrounding Buzzard Bay, highlighting the delicate threshold between the mainland and the Atlantic Ocean. Inland from the coast, a network of drainages including Governors Creek, Walden Creek, and Nancys Creek weave through the low-lying landscape, while Cape Creek and Cedar Creek define the southern reaches near the island. This photographic record, produced by the Geological Survey and the State of North Carolina, emphasizes the natural landforms and water systems of the Cape Fear region before further modern coastal development took hold.