 Masonboro Island as seen from the mainland | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Masonboro Township / Federal Point Township, New Hanover County |
| Coordinates | 34°07′32″N 77°51′29″W / 34.12556°N 77.85806°W |
| Area | 0.721 km2 (0.278 sq mi) |
| Highest point | [1] |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State | North Carolina |
Masonboro Island is a barrier island in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The island, which is undeveloped and accessible only by boat, is a component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve and a North Carolina State Natural Area.[1][2] It lies south of Wrightsville Beach, separated by Masonboro Inlet, and north of Carolina Beach, separated by Carolina Beach Inlet. The island is a destination for boating, surfing, and camping.
Masonboro Island is a mix of marshes, dunes and tidal flats, with beaches along its Atlantic coastline and a chain of small hills and wetland islands along Masonboro Sound, which is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The beaches are a nesting ground for loggerheads and green sea turtles, and the waters on the sound side of the island are a nursery for spot, mullet, flounder and pompano.[3]
