As summer arrives, dog lovers are always
on the lookout for an ocean beach that still welcomes dogs. Fort
Fisher State Recreation Area south of Wilmington, North Carolina
is such a find. Dogs are allowed across Fort Fisher, except in
the swimming areas and the bathing facilities (watch out for
sand spurs though).
The largest earthwork fort in the Confederacy
was constructed here to keep Wilmington open to blockade runners
during the Civil War. Until July 1862, Fort Fisher was little
more than several sand batteries mounting fewer than two dozen
guns. Colonel William Lamb, working on designs created in Russia
for the Crimean War, employed as many as 1,000 men, many of them
slaves, to create one mile of sea defense and one-third of a
mile of land defense.
The Union had long planned an assault on Fort Fisher but did
not feel confident to do so until December 24, 1864. For two
days the sand and earth fortifications absorbed Union shells
and the force withdrew. On January 12 the fort was bombarded
by land and sea and finally capitulated after six hours of fierce
fighting. It was considered the greatest land-sea battle of the
Civil War and helped seal the ultimate fate of the Confederacy.
Most canine hikers will bring their dogs
to Fort Fisher for its seven miles of tail-friendly white sand
beaches. Head south from the Visitor Center and you will discover
nothing but open, dune-backed beach ahead of you. But there are
a couple of fun options here as well. The Basin Trail slips almost
unnoticed from the south end of the parking lot into what appears
to be a maritime forest. You twist through a maze of wax myrtles
for only a few steps, however, before bursting into the open
with nothing but a flat expanse of sand in every direction. Forging
on, you cross a marsh and soon bring your dog to an old World
War II bunker. Further on, your destination is a platform overlooking
The Basin a half-mile away.
In 1955, 62-year old Robert Harrill left behind a wake of failed
jobs and relationships in the Carolina mountains for a life of
solace at the seashore. He came to settle in the old World War
II bunker at Fort Fisher where he would live for 17 years. He
was tabbed the "Fort Fisher Hermit" but he was far
from alone. He welcomed all visitors and more than 100,000 made
the pilgrimmage over the years to listen to his philosophies
of simple life. In 1969 the state of North Carolina called him
the Tarheel State's second largest tourist attraction behind
the battleship North Carolina. Not that Robert Harrill ever lived
truly alone - he often had a dog by his side.
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