Looking to spice up your trip along the Ditch this year? One of the things we love about the ICW is how we’re always discovering new stuff. Sometimes we’re in a rush, and sometimes we’re not. And when the weather pins us down, every once in a while, we find a new love for an old port.
Here are some of our favorite side trips to consider during your trip up or down the ICW this year.
9 Alternate Routes and Side Trips on the ICW
The ICW, or Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, is a route of mostly inland, protected waterways that connect Norfolk, Virginia, and Key West, Florida. The adventurous know that it continues onward from South Florida as the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and continues to Brownsville, Texas, but that’s for another day’s article.
Today, I want to talk about some of the best side trips we’ve found to spice up your trip south (or north, whatever). Whether it’s your first time on the ICW or your twentieth, chances are there are still some more things to discover. There are tons of small towns along the way that I bet you haven’t stopped at before, and there are also alternate routes and new adventures to be had if you just know where to look.
So, here’s to departing the dashed line occasionally and enjoying the journey.
Alternate Route: Dismal Swamp Canal
Many travelers are likely familiar with the Dismal Swamp Canal, but many avoid it for the wrong reasons. Every year, we ask the same question and always prefer the Dismal over the regular Virginia Cut. The slow pace, lack of wakes, and plentiful free dock options make for a much more relaxing journey.
Side Trip: Albemarle Loop
The Albemarle Loop is a simple circuit around the edges of North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound. Most boaters dread crossing this sound as it’s the first place where winds in the wrong direction can make for a very lumpy and uncomfortable 15 or 20 miles. But if the weather’s good, the little towns along the shores of the Sound are wonderful cruising in their own rights. Most offer free docks to travelers to entice them to visit their towns. For us, that’s always a great sign of a town that welcomes boaters, whether we take advantage of the town docks or not.
Towns to explore on the Albemarle Loop include:
- Edenton
- Elizabeth City
- Plymouth
- Columbia
- Hertford
- Manteo
- Albemarle Plantation and Mackey’s Marinas
Alternate Route: Outer Banks by way of Manteo and Ocracoke
Another favorite route for us is the trip that departs the ICW in Albemarle Sound and heads towards the Outer Banks. The first stop is in Manteo, and then you proceed along Roanoke Island into Pamlico Sound. Once in the Sound, it’s clear sailing across to rejoin the ICW on the Neuse River, but a night or two (or a whole month) in Ocracoke is well worth your time. Ocracoke is the most remote of the Outer Banks islands, connected only by ferry service to the rest of the state. The island is steeped in history (it was Blackbeard the Pirate’s favorite hangout), and if you listen carefully, the locals still have a hint of their unique dialect, Ocracoke Brogue.
This route bypasses the long, protected stretches along the Alligator-Pungo Canal and the town of Belhaven. It provides more opportunities for opening the sails (if you got ’em) or letting the autopilot do the work. The Sound can be beautiful, but you wouldn’t want to take this route if you have south or southwest winds in the forecast.
Neuse River Side Trip: New Bern, NC
It’s about 22 nautical miles from the ICW in Oriental, NC, up the Neuse River to New Bern. But New Bern is not to be missed: It’s one of those special waterfront towns that makes you want to sign an annual slip lease and never leave.
The New Bern Grand Marina usually has transient slips available, and they’re right in the heart of a beautifully revitalized downtown area. Shops, restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and a wonderful old-time hardware store/gift shop are all right there. Plus, the town is big enough to have Uber and Lyft, with plenty of supermarkets, big box stores, and West Marine a short ride away. It’s the perfect place to tie up for a little boat work and get some of the best Indian food on the East Coast (Bay Leaf Indian Restaurant on Middle Street, if you want to know).
Beaufort/Morehead City Side Trip: Cape Lookout National Seashore
You’ve got to go out the inlet and up the coast about eight miles to get into Lookout Bight at Cape Lookout. But if the weather is right, it’s a wonderful place. It’s one of the best places for nature on the ICW and one of the only places to get your cruising boat up close to a sand-dune-filled, authentic Outer Banks beach.
Cape Fear River Side Trips: Wilmington and Bald Head Island, North Carolina
From Snows Cut on the ICW, it’s about 12 nm up the Cape Fear River to Wilmington. It’s an awesome town with a marina (Port City Marina) within walking distance of shops, restaurants, bars, and everything else.
Bald Head Island is on the river’s inlet, past Southport, on the way to the Atlantic. The little island is car-free and has beautiful, long beaches and vacation homes. The marina is easy to get into and a nice place to walk around and enjoy island life.
Side Trip: Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is a unique Southern city that’s incredibly fun to stroll around. The town’s street grid is filled with parks and green spaces, making it hard to resist walking from one to another and onto another. Add excellent dining options and many choices for staying the night or hanging out late, and Savannah is a favorite stop for travelers by land or sea.
There are two ways to see Savannah: Drive up the Savannah River and dock downtown, or dock along the ICW and get an Uber into town for an evening. Most people pick the latter because the waterfront in Savannah is more commercial, and there’s no good private marina (at this time).
If you want to stay on the ICW, the easiest access is from the marinas around Thunderbolt or the Isle of Hope Marina (which, incidentally, also has rental moorings).
Side Trip: Jacksonville and St. Johns River
Driving up the St Johns River means rubbing shoulders with some shipping ships, but it’s not far until you get downtown. The city has several free dock options along the way, including Sarah Creek, right on the ICW, before you turn down the river. Getting an Uber into town from there is possible, but it’s not cheap and is quite far out of town.
Up the river past downtown, there is a busy marina and anchorage area along the Ortega River. Some nice parks and shopping, including a Publix and West Marine, are within walking distance.
How much farther up the river you want to go depends on your air draft. There’s a fixed 45-foot bridge at Green Cove Springs, but if you can get under that, the river offers some really neat cruising. Many of Florida’s freshwater springs bubble up into the river, and it’s actually navigable to Sanford, a suburb of Greater Orlando.
Key West Side Trip: Dry Tortugas National Park
Florida doesn’t offer many side trips or alternate routes, but if you make it to Key West, you should consider heading out to the Dry Tortugas. Many people think the Florida Keys end in Key West, but they don’t. The highway ends there, but the islands keep going for another 70 miles or so. At the very end, far into the Gulf of Mexico, are the Dry Tortugas.
The Dry Tortugas are home to the incredible Civil War-era brick Fort Jefferson. They’re also home to the clearest water in the country that easily rivals The Bahamas. The entire area is a national park, so brush up on the rules before setting out. Weather is critical if you’re going out there, and there are no provisions or facilities at all on the islands.
If you’re in Key West and don’t want to bother navigating yourself out there, the park service has a fast ferry that goes daily. There are also seaplane trips or private charters with companies like our friends at Casual Monday Charters.
Did we miss your favorite ICW side trips? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll keep the list going.
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