People enjoy the Riverwalk in downtown Wilmington, N.C. in 2023. The Riverwalk, which is open year-round, stretches nearly 2 miles along the Cape Fear River from Nunn Street to the Isabel Holmes Bridge. (USA Today via Reuters)
Stretching across historic downtown along the Cape Fear River, the Wilmington Riverwalk was named among the 10 best in the nation by USA TODAY readers.
The iconic Wilmington Riverwalk has once again been named among the best in the country.
The Port City’s famous area was one of 20 finalists in USA TODAY’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards. An expert panel curated the list of nominees, which offer “an experience that combines the serenity of nature with the liveliness of city life.”
Stretching across historic downtown along the Cape Fear River, the Wilmington Riverwalk was named among the 10 best in the nation by USA TODAY readers.
Here are the results.
How did the riverwalk do?
Readers voted it as the No. 7 best in the country. The riverwalk consistently ranks among the top 10, finishing third in 2025. In 2014, Wilmington topped USA TODAY’s list of Best American Riverfronts.
The San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio was the top vote getter in 2026, up from No. 10 in last year’s poll. In addition to restaurants and bars, the Texas attraction has an outdoor amphitheater.
What’s special about it?
With views of the Cape Fear River and the Battleship North Carolina, the area is home to a collection of cafes, bars and shops. The attraction features a variety of monuments and sculptures, including a stone dolphin behind Cape Fear Community College that is only visible at low tide.
The neighborhood is also home to Riverfest, an annual free festival with a street fair, live music and a drone show. The 2026 Riverfest is scheduled for Oct. 3-4, with over 130 vendor booths and a BMX bike show among the planned festivities.
What else made the top 10?
Here are the results of the 10BEST Readers’ Choice poll for Best Riverwalk:
- San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio
- Smale Riverfront Park, Cincinnati
- Waterfront Park, Louisville
- Tampa Riverwalk, Tampa, Florida
- Charles River Esplanade, Boston
- Elkhart Riverwalk, Elkhart, Indiana
- Wilmington Riverwalk
- Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Riverfront Park, Spokane, Washington
- Mississippi Riverwalk, Dubuque, Iowa
Did Wilmington win any other awards?
The riverwalk wasn’t the only Cape Fear attraction to be named among the best in the country by USA TODAY readers.
In the public spaces category of the 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards, the Carolina Beach Boardwalk was voted No. 4 among the nation’s best boardwalks. Wildwoods Boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey took the top spot.
Reporting by Daniel Sheehan, Wilmington StarNews / Wilmington StarNews
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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