There’s not much better than a good adventure, and Wilmington and its surrounding areas have a variety of places to explore. But there’s a handful of spots that most people will never be able to get to.
If you’re a fan of exploring, the Wilmington area has plenty of options, from prominent nature reserves to hidden gems scattered throughout.
But there a few places that take it beyond a potential hidden gem. These five spots are either off limits to the general public or require jumping through some serious hoops to get to. They range from exclusive neighborhoods to military installations with no public access.
These are five off-limits places in the Wilmington area that you probably won’t be able to visit.
Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point
Often shortened to MOTSU or just Sunny Point, it’s the largest military terminal in the world. MOTSU is located on 8,636 acres of land between Southport and Boiling Spring Lakes.
So what goes on there?
The motto for the 596th Transportation Brigade — the unit that operates the terminal — might sum it up best: “Delivering firepower.”
According to a page on the U.S. Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, “MOTSU is the Department of Defense’s key Atlantic Coast ammunition shipping point. It provides worldwide trans-shipment of DOD ammunition, explosives, and other dangerous cargo.”
But for such an important military installation, you’ll find that many Wilmington residents don’t know much of anything about Sunny Point — and that’s by design.
Manned guardhouses restrict access, and internal operations inside MOTSU are kept out of the eyes of the general public.
Figure Eight Island
It isn’t the government that restricts access to Figure Eight Island, but if you attempt to drive over the bridge to the island, you’ll come across a guarded gate. Without express permission from a homeowner on the island, you won’t be able to cross.
Figure Eight Island prides itself on its exclusivity. Many of the most expensive homes in the Wilmington area — if not the entire state — are on Figure Eight Island, and various celebrities have supposedly had houses there at some point or another.
But unlike MOTSU, there are some ways to access it. Some of the homes are available for short-term rentals, and if you have a boat, you can simply drive up to the beach — though boat ownership is its own barrier of entry.
Orton Plantation
Orton Plantation wasn’t always off limits. For almost a century, the southern plantation house located near Winnabow was open to the public as a tourist attraction.
The historic home is estimated to have been built around 1725 — prior to the founding of Wilmington — and it operated as a rice plantation for many years. However, the last crop of rice was grown in 1931, according to Clarence Jones, the long-time master gardener.
Since then, it has also had a crucial role in Wilmington’s early film industry.
In 2010, Orton was purchased by billionaire Louis Moore Bacon — a descendent of the original owner, Roger Moore — and has since remained closed to the general public ever since as Bacon has worked to restore the property.
Brunswick Nuclear Plant
The Brunswick Nuclear Plant, located 2 miles north of Southport, has been operating for over 50 years now. It generates enough carbon-free electricity to power a million homes, according to Duke Energy.
Those interested in the plant can visit the Brunswick Energy and Education center, which features exhibits and educational opportunities.
However, full access to the plant isn’t so simple. The nuclear plant has a variety of seen and unseen security features, including: 24-hour armed, highly trained security, physical barriers and electronic surveillance systems. Duke Energy nuclear plant employees are also required to pass background, psychological, drug and alcohol screenings.
Port of Wilmington
Plenty of people go in and out of the Port of Wilmington every day as part of the shipping activities that go on there. So it isn’t exactly off limits — but you do have to jump through some hoops to access it.
According to the port’s website, visitors needed access to the port must request an escort prior to coming, and the escort must notify the security team. The website says that requests for escorts must be filled out at least 8 hours in advance of the visit.
Workers who need to move about unescorted must apply for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), which takes about 60-90 days to process, the website states.
Reporting by Charlie Kingree, Wilmington StarNews / Wilmington StarNews
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
