Behind the Oak Island Recreation Center, a footpath leaves the SE 31st Street crossover and heads west along the Davis Canal. Nobody designed it. In May 1963, residents along Davis Creek paid to have it dredged so they could run boats down the channel. The dredging left an embankment between the canal and the marsh to the south, and over the following decades people and animals wore informal trails into it between 40th and 20th streets. The longest and clearest of those trails now has a name, the Big Bend Trail, and this fall Town Council approved the terms of a state lease for it.
The lease is still being finalized. The planning document says the State Property Office was drawing up the formal lease for Council approval, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's September minutes say lawyers were reviewing the final agreement. Once it is in place, the lease lets the town study the trail. It doesn't open it, and it doesn't commit the town to building anything. The ground is still state-owned, and according to the State Port Pilot's coverage of the September Council meeting, it "has not been officially opened to the public." To see the Davis Canal marsh this fall, use the access points the town already owns. To see how long the official trail might take, look at the kayak launch at the same street end.
The path named for a bend in the canal
Bill Millard, vice chairman of the Oak Island Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, has worked on this for years. The town's planning document calls the larger idea the Davis Canal Nature Trails. It's a proposed 2-mile system on the canal's south embankment, which, in the document's words, was "reclaimed by diverse flora and fauna" after the 1963 dredging. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board endorsed it in March 2023, Council first heard it in May 2023, and the proposal was updated in August 2026.
The plan breaks the system into six named segments:
| Segment | Proposed reach | What it would take |
|---|---|---|
| Big Bend Trail | SE 31st to SE 23rd St, 3,300 ft | Minor clearing, mulch bed, 90-ft raised walkway, observation platform |
| Big Bend Trail Extension | SE 23rd to SE 20th St | Significant clearing, three raised walkways |
| Tideland Walkway | SE 20th to SE 15th St, 1,300 ft | Raised walkway linking the eastern and western trails |
| Three Sisters Trail | SE 9th to SE 15th St, 2,000 ft | Ramp and observation platform on a primitive path |
| Cedar Point Trail | SE 9th to SE 6th St, 900 ft | Similar to Three Sisters, estimated at $5,000 |
| Water Tower Trail | SE 6th St to Middleton Ave | Significant clearing, 90-ft raised walkway, major walkway at Middleton Ave |
Big Bend comes first because the path is already there. In the same document, Millard describes it as the clearest and most widely used of the primitive paths. It also starts next to the Recreation Center parking lot. He explained the choice to Council this way:
"Informal trails created by humans and animals already exist along this embankment. We decided the best course of action was to focus on one of these trails. We chose the most used and discernible of these trails. We call it the 'Big Bend Trail,' and it's named after its prominent bend."
The route follows the 31st Street Crossover path for about 500 feet, then turns west along the marsh. A 90-foot raised walkway over muddy ground would replace the informal wooden planks there now. The western end would be an observation platform near SE 23rd Street that also works as a turnaround. The plan estimates the trail itself at minimal cost: about $50,000 for the raised walkway and $2,000 for the observation platforms.
What the lease covers
The State Property Office presented a 20-year lease to the N.C. Council of State, which approved it on August 4, 2026, at $1 per year. It covers a strip about 40 feet wide and roughly 4,000 feet long, starting at the 31st Street crossover. The first offer was 10 feet wide. The state agreed to widen it at Millard's request so there would be room for viewing platforms.
Millard updated Council on September 8, and the State Port Pilot reported that Council approved the lease terms that month. Council member Terri Cartner, who said she worked with the State Property Office daily, called the 18-month approval "nothing short of miraculous." Millard was careful about what the vote did:
"Agreeing to the state lease does not commit the town to the trail, but it allows us to formally explore the trail's feasibility in all of those assessments."
Council's approval moves the lease into final state approval. The town's planning document lists everything that has to happen before anyone builds a walkway:
- State approval to use the land, completed August 4, 2026
- Environmental impact assessment
- CAMA approval
- Safety and risk assessment
- Construction and maintenance assessment
- Financial assessment
- Community support and engagement
The assessments are expected to be paid for out of trail funding in the town's 2026-2027 budget. Construction money comes later. If the assessments come back favorable, the plan calls for a Trail Capital Campaign that would seek grants along with business and private contributions. Millard told Council that CAMA staff and North Carolina Trails have offered to help find funding. If the pilot works, the next step is to carry the trail west to the 20th Street crossover and make a loop. The idea also has a place in town policy. The strategic plan includes a task to "review the possibility of adding trails along the south side of the Davis Canal."
The kayak launch shows how long marsh projects take
The Tidalwaves Kayak and Canoe Launch sits at the same SE 31st Street crossover, behind the Recreation Center. Replacing it is a much simpler job than building a new trail: one structure, a $32,000 budget, and a new ADA-compliant launch ramp. According to the town's project page, materials arrived in July 2025 and the launch closed in September 2025. Design was 35% complete in December, and the town submitted a CAMA application in March 2026. NCDEQ's Public Access and Waterfront Grant increased its funding in May. By the August 18, 2026 Council meeting, CAMA permits had been received, a consultant was preparing bid documents, and NCDEQ was covering 75% of the cost.
The project page still shows an estimated completion of "Late Summer 2026," and its most recent status entry is from June. The town's Parks and Recreation page still says kayaks can't be rented while the launch is being replaced. The launch has been closed for more than a year, and most of that time went to design and permits rather than construction. The Big Bend Trail hasn't yet started the CAMA review the launch has already finished.
When Recreation Center rentals return, the posted terms are $25 for four hours for residents and $50 for visitors, plus a $50 refundable deposit paid in cash or by check. Rentals are first come, first served, require two staff members on site, and are limited to two hours before or after high tide. Before going, call the Rec Center at (910) 278-5518 to check that staff are available.
Reaching the same marsh from town-owned access
The lease strip is state land, but the marsh it runs along can be seen from several town sites. The town lists three Davis Canal Pedestrian Crossovers along with amenities shared across the sites: a marshlands habitat viewing trail, boardwalk, gazebos, benches, wildlife viewing areas and fishing areas. The town's parks and facilities directory lists:
- SE 9th Street / 9th Place East. Crossover with a floating dock, near the western end of the proposed system. The town also lists a Little Davis Canal dock at 9th Place East.
- SE 20th Street / 19th Place East. Crossover with a floating dock. This is the planned western end of a future Big Bend loop.
- SE 31st Street / 19th Place East. The crossover behind the Recreation Center, where Big Bend would start and Tidalwaves is being rebuilt.
- Heron Lookout Park, 151 SE 40th St. Bench swings, a nature and wildlife viewing area, and a fishing area, east of the Rec Center.
The Recreation Center also has an environmental education trail around the water tower, which an earlier State Port Pilot feature described. The same feature reported a proposal from Parks and Recreation leadership to improve the trail's accessibility. Millard's description of the embankment in that piece still explains why the project exists. He called it "a narrow spine of land and trees" separating the canal from "the rich wetlands of the marsh," home to "an incredible number of diverse species of birds, animals and plants."
Some of those species are on record. eBird has an Oak Island–Davis Canal hotspot, and its 2026 list includes Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Merlin, White-eyed Vireo, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow and Killdeer. A checklist from January 24, 2026, recorded the Hooded Merganser, American Robin and Song Sparrow. Several of those are cold-season birds, so the list covers more than the summer months.
Watch for the next steps at Council meetings and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Big Bend Trail remained an old-business item on the board's October 5 agenda. A signed lease from the state, the environmental assessment and a CAMA filing will each show how far the project has moved. Until then, the town's three crossovers and Heron Lookout Park are the open public access to this stretch of the Davis Canal.
Crystal Austin holds a limited general contractor license and follows projects like the Big Bend walkway and the Tidalwaves rebuild closely, from CAMA review to bid documents. If you own near the east-end crossovers, or are thinking about a home along the Davis Canal, and want to talk through how these marsh-side projects could affect your street end, Crystal Austin offers a confidential conversation. Schedule a Private Consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
