Bald Head Island, which is part of Smith Island, got its nickname from the dunes on the south beach. The dunes, along the island, eventually became worn down and resembled a bald head. It was decided to place a lighthouse on Bald Head Island to guide ships through the channels and sandbars of the Cape Fear River.

An interesting and defining fact about Bald Head Island, North Carolina, is that it is a car-free community where the primary modes of transportation are golf carts, bicycles, and your own two feet. There are no "personal" cars allowed on the island, and the only way to reach this secluded paradise is via a 20-minute passenger ferry from Southport. This creates a uniquely quiet, slow-paced atmosphere where the 18 mph speed limit is strictly enforced. Furthermore, the island is home to "Old Baldy," which is North Carolina's oldest standing lighthouse, commissioned by Thomas Jefferson and completed in 1817. The island also serves as a critical nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles; during "Turtle Season" (May–November), the community follows strict light-pollution rules and leash laws to protect the hatchlings. This commitment to a "sub-tropical" and eco-friendly lifestyle makes it one of the most distinctive barrier islands on the East Coast, where nature and human life exist in a carefully managed, quiet harmony.