Shallotte's Second Kayak Launch Has Been Built Since Spring. The Paperwork Just Cleared.
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
At the end of Cheers Street, a floating dock runs 60 feet along the Shallotte River. A 60-foot gangway leads down to it, and a 10-by-15-foot launch section sits at the end. That is the Riverwalk's phase two, and it has been open to the public since late 2025.
A short walk away, where Mulberry Branch meets the river, there is a second kayak launch. It was already finished in May. What delayed Price's Landing at Mulberry Park was a construction contract, and that contract was settled on September 23. The park's last steps are now in the hands of Shallotte's own staff, which changes what residents should watch for this fall.
Riverwalk phase two at 145 Wall Street was built by Sea Dog Marine Construction of Oak Island on a $286,000 bid. Before the floating sections went in, crews dredged a slipway for the kayak launch. The gangway was designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. In the parks update in its November 5, 2025 board packet, the Town of Shallotte reported that the "floating dock and kayak launch are now open for public use."
The launch connects to the boardwalk most residents already know. The Shallotte Riverwalk runs about a third of a mile with a gazebo at each end and is open from dawn to dusk.
Its design has drawn comment. At the board's August 4, 2026 meeting, a resident said during public comment that the slope from the floating dock to the water is too steep to safely pull a kayak out. He asked the town to review the design before the new launch opens so the same problem isn't built twice. The "new launch" he meant is the one at Price's Landing. The October 6 agenda listed "Riverside Kayak Launch" under Administration, so the subject has reached the board. Minutes for that meeting had not been posted as of this writing.
Price's Landing covers 12.22 acres in downtown Shallotte. It sits across Mulberry Street from Mulberry Street Park, beside the spot where Mulberry Branch empties into the Shallotte River. The plan calls for a kayak launch, an outdoor classroom, a picnic shelter, a tot lot, a boardwalk, a mobility garden and a water feature. State money got it started. The town received $2.5 million in state grant funds in 2023 and a $500,000 Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant.
Some parts were done well before others. In a May 19, 2026 report, WWAY said a picnic awning had passed inspection and that the kayak launch and children's playground were complete. A large parking lot on the north end of the property was still unfinished. So by spring, the waterside features had been built, and the remaining work was the infrastructure needed to open the site to the public.
The schedule slipped by more than a year. The Brunswick Beacon covered the early stretch, and the town's own reports cover the end:
In WWAY's May report, Mayor Art Dornfeld said, "We want the job completed on the contract terms that we signed." The final numbers appear in Town Manager Mimi Gaither's report dated September 30. The engineering firm McGill drafted a final change order of $163,758.54. That figure includes bathroom locks the town replaced because the installed locks did not meet the contract's timed-locking specification. With $181,000 in liquidated damages added, the remaining balance of $150,223.04 goes to the surety company.
Where the money ended up matters less to a park user than who is doing the work now. Since August, the park's progress has depended on town employees. In the September 1 packet, staff reported they had finished most of the incomplete punch-list items.
The work now is the sort that comes right before an opening. In its October report, Shallotte Parks & Recreation said it had "continued working with staff to prepare Price Landing for its opening, including benches, trash cans, outdoor classroom setup and other finishing touches." It thanked the Maintenance team for helping local organizations install picnic tables. Public Works reported continuing to finish "remaining tasks for Price Landing (installation of fixtures, etc)."
Local civic groups have already contributed. Picnic tables and benches donated by the Kiwanis arrived in fall 2025, and staff began working with the Lions Club on the outdoor classroom at the same time.
The town has not yet announced an opening date or a ribbon cutting. It also has not said which amenities will be available on the first day. The restrooms and the north parking lot are the two to look for in the announcement. The town's meetings page posts minutes after each board session, and the October 20 agenda included a discussion item labeled "Riverfront."
For now, the Riverwalk launch is the downtown way onto the water. Its longest route is now on a published map. In March 2026, North Carolina's Brunswick Islands tourism bureau posted a paddle trail guide with a nearly 7-mile one-way trip from the Riverwalk's "new kayak launch" to the Brick Landing Boat Ramp, across from Ocean Isle Beach.
The guide lays out the route this way:
The guide recommends the route for "at least moderate paddlers due to strong river/inlet currents and frequent interactions with maritime traffic." The tide shapes a round trip more than the distance does:
"Returning to your launch point with the incoming high tide ensures you aren't fighting the strong river current on the way back."
That makes the timing of a downtown paddle depend on the tide chart, and the resident's concern about the steep slope applies at the very end of a trip, when paddlers bring their boats back onto the floating dock. The same tidal river will run past Price's Landing, which gives the town's design review of the "Riverside Kayak Launch" a practical stake for anyone who paddles here.
The launch sits beside the town's busiest gathering space for the rest of the year. Shallotte's Market-Fest page lists two more dates at the Riverwalk. Harvest to Holiday is on November 14, and Kringle is on December 19. Both feature local vendors, handmade goods, live music and a kids' craft corner. In its October report, Parks & Recreation said the first holiday-season market drew about 80 vendors in good weather.
A mid-November Saturday can work for both. Paddle out early, come back in on the rising tide, then walk the third of a mile to the market stalls. Once Price's Landing opens, the confluence will offer a second launch with a playground and picnic shelter beside it, a short walk up from the Riverwalk.
Waterfront homes near downtown Shallotte depend on details like these: which launch is closest, when the town opens it, and what the tide does along the creek. If you're weighing a home on the Shallotte River or within walking distance of the Riverwalk, Hank Troscianiec & Associates can walk the waterfront with you and explain what the town has approved and scheduled near it. Schedule a Free Consultation.
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