When it comes to trails that lead to abandoned places in North Carolina we are often writing about historical spots deep in the woods of the mountains in the Tar Heel State (like the remains of Rattlesnake Lodge, or the trail to the ghost town of Lost Cove), but this epic hike is along the coast. Further, it leads to what was once speculated to be the second-greatest tourist attraction in North Carolina. Read on to learn how a single WWII bunker could attain such high regard in the minds of tourists and locals alike. Here's the Fort Fisher hermit trail in North Carolina.
The famed WWII bunker is located at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area located at Kure Beach.
It's here at the recreation area that you'll find a 2.2-mile trail (total, out, and back) that leads to a simple WWII bunker. Fort Fisher was an instrumental fixture during the Civil War. Later, during WWII, a series of concrete fortifications was built along the coast in North Carolina and that's likely when the concrete bunker was constructed.
As shown here, the bunker is without a door, and its original use is not clearly defined in any readily available information.
However, the bunker became famous in the 1960s and 70s for an entirely different reason: it became home to one of the most famous people in North Carolina during the era. Here's how it happened:
In 1955, at the age of 62, this man, Robert Harrill (shown here in an undated photo taken outside the bunker), left his unhappy life in Morganton and hitchhiked all the way to the coast.
He took up residence in the bunker, not once, but twice! The first time, local authorities arrested him — and then arranged to have him transported all the way back to Morganton. But Harrill, who would become famously known as 'The Fort Fisher Hermit,' made his way back to Kure Beach and again took up residence within the bunker.
Soon, visitors and locals alike were visiting The Hermit on a regular basis, often posing for photos with the state's famous hermit.
Harrill sustained his life as a hermit by catching his food in the surrounding marshes and waters, as well as tending a small garden he had planted. But he also would willingly pose for photos (for a small fee) with frequent visitors who made the hike all the way out to the WWII bunker just to meet the famous Fort Fisher Hermit.
Learn more about the history of the Fort Fisher Hermit:
In June of 1972, after 17 years of sustaining life in the primitive dwelling, the famous Fort Fisher Hermit was found dead of an apparent heart attack in the bunker that still stands. He was 79 years old.
Have you heard of this WWII bunker at Kure Beach that's famous beyond reason? Have you ever been to the Fort Fisher Hermit Trail in North Carolina? We'd love to know about it in the comments.
Getting to the WWII bunker is a short, round trip hike of only 2.2 miles (bring bug spray!) on the Basin Trail that originates near the visitor center at Fort Fisher Recreation Area in Kure Beach. Check out some of the other great trails in the Fort Fisher Recreation Area on AllTrails. For more excellent hikes, check out some of the best hiking trails in North Carolina.
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