If you’ve been to Wrightsville Beach on a sunny weekend, then you know the island becomes jam-packed under those conditions -- especially in the summer months. Often, the crowds mean that finding a parking place is a chore and, during the busiest times of the year, a time-consuming one.
If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated trying to find a spot to park on Wrightsville Beach, then you’re not alone. One area of the island in particular has earned a reputation as one of the most infuriating places to park in all of North Carolina.
Law firm Munley Law asked thousands of drivers where they've encountered the most infuriating parking experiences during a summer vacation.
The survey found that Wrightsville Beach’s parking on South Lumina Avenue was
the most stressful in North Carolina.
The most stressful place to park in North Carolina
The survey asked respondents to identify vacation destinations where they’d encountered stressful parking experiences such as overcrowded lots, impatient and reckless drivers, space stealing, and near-misses.
South Lumina Avenue, which runs from Wrightsville Beach’s Causeway Drive Bridge to the southern tip of the island, emerged as the most frustrating place to park in North Carolina. There are a couple of factors that might contribute to that reputation.
For one, Wrightsville Beach enforces paid parking rates across the island. If you're already having a hard time parking, then having to pay might just feel like salt in the wound. The town generally charges $5 per hour for street parking and $6 per hour for lot parking -- South Lumina Avenue has both.
Another element that could complicate parking on South Lumina Avenue is the pedestrian traffic. Around a dozen beach accesses are located off South Lumina, which means people lugging beach gear are often stopping traffic to cross the road.
Other frustrating places to park
If the hassle of finding a spot has ever stopped you from going to the beach entirely, you wouldn’t be alone. The survey found that 59% of North Carolinians said they’ve avoided a summer destination because the parking was too stressful.
Alongside South Lumina Avenue, the survey also named the Seaforth Access at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area as one of the state’s most infuriating places to park.
Charlie Kingree is the trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: This Wrightsville Beach road is NC's most stressful for summer parking
