Smith Island has played a significant role in the maritime history of the Cape Fear region. Geographically, the island is situated between the mouth of the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. Made up of a series of high areas and salt marshes, Smith Island is located a short distance below Federal Point on the mainland. The southern extremity of the island is a high area called Bald Head, a name sometimes used to identify the entire island. Its eastern and extreme southern tip is Cape Fear. Beyond the cape, Frying Pan Shoals projects southeasterly for some twenty miles forming a deadly subsurface hazard to shipping. - Beth W Keane, Bald Head Creek Boathouse NRHP Registration, August 1997