Little River Inlet intersects the AICW, immediately south of the North Carolina – South Carolina state line. In fair weather, I've always found this inlet to be reasonably easy to navigate, but the easily run inlet (at least for 100% of the time) has yet to be invented.
The discussion below was copied from the AGLCA list.

Little River Inlet at the State Line between SC and NC is fine, but not in Skipper Bob.  It's well marked and carries 12' – 15' feet the entire way.  The one area where it shallows is where it meets the ICW; stay in the middle until you get into the ICW channel.  The casino boats use the inlet every day out of Myrtle Beach.
We use Little River often, weather permitting.  It's just 25 NM to Cape Fear, and it's an easy, straight run.  No need to go miles offshore to clear shoals.  The advantage has been to avoid Shallotte's
Inlet, Lockwoods Folley and the Poontoon Bridge.  So it's a 3fer…
We're a 7.3 kt boat, and we frequently hear boats on the ICW – ahead of us at Little River – behind us at Southport, and vice versa.  So if the wind is 15 – 20 kts, we go outside between Cape Fear and Little River.
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary

You can comfortably add the Llttle River inlet  on the North/South Carolina border as a safe daytime entrance.   This excellent inlet, about 30 miles west of Cape Fear, is used daily by two large gambling boats and by several big fishing "head boats" and some shrimpers. Better yet, less than a mile inside  and just across the ICW is a frequently used anchorage on the NC side of the channel.  It is pretty exposed to wakes, but most of the head boats will slow for you if you are well lit,
This is not a well lit entrance or inside channel, so , while it can be done in the dark, I don't recommend it for a first time entry.
Conversely, if you come north on the inside , you can avoid a slow 30 miles from Little River to Southport, including the often shoaly Lockwood's Folly and Shallotte sections, and the once-an hour Sunset Beach pontoon bridge by going out Little River and back in at Cape Fear.  No off shore obstructions, so you can basically run the beach almost all the way…
Olrick

Little River SC inlet is very easy to navigate. It is well marked and right on the SC/NC border, after entering inlet go just south 2 miles, on the ICW and you have numerous choices of overnight very nice marinas,
John M. Beaver