Surf City, Topsail Beach & North Topsail Beach
Topsail Island, NC, folklore claims the name, Topsail (pronounced Top'sul), dates back the the 1700s when the area was home to Blackbeard and his marauding gang. Pirates often hid their ships behind this thin ribbon of island to ambush passing merchant ships loaded with goods. Eventually merchants caught on and began watching for the tops of the pirates' sails peeking over the the live oak trees—hence the name, Topsail Island.
Today, Topsail Island is a popular vacation destination. Water enthusiasts can surf, sail, fish, kayak and swim. Land lovers have access to a number of great golf courses located just off the island or they can tour the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and see a variety of endangered sea turtles, or learn about Topsail's past as a former government rocket launch testing site at the Missiles and More Museum.
With the tremendous variety of vacation rental houses and condominiums available on the island, vacationers can choose a palatial ten-bedroom oceanfront house with a pool or a cozy and affordable beach cottage. Accommodations are available oceanfront, ocean-view, sound-side or on a canal, but since the island is just a thin strip of land, all are within walking distance to the ocean.
Topsail Island is a 26-mile-long barrier island located approximately 45 minutes north of Wilmington, NC. Two bridges allow access to the island, a swing bridge in Surf City and a high-rise bridge that connects mainland's Sneads Ferry, NC to North Topsail Beach, NC. Topsail Island hosts three distinct towns. On the northernmost end of the island is North Topsail Beach where visitors will find a peaceful beach, a variety of rental cottages and a few high-rise condominiums complexes. Surf City, in the geographic center of the island, is the island's commercial hub with many shops and restaurants. At the southern end of the island is Topsail Beach which has a downtown area with shops and restaurants.
This InsiderInfo™ Guide to the Topsail Island communities of Surf City, Topsail Beach and North Topsail Beach is the area's most complete source of information for travelers and newcomers alike. On this site visitors can find information about attractions, activities, restaurants, vacation rentals and much more. Fresh content, locally grown!
