Topsail Island does not have theme parks and nightclub action. What is does have is 26 miles of beachfront on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercontinental Waterway along North Carolina's southeastern coast. Topsail Island is a place with small hotels and seasonal rentals along with a few thousand year-round residents. It is a place to enjoy nature, hiking and water sports.
Topsail Island is one of the lesser-known and least-crowded of the barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. Topsail Island includes three communities: North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach. This area of North Carolina is known as the Treasure Coast because in the 1700s it was home to pirates and some of their treasure has still not been found. Topsail Island is about 2½ hours from Raleigh, North Carolina, and 2 hours from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Two bridges allow access to the island--Route 210 over a high-rise bridge and Route 50 to Surf City.
Topsail Island has moderate temperatures all year long. January, February and December are the coldest months, with high temperatures in the mid- to high-50s and lows in the high-30s. March, April, October and November have high temperatures from the mid-60s to mid-70s with lows from mid-40s to mid-50s. May, June, July, August and September have highs in the mid- to upper-80s and lows from the low-60s to the mid-70s.
North Topsail Beach does not have as many restaurants and attractions as the other two towns. It is primarily a place of year-round and seasonal residents. The town does have a bike and walking trail, a park with picnic grounds, a special area for toddlers and basketball, volleyball and horseshoe courts.
Surf City is in the middle of Topsail Island and is the largest of the three towns and the commercial center of the island. Surf City has a park with a boardwalk and boat launch on the Intercontinental Waterway, scuba diving, tennis courts, playgrounds, bike and nature trails, public and private golf courses, shelling, kayaking, kiting and jet skiing.
Topsail Beach is at the southern part of the island and is the smallest of the three. The town has a family friendly beach environment. No high-rise buildings are allowed, there are more than 1,200 homes, but only 500 year-round residents. Topsail Beach is home to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and the Missiles and More Museum. The town has a boat ramp and an eight-slip marina.
