About Topsail Island

The town of Topsail Beach is located on the south end of the island, home to some of America's first rocket tests. Missiles were assembled in the "Assembly Building" before being test fired, now home of the Missiles and More Museum.

Those tall white buildings are the missile observation towers used during the first experiments. Some have been converted to homes, some are used for storage, and others are unchanged.

There are some beach motels, a Post Office, a grocery store and gas station, some gift shops, a real nice book store and the town train depot. Well, OK, the town train depot is over at the Beach Shop and Grill, and it's pretty small.

Near there, on the sound side, is the Karen Beasley Turtle Hospital where injured sea turtles are nursed back to health.

Topsail Inlet is on the south end and defines the southern tip of the island. There is a large dune area and wide beach front. You can't drive on this section of the beach, but there are beach access areas within a short walk to the inlet.

New Topsail Inlet is charted, and buoyed, but deserves caution in any kind of weather. A row of townhouses face the inlet, and, once in Banks Channel, there are many boat docks, ramps and at least one marina.