Category:Area Information
Lying along North Carolina’s southeastern coast, Topsail Island is a 26-mile barrier island that reaches from 500 to 1,500 feet wide. Located close to one mile offshore, it is approximately 140 miles south of Raleigh, 25 miles north of Wilmington and 28 miles south of Jacksonville.
The Island is accessible by an old-fashioned swing bridge in the center of the isdland and a modern high-rise bridge near the north end of the island. The Island is composed of three towns - North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach.
Topsail Island enjoys a mild climate that makes for ideal year-round weather and relatively warm surface and water temperatures that accommodate most any outdoor activity.
While visiting the Topsail area, you will enjoy some of the most pristine, uncrowded beaches along the east coast. The area boasts some of the best fishing around both inshore and offshore. You will also enjoy some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets found on the North Carolina coast.
History
Topsail Island has a rich and varied history. Local folklore claims the name, Topsail (pronounced Tops’l), originated during the 1700’s when pirate ships roamed the coastal waters. Historians explain that marauding pirates hid their ships in the channel behind the island and waited for passing merchant ships loaded with goods. The pirates would pursue and attack the merchants, claiming the cargoes as their own. Eventually the merchants became aware of this infamous hiding place and began to watch for the tops of the pirates’ sails showing over the rolling dunes - hence the name Topsail Island.
Prior to World War II, the only access to Topsail Island was by boat. Area residents frequently made this short trip and picnicked on the sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Local farmers are said to have driven their livestock across the waterways to graze on wild grass. Treasure hunters searched for Blackbeard’s infamous buried treasure throughout the maritime forests which covered the island.
During the war, the U.S. Navy took over the island and began a joint venture with Johns Hopkins University known as Operation Bumblebee. The waterway was dredged, roads were built, and fresh water was piped onto the island. Operation Bumblebee was the beginning of the space program for the United States Government. An arsenal center for the assembly and storage of rockets was built on the sound side of the island, and launching pads were constructed on the oceanfront.
Concrete observation towers were built throughout the island to monitor the experimental launchings. Over 200 rocket launchings took place on the island between 1946 and 1948. When the testing program was dismantled, the government sold the island to the public. Many of the original military structures are still standing.
