Consider a Day Trip to Topsail Island, NC – AccessWilmington.com
Looking for day trip ideas from your home base in Wilmington? The following article is part of our series on single day adventures just down the road from Wilmington, North Carolina
Explore Beautiful Topsail Island, NC
Topsail Island is popularly described as being “like most East Coast beaches were fifty years ago,” and with good reason. Located along North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks, this 26-mile barrier island is well known for its beautiful, uncrowded beaches, glittering white sands, picturesque sunsets, fine dining, and many recreational activities. If you are planning on visiting the island, here are three suggestions to get the most out of your trip.
Local Events & Festivals
No matter what time of year you are traveling, Topsail Island has something special to offer for every season. If you’re traveling during the summer months, you won’t want to miss such exciting events as the North Carolina Blueberry Festival, the locally famous Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival in August, or any of the island’s fabulous Fourth of July celebrations that go on all around the area. If you’re planning your trip later in the year, some fascinating Fall events include the Tasting with Topsail Wine and Food Festival, the North Carolina Spot Festival, and October’s Autumn with Topsail Festival, which showcases the region’s best in local seafood, arts and crafts, music, and more.
Nature Adventures
Topsail Island is abundant in natural beauty, and one of the island’s main attractions for experiencing the local ecosystem and its wildlife is the Karen Beasely Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Visitors will meet some of the center’s many species of sea turtle, lean about the conservation and protection of marine life, and have the chance to participate in sensational seasonal nesting events. If you have a family with children, you will also want to check out the educational and adventurous coastline fun offered by Ecological Marine Adventures. Located at 102 Bunker Court, this hands-on learning center will ignite the imaginations of the whole family with such activities as hunting for sharks’ teeth, surfing lessons, nighttime crab hunts, and much more!
Beaches
Perhaps more than anything, Topsail Island is renowned for its pristine, sprawling beaches, acclaimed for being the area’s most unpopulated and accessible all year round. The Island is composed of three beautiful, undisturbed beach towns, including Topsail Beach, Surf City, and North Topsail Beach. Each of these areas delights visitors a unique experience and unlimited opportunities for such activities as sandcastle building, seashell and sand dollar collecting, sunbathing, surfing, and swimming, as well as its own special offerings of local fine dining and shopping, scenery, and sightseeing opportunities.
Topsail Island can be a alternative to other nearby beaches because of its quiet atmosphere, relaxing pace, and more isolated shores, making it a sure choice for those who want to build fond memories and enjoy the ocean.
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