Tides & Towns
Crystal Coast · NC

Topsail Island

A 26-mile barrier island where the Navy once tested missiles.

Length
About 26 miles
Towns
North Topsail Beach, Surf City, Topsail Beach
Operation Bumblebee
1946–1948

Then

  1. 1700s

    Legend says pirates hid in the channel behind the island, and the only sign of an ambush was a ship's topsail.

  2. 1946–1948

    The Navy and Johns Hopkins test about 200 ramjet missiles here in Operation Bumblebee. The launch pad is now a motel patio in Topsail Beach.

  3. 1954

    Hurricane Hazel's surge floods the island and washes away most buildings.

  4. 1996

    Hurricane Fran destroys a fishing pier and damages homes in North Topsail Beach.

  5. 2018

    A fixed bridge replaces the old Surf City swing bridge.

Now

Two high-rise bridges, at Surf City and North Topsail Beach, are the only roads onto the island. The Assembly Building and two observation towers from Operation Bumblebee still stand.

The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center watches over the island's nesting beaches. Sneads Ferry and Hampstead sit on the mainland side.

4 tide stations around Topsail Island

Sources