Nice early October day at the beach. Bluebird sky's early on for some much needed sun on my body…read more Bit on the breeze side which made the current difficult to try and swim in.

The historic fort is really interesting too. When I was a child I loved going there. The beach is…read morereally nice and there is public parking.

Visiting from New York and was in search of a local beach near Jacksonville. My online research…read morelead me to North Top Sail just under 30 minutes from Jacksonville. I love that we were able to pull up and hop out right on the beach. No long walk distances from Parking like at Jones Beach and Long Beach in New York. This beach was the perfect getaway during the 90 degree evening. This was my first visit to a beach in North Carolina since my mother relocated here from South Carolina. This beach was very clean and comfortable. Very scenic with beautiful beach homes on the sand and lovely green landscape. I also love that it wasn't a long distance drive to paradise. I can imagine during the day the parking lot can fill up quickly due to there being no real lot rather just spaces to park.

I loved coming to North Topsail and looking for shark teeth. I believe my record for 1 day was…read moreabout 75 teeth. The beach is not very commercialized, which I enjoy. The water is cold and rough, and there are sharks... but you're going to have sharks anywhere there is salt water. Just saying. Beautiful sunrises and beautiful sunsets! We even had our engagement photos taken here.

The actual address is 1037 Salter Path Rd…read more A small 15 car parking lot with changing area and outdoor showers. Rather secluded and completely empty when I went there at around 6pm mid August Friday evening. I believe there are 2 areas for a small picnic and grill as well. Make your way up the wooden walkway and in a minute you get to the ocean, beach wide open for you after taking the steps down. There are shells everywhere washed up on shore and tiny little crabs burying into the sand. Only been there once but the waves were rather large that day, not good for kids. Could be different on other days, but were far stronger than at the Pier on emerald Isle.

This beach access is a wonderful spot. There are several picnic tables available, so, even if you…read moreare not going to the beach, it is a nice place to stop by. There is a grove of Live Oak here that are gorgeous. Again - even if you are not going to the beach it is worth it to stop and see the trees. There is plenty of parking here and the services are kept up. The place is kept neat and clean. There are bathrooms here as well. I enjoy the outdoor showers as we can get showered off and clean off our equipment after coming in from the ocean before getting back into the car. The walk to the ocean is a dream across a well built and properly maintained wooden walkway. It cuts directly through myrtle and yaupon stands so you can see inside that incredibly interesting biome. It is a unique and wonderful experience for birdwatchers and artists. The walkway continues to rise above the dunes and the view of how a barrier looks in pristine state is received. Wonderful! The walkway continues down to the beach. There are stairs that lead down to the shore. Though it is difficult getting a wheelchair down there is a small deck at the top where, with umbrellas or other means, the view and breezes could be enjoyed. The beach itself is a great place to visit. The waters are clear. There is no lifeguard here so all caution should be taken. Riptides and occasional sharks occur here. At high tide the two 'shelves' that are close in will be obscured, so be careful. During turtle breeding season there may be nests near this location. I love to observe them even if I am not there during hatching. Shorebirds sometimes abound and porpoises, dolphins and even whales may be seen!

Great pier for fishing right in the middle of Emerald Isle. I personally have never fished off of…read moreit but I do love to walk out on it to take in the peaceful serenity of the ocean. I know quite a few folks that fish off of it a and bring home some great catches. Love that there is a convenience store and a restaurant attached to the pier for convenience​. Great for grabbing some delicious seafood, snacks, souvenirs and other beach essentials for your day on the pier or beach. It even has showers and bathrooms that are nice and clean. All in all a great attraction on Emerald Isle and definitely worth a visit.

I lived in California for many years and now have lived in North Carolina for a few years. I have…read moreNEVER been to a pier that charges for access to it. They can make up whatever story they want, but when you exclude people and have them pay, it is just wrong. Atlantic Beach has a pier if you want to walk and fish off it and it is completely free. Who ever came up with this idea is keeping people from just enjoying a good day out.

Free parking, short walk (with stairs over dunes), and has a bathroom and rinse area. Limited…read moreparking but a great spot to park for your beach day.

Tourisms description - Located on SR 1568, sound side, 4 miles north of North Topsail Beach…read morehigh-rise bridge. Features a ramp and walkway to the ocean, restrooms, showers, and a gravel parking lot for 30 vehicles on about 1 acre. My description - Easy access to a clean beach with fine white sand. Has both handicap parking and is easily handicap or physically challenged accessible. Fun for sun bathing, building sandcastles, strolling the beach , checking out/collecting washed up shells and petrified shark teeth, enjoying the coastal outdoors. I've never been here in the summer during tourist season but treasure my Fall trips to an almost vacant beach.

From the website: "Leisure waterfront park with benches (6),…read moreconcert stage, covered bench swings (2), covered picnic tables (2), parking, piers (8th & 9th Street), and restrooms." I stopped here before heading to work on a nice Spring day. Well maintained, pleasant place to relax for a few moments. Nice monument titled "The Carolina Sounder" and a sundial are two artistic features of the park. I found it to be a nice relaxing place with a lovely view.

A beautiful waterfront area on the sound side of Morehead City. A large grassy area with a few…read morebenches, tables, and a small concert stage area. Definitely walkable to a few waterfront restaurants to grab a bite to eat or bring to the park area for a meal with a view!

This little park was not something that I expected to see in this area but when you think about it,…read morethe idea is very smart and really serves a purpose for both tourists and locals. The below page from AB's website shows that this place is only two years old and that its $1.6 million dollar cost was done as a public/private partnership. I've been to many beaches up & down the east coast and I honestly can't think of an area that has something quite like this. atlanticbeach-nc.com/departments/parks-recreation/ ABTP offers the following: Free live music on Thursday nights from mid-June thru August. Free family friendly movies (with the exception of them showing Jaws last month which was an interesting choice with the shark attack that happened in June at Fort Macon) on Wednesday nights June thru August. Skate Park Splashpad Playground/swingset Basketball Court Minigolf for $5 per person and it's free for ages 6 and under The main building which sells snacks & concessions and has restrooms along with free Wifi. The concession area and the golf are open 10-10 daily and it goes without saying that they are closed along with things like the splashpad seasonally. Compared with beaches in New Jersey or Maryland, Atlantic Beach is very understated in the amenities that it offers but I don't think that is necessarily a detriment. If you want all the bells and whistles it's not that much further to go to Myrtle or head north to KDH or OCMD and you'll find what you're looking for. But if you want quiet and relaxed with a very nice small town "homey" feeling then this is the spot you want. A+

I brought the family down here for the beach. Luckily I found a skatepark tucked in right at…read moreAtlantic Beach. I dropped them off in the sand and headed for the sweet concrete love of a Team Pain park. Ledges, gaps, stairs, and goodies for skaters of all skill levels. I'd definitely come back. If the fam won't skate next time, there's a putt putt course just feet away. It's also right around the corner from Finch's Skate Shop, which I was lucky enough to find while we're here. Kudos to the good folks of Atlantic Beach for giving locals and tourists a solid skate spot.

FAVORITE PLACE HERE. We spent hours finding the most amazing shells. The water is crystal clear and…read morethe wanes aren't bad at all. I would come back in a heart beat.

We had so much fun on Shackleford Island. We saw so many horses, found a lot of cool shells, and…read morethe beach was beautiful. It's about a 30 minute ferry ride from Beaufort. There is a restroom but NO amenities or food available for purchase. Bring everything you need with you. Once we arrived, there was a tour guide but it wasn't much of a tour. She walked us to the other side of the island to show us two horses on the beach and then walked all the way back to where we started to show us where to find the best shells. Her "tour" lasted about 30 minutes. We did most of the exploring on our own and that's when we found the majority of the horses. As long as you aren't looking for a super guided tour, this is a great day trip!