Plenty of parking and free when it's off-season. Very clean indoor restrooms with one changing…read moreroom. Sheltered picnic area with grills available. Send volleyball, lots of beach during low tide. Trucks drive through the beach, but they have permits. We had a great experience there. People were very polite and respectful. We didn't hear any loud music or smell any cigarette smoke. There is a small wooden platform with an ocean view if you don't want to go into the sand.

Can't say enough how I love this beach. It has all the things that the OBX does but is way more…read moreintimate and less crowded. The town has been systematically replacing old worn out decking and railing boards with Trex-like boarding and railing which really dresses the walkway up a lot and cuts down on how hot the path gets. Kudos to Emerald Isle for their beach access cleanliness and attractiveness.

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!

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.

A-mazing! We went out last week for the 7 hour trip with Captain Jess and even though the weather…read morewas not cooperating everyone in our group of six has been raving about it since. The entire day was a flexible adventure based on our interests. Captain Jess was waiting for us at the dock with a hands-on lesson about the very local marine life (he collected everything from under the dock we were sitting on). He helped us get settled into the boat with all of our belongings, lunch and drinks, reviewed the safety rules and we were off! We had two 13 year old girls with us so the wild horses were a must. We also caught a fish, collected beautiful seashells, learned how to find clams (we took home a few dozen for dinner), tried our hands at cast netting, checked out the Cape Lookout lighthouse, and learned the names of some local birds. It may sound overwhelming but we never felt rushed, things seemed to flow naturally. If we were unsure what to try next Captain Jess was quick to provide suggestions without being pushy. The best part was Captain Jess' enthusiasm and knowledge about everything we did and all of the questions we asked. He genuinely loves what he does and it shows! Suggestions: Wear water shoes, flip flops will work but something that stays on your foot is best. Wear your bathing suit and clothes that dry quickly for getting on and off the boat. Get a fishing license - you'll never find a better teacher and you WILL catch something. (FYI: I've been a Yelp member for a few years but this tour is what finally motivated me to write my first review.)

I highly recommend these tours for all ages. My wife and I took my parents (both in their 70's) and…read moreour two little boys (both under 7h, and everyone had an incredible time and learned a lot. I highly recommend hunting for sand dollars and seashells. Our kids walked away with memories and an education on the ecosystem that will lost them a life time.

We parked in a paid lot about 1 minute walk from this beach access…read more This is close to the pier. Sand was clean and soft! There's a shower to clean off the sand at this access.

Outdoor showers are nice, and plenty of parking nearby. Also a beautiful beach and nice beach town…read moreatmosphere around it.

Beautiful beach right outside of Wilmington. Beautiful beaches, lots of shells, and beautifully…read moreclear aqua colored water. We sat near one of the piers so public bathrooms were a short walk away. Can't think of a nicer beach, central to Wilmington and UNCW.

The vibe here is small town, but popular beach scene that seems to attract a very homogenous crowd…read more People are nice. Everyone speaks to you. The beach is clean. There is a north pier (Johnny Mercer's Fishing Pier) and a south pier (Crystal Pier). Very walkable. Everything you'd expect in a beach town--hotels, ice cream shop, souvenirs, casual restaurants. It was also pretty easy to navigate when I stopped in for a day visit at the end of the season.

We rented chairs and umbrellas from Grants for the first time this year (July 2019) and it was a…read moreGREAT decision. Grant and his crew are terrific -- very friendly and punctual. Everything is set up and waiting for us in the morning. The umbrellas NEVER pull loose or blow away (a problem in past years with our own umbrellas). The chairs are very comfortable -- adjustable and with foot rests. Well worth the price. Will definitely use Grants for future visits.

We have rented from Grant's on both our visits. If you contact them online on Saturday when you…read moreartive they will have you set up the next morning. It is a great convenience and nice little luxury at the beach.

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.

This beach has become my favorite east coast beach. My family and I were here in late November thru…read moremid December and visited this beach almost everyday while we stayed at the Inns. The beach is a short drive from the Inns. The beach is very clean and the beach is beautiful to walk during low tide. During the weekdays we had the beach to ourselves for the most part. There are plenty of parking spaces during the winter time. The weekend definitely had more foot traffic but we had a weekend that was in the 70s. It was so lovely to walk up and down this beach. The sand is great for walking even with shoes on. I look forward to coming back during warmer months in the future. The views here are so calming and peaceful.

On the beach at Camp Lejeune two bath houses great for finding shark teeth, big ways for the family…read moreto play in