What’s so special about Sunset Beach, NC?

Beach, please! I’m sure the other beaches are great but of all the other beaches I’ve been to, Sunset Beach is the best. Hands down! I’m not the only one that thinks this either. In 2017, National Geographic named Sunset Beach the 4th Best Beach in the WORLD They voted Sunset Beach #4, in their article ‘21 Best Beaches in the World’. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/top-beaches-world Nicolas Spark wrote a book about the Kindred Spirit Mailbox called ‘Every Breath’. https://youtu.be/Un6Y8UOHfv0 So, if you were wondering where this book was referring to, it is little ole Sunset Beach.
Another reason this beach is so breathtaking is that you can see the sunrises and the sunsets. I didn’t realize it before I moved here, but not all beaches are like that. It is a rare and magnificent quality of this beach. It also sits back just a little more than any of the other beaches on the strand, so it misses most of the worst weather that hits during hurricanes. Of course, it is an island, so it has been through some devastation. Also, because of how the island sits, it gains sand instead of losing it. If you look at pictures of the island 20-30 years ago, it was much smaller than it is now. The dunes are much larger now and it almost has the feel of a private beach when you’re enjoying the hot summer days.
https://sunsetnc.com/sunset-beach-named-one-best-beaches-world-national-geographic/
https://www.cbsloane.com/sunset-beach-real-estate
Quick Facts:
• Population is approximately 3,580
• It is the smallest of the South Brunswick Islands
• Originally named Bald Beach
• Purchased by Mannon C. Gore in 1955 for $55,000 and renamed the island Sunset Beach
• Shortly after purchasing the island, Gore purchased 500 acres of mainland property.
• Sunset Beach is 46 miles south of Wilmington, NC
• Myrtle Beach, NC is 33.5 miles to the south of Sunset Beach, NC
• Gore designed and installed a pontoon swing bridge in 1958 to connect the island to the mainland which has since been replaced (2011) with a modern bridge that spans 2600 ft in length and 65 feet in height.
• Island property sales began in 1958 and continue today.
Kindred Spirit Mailbox
The National Geographic article mentions one of Sunset Beach’s best known “secret” that has tapped into the innermost romantic in some of us – The Kindred Spirit Mailbox.
Frank McGougan Nesmith, October 19, 1926 – July 16, 2020, was the Co-founder of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox. Along with Claudia, a woman Nesmith dated in the late 1970’s, the mailbox quickly became a landmark of this Southeast Brunswick Island. At first the mailbox was positioned on the east end of the island, near Tubbs Inlet, which is in between Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach. It was moved to the west end, on Bird Island, in 1983. Bird Island is a bird sanctuary and is now connected to Sunset Beach Island – as if it were the same beach. Years ago, the only way to Bird Island was through the ocean at low tide, if you were walking. Now it’s just a mile and a half stroll from the 40th St beach access.
It is estimated that over 100,000 people have visited the mailbox over the years. Even though it’s a hike to get there, it’s worth it to most people just to get a glimpse of this iconic , historic landmark. Once you’re there, you can sit on the bench and relax as you jot down your hopes and dreams in the journal that’s always in the mailbox. The journals are kept safe at the Ocean Isle Beach Museum and can be viewed anytime. What a memorial!
If you keep going to the end of the island, you will get to the jetty (large rocks) and it turns into South Carolina. That round trip hike is over 6 miles. Maybe ride a bike at low tide if you want to check it out.
https://www.ourstate.com/kindred-spirit-mailbox/
https://sunsetnc.com/the-kindred-spirit-mailbox/
Old Bridge Museum
The Old Swing Bridge that was originally the way on and off the island now sits near its original location as the Old Bridge Museum. https://www.theoldbridge.org/stories-the-old-bridge.html
Mannon Gore loved the sunsets from his newly acquired land in 1955, so he decided to call it Sunset Beach. Hurricane Hazel destroyed Bald Island in 1954, just a year before Mannon Gore bought it. He also bought 500 acres of land along the Intracoastal Waterway on the mainland. In 1958, he began the first bridge connecting the mainland to the island. In 1984, the state replaced it with pontoons, but kept the swing action. It wasn’t until November 11, 2010 that the Mannon C Gore bridge opened to replace the old swing bridge for good. In January 2011 the old bridge was detached from its hinges and moved in segments to its current location. Still to this day, the locals that remember the old bridge prefer it to the new, more convenient one. I guess the nostalgia and small-town feel is always missed when change is imminent.
The Fishing Pier
https://www.theoldbridge.org/stories-the-vesta.html
https://www.theoldbridge.org/vesta-part-two.html
https://www.theoldbridge.org/vesta-part-three.html
https://sunsetbeachpier.com/
Once known as the Vista Pier, Sunset Beach’s fishing pier also has some amazing history! It’s the southernmost fishing pier in North Carolina and is conveniently located at the center of the island. The pier was originally built in June 1960. It was rebuilt at its current location in 1976 over a sunken Blockade Runner named the Vesta.
The history of the Vesta: In 1864 the Vesta was set on fire in 10 feet of water. Many of the supplies were unloaded and the boat was abandoned on what was later to become sunset beach island. The vesta was 34' wide and 180' long and sat parallel to the beach (east and west). Originally, the walkways had wide openings so you could look through the planks and see the boiler. Today, because so much sand has accreted, it is totally submerged.
Veteran’s Park
https://www.sbvets.org/the-memorial.html
The Veteran’s Memorial at Sunset Beach Park was dedicated on Veteran’s Day – November 11, 2015, and is approximately a 900 sqft, circular memorial with a flagpole. There are pedestals for Service Emblems. At the front are two bronze children with their hands on their hearts, with the phrase “Thanks For Our Freedom”. The exterior wall is 18” high and has places for visitors to sit and reflect.
Along with the memorial, there is a walking area with plenty of seating (swings and benches). We have a weekly summer market at the park and other events are held there during the spring, summer, and fall. A gazebo is currently scheduled to be built to serve as a stage for special events and our summer concert series.