North Topsail Beach
North Topsail Beach, NC
North Topsail Beach is the least developed of Topsail Island's three towns, mostly rental homes on stilts instead of shops or restaurants, with a designated pet beach south of the Sand Dollar Shores Pavilion for anyone traveling with a dog. Three county-run lots keep parking free, a contrast to the paid systems in Surf City and Topsail Beach.
Free county lots and a real pet beach are genuine advantages, but there's a lot less to do here after the beach than in Surf City, and the island's hurricane history shows in a few still-recovering stretches.
How we score beachesHead straight for the Pet Beach south of the Sand Dollar Shores Pavilion if you're bringing a dog. It's the one clearly marked stretch where nobody will ask you to leave.
Three Onslow County-run lots offer free parking. Town-controlled lots require a paid permit through the SurfCAST app, enforced 9am to 5pm year-round.
Boardwalks and sand paths cross the dune at most accesses, generally short and flat.
Dogs must be leashed (up to 25 feet), with a designated off-leash-friendly Pet Beach south of the Sand Dollar Shores Pavilion.
Water reaches the upper 70s by August, in the same June through November hurricane season as the rest of Topsail Island. This stretch has taken repeat hurricane damage over the years, so it's worth checking current conditions before a trip.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.