Sunset Beach is the smallest of the barrier islands with a total area of only 5.8 square miles. The island was initially known as Bald Beach, but the name was changed to Sunset Beach in the 1950s after Mannon C. Gore purchased the island and saw the beauty of its sunsets. The island is home to the Bird Island Coastal Reserve, the only remaining protected area in Brunswick County for many species of birds and wildlife, as well as plants and flowers. It’s pristine sandy white beaches, high dunes, beautiful salt marsh and meandering creeks, it is home to a wide variety of birds, animals and plants. With more than 1,300 acres of salt marsh and creeks, it is one of the few protected natural island areas in the Atlantic region. (see interactive map here)
A historical one way single-lane swing pontoon bridge was located in Sunset Beach off 1st Street. Built in 1961, it allowed one vehicle to pass at a time, opening regularly on the hour to allow boat traffic to pass through the Intracoastal Waterway. Today, this bridge has since been decommissioned and replaced by a 65 foot concrete modern, multi-lane bridge, the Mannon C. Gore Bridge, but is still considered a landmark of the town due to its unique design and past function. Designed by developer Manon Gore, it is really a floating barge, supported by four giant foam pontoons. The swing bridge and tender house was relocated to dry land where it serves as a museum and gathering place for the community.
Historical one way swing bridge in Sunset Beach operated from 1961 to 2010 when it was decomissioned.
Sunset Beach’s Farmer & Artisan market located on the 5 acre Sunset Beach Town Park at 206 Sunset Blvd occurs every April thru October on Thursdays 9 am to 1 am with over 80 vendors. It is one of the best summer markets along the coast, sheltered under the oak trees with the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway as a backdrop.
Make sure to visit the famous mailbox, Kindred Spirit, a community mailbox with a handful of journals of visitors thoughts, fears, hopes, dreams, and grief of those who visit her. She can be only access by beach on foot 1.4 miles from the public beach access for Sunset beach. It was featured in a t novel, Every Breath, by writer Nicholas Sparks, and a true story. The mailbox received such recognition, 60 minutes also did an interview “Uncovering the mystery of the “Kindred Spirit” mailbox” on the person, Frank Nesmith and Claudia Sailor, that established it 30 years ago. They thought it would be a good, quiet place for people to come and just sit and reflect, maybe write down their thoughts, because it was so peaceful and remote. They put a journal and left the box open to see what would happen.
The first few years maybe a dozen people visited, mostly locals who heard about it from others. There were no signs at that time. Today, during the high season of late spring and summer, there is a people standing and waiting for their turn at the journal. One journal can be filled in a day or two. Notes from couples who came to Bird Island to become engaged, another from someone who’s spouse had died, parents who lost children, individuals seeking hope for relief from hard times, birth of a child, finding a soul mate or just expressing gratitude.
For half a century, Kindred Spirt has remained loyal, through hurricanes, high winds, rising tides and shifting sands. The metal mailbox has been replaced over the years, but the nearby wooden mount is original. Until he was 90 years old, Frank walked every day to check on the mailbox until he passed at the age of 93 in 2020. Today, a few locals maintain the two benches and retrieve journals that are filled. Frank had said “We are all kindred spirits, and the reflections people have shared here are proof that it is never a waste of time to be on this earth.”
Sunset Beach Pier, located at 101 W. Main Street, is the southernmost fishing pier in North Carolina. Originally built in 1960, it was rebuilt in 1970 over a sunken blockade runner named Vesta. The Vesta was a 165-foot, 262-ton British-built Civil War steamer that operated for the Confederacy, sailing from Bermuda to Wilmington, with cargo including bacon, coffee, and machinery. It was run aground and set ablaze by its captain on January 11, 1864, to avoid capture by the USS Aries. The ship was destroyed but her crew escaped. When the first pier was built, an opening showed the boiler thru the planks – today it is submerged. Take the interesting walking tour with information about history of storms, past bridges, island’s inception and more. The pier is open the 1st Saturday of March through the end of November, closed on Thanksgiving.
