Topsail Island is a 26-mile barrier island, its pristine shores constantly shifting with the ebb and flow of the tides. This timeless treasure has long been known as one of North Carolina’s best-kept secrets—a family-friendly beach—the kind we all loved as children and want our children’s children to fondly remember. The island has always had a love affair with everything fishy—from piers to boats to businesses. In the late 1940s, the face of Topsail changed forever when the government seized the island for Operation Bumblebee, a top-secret mission to develop a supersonic missile. After the project ended, the three towns of Surf City, Topsail Beach, and North Topsail Beach grew and prospered. Bridges have played a huge part in Topsail’s development, providing links to the rest of the world.