Sunset Beach Walk To The Kindred Spirit Mailbox

I (Amanda) was on a work call and my coworkers were asking what fun things we have done in Sunset Beach, North Carolina so far. I told them we’d been to the beach, explored the town of Calabash and took a 3-mile walk to see the Kindred Spirit Mailbox. One of them laughed and said, “I’m glad you elaborated on that story because I was questioning you walking that far to see a mailbox.”

So what actually is it? And why did we make the journey to go see it? 

The Kindred Spirit Mailbox is hidden in the sand dunes down a secluded stretch of beach in Sunset Beach. While it may just be a wooden post topped with an aluminum box, it symbolizes something much grander. The mailbox serves as a symbol of hope and provides visitors an “outlet for people to express their most personal feelings in a safe way.”

Over the past 40 years, thousands of people have made the journey and poured their thoughts, fears and dreams into journals to reside within the mailbox. 

For the history buffs, here’s how the mailbox got its start. Claudia Sailor first put up the mailbox on Tubbs Inlet, with a little help from Frank Nesmith. Over time, the little island was washed away by the tide, so they relocated the mailbox to Bird Island in 1983. Up until 1999, visitors would have to wade across Mad Inlet during low tide. The inlet closed up for good after Hurricane Bonnie came through the area. 

The mailbox is more popular than ever, many people learning about it from Nicholas Sparks’ Every Breath novel. New and old visitors can be found waiting patiently in line during peak season. 

Caretakers do their best to keep the legacy going and visit everyday to make sure there are enough notebooks and pens. For the past several years, the filled up notebooks have been donated and archived at UNCW’s Randall Library.

A few insider tips that we learned before we started the hike really helped us make the journey with a toddler. 

1. Park as close to the end of the beach as you can. There are a few parking spots located near West 40th street near the last beach access path. We recommend taking this last path because it will take you by this beautiful tree covered in seashells that people have decorated. 
2. Rent bikes! We weren’t sure what the walk would be like, or if riding bikes on the beach was even possible. We saw numerous people make the 3-mile round trip journey on bike and they were making it look easy. We wish we would have done this!
3. Pack a beach picnic. We knew that the trek would be, let’s say, challenging… with a toddler, but we were determined to make it happen. We packed some snacks, water and a beach blanket so we could stop and rest for a bit. 

Our journey took us around two hours, but a non-toddler pace would likely be around an hour round trip. We knew that the walk would take longer with Luca, but we’ve done longer hikes with him in the past and we all survived! Overall, the walk is very simple. Start at the last access point, walk past the sand dollar/shell tree toward the beach at the end of the walkway, and head west down the beach. Enjoy the beautiful walk along the beach for 1.4 miles and then up in the sand dunes you’ll see two benches flanking the mailbox. 

By the time we got to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox, no one else was around. Luca played in the sand while Adam and I sat down to reflect on this new life and the past few years. 

2020 was tough but 2021 has had its own set of challenges. In March, Adam’s young cousin was diagnosed with cancer and in April we lost my 37-year-old cousin to Covid-19. It was around that time that we decided that life was too short to just sit around, we wanted and needed to do more. We’ve chronicled that decision-making process on our big adventure here.

I found it fitting that our first outing at our first destination in this big adventure was to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox. The perfect start to sit and reflect on this new journey we are embarking on. 

If you’re interested in more of the history of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox, check out this article. They do a great job of telling the story.

It’s definitely worth checking out the Kindred Spirit Mailbox if you’re in Sunset Beach. What did you think of the idea behind it? How was your walk? 

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