The Holden Beach Mailboxes
Have you heard about the Holden Beach mailboxes? We think it’s pretty cool that we have THREE of them located on our slice of island paradise and want to help you find them during your next beach vacation!
They are referred to as the Holden Golden Memory Mailboxes, and one is located on the East End, one on the West End, and the third is on Sailfish Drive. Each year, visitors and locals alike enjoy leaving letters to lost loved ones, love stories, secrets, or inspirational notes to other mailbox visitors.
Keep reading for the inside scoop!
The East End Mailbox
To reach the popular East End mailbox, simply drive to the East End of the island until you reach the last public access parking area, where the paved road turns to
gravel. From here, you walk out onto the beach towards the inlet (about a half mile or so from the public access entry point to the mailbox). You will walk along the beach towards the East End, and you’ll be able to see the West End of Oak Island across Lockwoods Folly Inlet. This area is also a great place to look for seashells due to the way the tides run through the inlet as it flows from the Atlantic Ocean to the ICW and the Lockwoods Folly River. If you coordinate your walk with sunrise or sunset, you can enjoy amazing views along your walk as well! Keep walking as far as you can go as you round the corner towards the Intracoastal Waterway and you'll eventually see the yellow mailbox on the left in the edge of the dunes (when you notice the pilings in the inlet, especially at a lower tide, look at the dunes on the left).
You can’t miss it, so just keep walking until you see it.
The West End Mailbox
The West End mailbox is the most challenging to reach, but it is possible if you are up for a bit of a walk! The West End of the island is a private community, so you’ll need to start your journey from the last public beach access before the gated area (917 Ocean Boulevard and you might be able to find a spot on Marlin Drive to park – just pay attention to the signage). It is approximately two miles one way to walk from there to the mailbox.
Just like you did on the East End, you’ll walk all the way to the end of the West End where you’ll see Ocean Isle Beach across the Shallotte Inlet. Keep following the shore around the corner towards Monk’s Island past the last house to the western point facing Shallotte Point. You will see the black mailbox up by the point situated in the edge of the dunes. Some people say, “When you think you’ve gone too far, keep going.”
Before you start this journey, make a stop by one of our local beach supply stores for some sunblock and maybe a Holden Beach hat. Also, don’t forget to pack some snacks and water.
If you aren’t up for such a long walk, you could instead:
· Rent a bicycle from Hobbspitality vendors Beach Fun Rentals or Boomers Rentals.
· Schedule a sightseeing water tour with Tour H2O to get there by boat + a short walk.
· Rent a boat and combine this excursion with a day of inshore fishing or touring.
· Book a West End Hobbs Realty vacation rental to make the walk a bit shorter.
Sailfish Park Mailbox
The third Holden Beach mailbox is conveniently located on Sailfish Drive and the easiest to access for everyone, without the walk required to reach the other two. It is located
at Sailfish Park located along the Intracoastal Waterway. Public parking and access to the Intracoastal Waterway are available here. Sailfish Park is located at 188 Sailfish Street, located 4.4 miles west of the Hobbs Realty office, just off Ocean Boulevard in the 900 block.
Hope to See You Soon!
We hope you love checking out these mailboxes next time you are visiting Holden Beach. The Kindred Spirit Mailbox featured in the Every Breath novel by Nicholas Sparks is also located in Brunswick County, within the Bird Island area of Sunset Beach (accessible by an approximate two-mile roundtrip walk once youve arrived).
Happy hunting! We’d love to help you find your family’s next Holden Beach vacation rental. Call our #Hobbspitality Team at (800) 655-3367.
Hope to see you soon....at the beach!
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Darcy Geho is a contributing author to this Hobbs Realty blog. She spent 11 years working in the vacation rental industry while she lived on and traveled the North Carolina coast. Like most of our visitors, when Darcy isn’t on Holden Beach, she looks forward to her next visit.