Join us March 26-29, 2020, for a weekend of camaraderie, festivities and the latest MST news in Surf City, right on the Topsail Island shore, nestled between our trail communities in Pender and Onslow Counties.  When we last gathered here in March of 2019, the area looked a little rough, as recovery from Hurricanes Florence and Matthew was still underway.  We're thrilled that Surf City is back - homes and businesses restored, debris cleared with new paint gleaming.  Besides the yearly Friends meeting on Saturday, the rest of the weekend will be filled with excursions that showcase the treasures along the Coastal Crescent route of the MST.

One exciting addition is a series of hikes scheduled progressively along the Coastal Crescent route on Thursday, March 26 as you drive in, and again on Sunday as you leave.  This coincides with the launch of the 40-Hike Challenge and the release of our new trail guide in March 2020, Great Day Hikes on North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail.  The 40 day hikes profiled in the new guide include everything from scenic mountain vistas to surprising escapes in the state's Piedmont region and the wonders of coastal plain pocosins.  To help you to conquer many of the hikes with ease and speed, we'll host a series of hikes along the way to and from the Gathering.  Full details are being ironed out on the Challenge itself, and will be confirmed early in 2020.  (Great Day Hikes is available for pre-order at a discounted price of $18 plus tax ($19.31) when you register or later at the merchandise table for $21.60 plus tax, a 10% discount from list price.)

We've also been given a very special opportunity on Friday, March 27 to tour Camp LeJeune. At 246 square miles with 11 miles of beaches, Camp LeJeune is the largest Marine base in the Eastern US.  The base is a conservation leader, restoring natural habitat and protecting endangered species in the Onslow Bight.  Our guide will be Craig Ten Brink, Camp LeJeune's Wildlife Biologist. This tour will give you a unique opportunity to learn more about the Onslow Bight ecosystem and to see what the base is doing to protect it. We’ll visit multiple sites to observe wildlife habitat protection at work and hit a few other base hot-spots -- including the mock village the Marines use for training.  This event is at capacity, and we are taking names for a wait list. 

Other highlights include a Friday evening reception and a casual dinner at the historic Missiles and More Museum and Assembly Building.  The Assembly Building was constructed in 1946 and was used by the government to assemble missiles for a secret operation being conducted on Topsail Island.  Explore exhibits on the natural history of Topsail Island, the development of the Osprey helicopter, the significance of Operation Bumblebee and the groundbreaking Women Airforce Service Pilots.  A short program honoring all those who make the trail possible - volunteers, hikers, trail communities and Friends' supporters - will wrap up the reception.  After that, time for some optional retro fun!  Go for a roll at the 1960's era Topsail Island Rollerskating Rink (check out this piece from NC Weekend if you need persuading) or a have a go at mini golf at the original 1950's Putt Putt, Patio Playground.  These are both within walking distance of Missiles and More.

After the annual meeting on Saturday March 28, we'll have more excursions, including hikes at Stones Creek and Holly Shelter and tour of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.  We will again hike the "newish" Surf City Bridge as a group at sunset on Saturday evening - we had such a beautiful hike in 2019 as evidenced by this video snippet. Sunday, March 29th will open with the Pancake Breakfast to benefit Paddle 4 Troops and then we're off to hike and paddle some more!  We're locking down the details, and excursions should open up for registration by mid-January.

A short overview of the weekend:

• Thursday, March 26 and Friday March 27, before 5 pm -  Progressive hikes and Excursions 
• Friday, March 27, 5:30 to 7:30 pm- Reception and welcome dinner at Missiles and More, with retro fun afterwards
• Saturday, March 28, 8:00 am doors open for annual meeting, Surf City hosts full, hot breakfast; meeting runs 9:00 - 2:30 
• Saturday 3:00 pm - Excursions continue.
• Saturday - 7:00 - Hike with all the Friends over the Surf City bridge at sunset.  
• Sunday, March 29 - 9:00 am -  Excursions and progressive hikes continue. 

Excursions will be open for registration by mid-January.  Most of the excursions will require pregistration to help us plan accordingly and all are included in your registration fee, any exceptions will be noted in the descriptions.  

Accomodations -- There are lots of lodging options in and around Surf City – stay in a friendly beach or soundside motel, pitch your tent or park your RV in a campground, or rent a home with other Friends. Our Friday evening event will be at the Missiles and More Museum, 720 Channel Blvd, Topsail Beach, NC 28445, which is about 6 miles south of the bridge crossing.  Several options are very nearby to this (The Breezeway and Jolly Roger). Saturday events will be held at the Surf City Community Center, 201 Community Center Drive, Surf City, NC 28445 (near to The Island Inn and Tiffany’s), which is on the mainland before crossing over the bridge.  Options with links are listed to the left in the sidebar. 

Registration for the Gathering of Friends -- including the welcome reception on Friday and the Annual Meeting on Saturday -- is $75. You may choose to register for each event individually, at a rate of $35 for Friday Reception and Dinner and all the excursions that don't require an additonal fee, or $45 for the Saturday Annual Meeting and all the excursions that don't require an additional fee. Up to 3 additional family members may attend for $50 for the entire event (with options of only attending one or the other event as well.)

The Gathering is a member-only event, and we welcome all members to attend. If you are not yet a member of Friends, you can join with a tax-deductible gift of $35 that can be added to your registration fee. 

You'll also see an optional silicon pint cup available for purchase - we hope you consider buying one to cut down on our waste at the Gathering.   We haven't picked the exact color yet, but we promise it will be cool.

RSVPs are required by Wednesday, March 18th.  Refunds will be given until the 20th if you register and cannot attend.

To check out more about the area, go to VisitPender.com.

Please click below to register now!  See you in Surf City!

Register Now!