Secrets of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox
Beyond the dunes of a remote North Carolina beach, you’ll find a special home for more than 40 years’ worth of personal stories from thousands of visitors and locals.
Visit the Kindred Spirit Mailbox on Bird Island, where a once-secret caretaker tells his tale of a magical place.
For decades, thousands of visitors have made the hike to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox on uninhabited Bird Island in North Carolina. People from all over the county and all walks of life have come to release their innermost thoughts to the mailbox’s journals.
A place to gather your thoughts.
Located on a secluded and pristine stretch of beach far from the nearest public access point and nestled between dunes is an unlikely sight. A lonely mailbox with a weathered bench next to it. The bench is where visitors will sit to divulge their deepest thoughts, and the mailbox is where you place the journal when you are done.
More than a container for pieces of paper, the mailbox holds the thoughts, prayers, dreams, and wishes of those on a mission to bare their soul and find comfort from the writing.
A long history.
The incredible popularity of the mailbox has surprised everyone, even the mailboxes caretaker, Sunset Beach native Frank Nesmith. Nesmith has tended the mailbox since its beginning, for many years.
It was an old flame who had the idea for The Kindred Spirit mailbox in the first place. According to Nesmith, it was her idea. Referring to a woman named Claudia, who he briefly dated in the late 1970s. “You know, when you go with a girl, you want to do what they want you to do because you might want to get a kiss.”
The tradition.
It is a trek from Sunset Beach to the mailbox, but it is definitely worth the work. The serene walk from the last public access on Sunset Beach to Bird Island and the Kindred Spirit Mailbox will be sure to give you the opportunity to reconnect with self and spirit.
Keep walking until you see an opening in the dunes in the distance. If you get to the jetty, you have gone too far. Next to an old, weather-beaten bench is the community mailbox. Inside you’ll find journals, and pens, along with the hopes and dreams, the grief and pain of the people who have left their most personal thoughts on the pages within.
Not only does the peaceful journey with the beautiful backdrop help to clear the mind, but a large part also the mailbox’s allure is its anonymity. The remote, pristine location on an uninhabited island with the sea air and sounds of the surf encourages visitors to bare their most intimate thoughts and take part in this longstanding tradition.
Are you willing to share your deepest thoughts with the mailbox? Check out our nearby beach rentals and prepare to spend your vacation on the beach while releasing those deep thoughts! Contact our expert team today, and we will find the perfect rental for you.