Outer Banks Beach Travel Guide

Outer Banks Beach Travel Guide

Other Guides for Outer Banks

Beach Destinations In or Near Outer Banks

Travel Guides In Outer Banks

Southeast Beach States/Provinces

Beach Travel Destinations

advertisement
Sunrise over a beach in Outer Banks, North Carolina
Outer Banks, North Carolina (Bill Russ/courtesy, North Carolina Tourism)

Submit a travel tip

Submit a travel tip about Outer Banks.
Read Our House Rules


On This Page:


Outer Banks Beach Travel Tips

By Linda Samuel
  • Driving is permitted on Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Corolla beaches. A permit (US$25) is required for most areas.
  • Gain public beach access in every town except for Duck and Southern Shores.
  • Heed weather warnings during hurricane season—June to November—the Outer Banks lie in a particularly bad storm spot.
  • Sample the best sands at Nags Head dunes, among the largest on the east coast.

Outer Banks Travel Guide

They're maddeningly overcrowded in the summer, and development has been rampant over the last 20 years, but the Outer Banks of North Carolina are unlike anything else along the East Coast. The infamous pirate Blackbeard met his end here, and this is the place where the Lost Colony mysteriously disappeared. On these shores, Virginia Dare was born, and centuries later, Wilbur and Orville Wright learned to fly. The Outer Banks once enjoyed a dubious reputation as "the graveyard of the Atlantic," and to this day, you'll see the many lighthouses that stood vigil over centuries of shipwrecks. You can even see the actual shipwrecks—at several places along the shore, the rusted bones of schooners and cargo ships are mired in the breakers. The East Coast's tallest lighthouse is at Cape Hatteras, and the oldest is at Ocracoke Island. Sand dunes tower over long stretches of undeveloped national seashore, and you can hop a ferry to explore islands where the residents (descended from the Elizabethans) say hoigh toids instead of high tides and call tourists "comers 'n' goers." Read More

Ask a Question

Do you have a travel question about this destination or can you provide a tip to a fellow traveler?

ask a question

Join the discussion with Away.com's in-house experts in our travel Q&A.

9 Questions | 7 Answers
  • Just beginning to research the Outer Banks. Looking for the town(s) best suited for a trip traveling with kids ages 4-10. Things to do (besides the beach activities) culture, dining, entertainment. Never been to this area, so I need guidance on the towns to explore in this region.
    Read 1 answer or Answer this question
  • we are planning to go to organ inlet campground. And are not scheduled to arrive till 1 in the morning. Is there anyone to check us in or do we check-in in the morning??
    Read 1 answer or Answer this question
  • I would like to know the best family vacation to take on the outer banks,where to stay, and the best bed and breakfast,etc.?
    Read 1 answer or Answer this question
  • Read all questions and answers »

Hotels

Captain's Landing

324 Highway 12
Ocracoke , NC 27960 Map

Distance: 40.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
from: $150

The Sanderling Resort and Spa

1461 Duck Road
Duck, NC 27949 Map

Distance: 48.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0
5.0
4.0
4.0

The Cove B&B

21 Loop Road, PO Box 1300
Ocracoke, NC 27960 Map

Distance: 40.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0
4.0

advertisement

compare rates

Attractions

Jockey's Ridge State Park

expert favorite attraction
P.O. Box 592; Carolista Drive
Nags Head, North Carolina 27959

Distance: 6.3 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Jockey Ridge State Park offers an opportunity to experience the desert environment, with its... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
5_0
4_0
4_0

Pamlico Sound

expert favorite attraction
Outer Banks


Distance: 36.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Pamlico Sound is the largest lagoon along the East Coast of the United States, at 80 miles long and... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
5_0

Wright Brothers National Memorial

expert favorite attraction
1401 National Park Drive
Manteo, North Carolina 27954

Distance: 27.9 mi. (from destination center)

Description: The Wright Brothers National Memorial, dedicated in 1932, commemorates the first successful... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
4_0
3_0

Airports

Major Airports near Outer Banks

Distance (mi.)
Norfolk International Airport 103.1 map
Richmond International Airport/Byrd Field 170.5 map
Raleigh/Durham Airport 187.8 map

Other Smaller Airports near Outer Banks

Distance (mi.)
New Bern Simmons Nott Airport 94.5 map
Pitt-Greenville Airport 108.6 map
Kinston Stallings Field 121.5 map

Feature Articles


Trip Ideas




Outer Banks Beach Travel Guides


Compare Rates

Powered by Trip.com

advertisement

Traveler's Currency Converter

Foreign Currency
U.S. Dollar Amount
$

Country
convert Currency

Powered by eZforex



advertisement