Outer Banks Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Outer Banks Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

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Sunset over Ocracoke Beach in Outer Banks, North Carolina
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Outer Banks, North Carolina (courtesy, North Carolina Tourism)

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Outer Banks Parks and Outdoors Travel Tips

  • The Outer Banks draw people for a variety of reasons, so it's no surprise that the destination offers a choice amongst three distinct camping experiences: the Commune with Nature; the Destination in Itself; and the Cheaper-Than-a-Motel Crash Pad.
  • The Outer Banks plays rest area to thousands of migrating birds a year, making it a crucial factor in many species' continued existence. Over the decades, birders have reported sightings of some 400 different bird species in the area. More than 300 species have been spotted at Pea Island alone. Fall and spring see the most migratory fowl, and hence, the largest bird counts of the year.
  • Out in the warm Gulf Stream waters, early fall will find anglers playing catch-and-release with the aggressive, high-flying billfish—blue marlin will still be biting, while white marlin and sailfish peak in August and September. Some 37 miles off the Outer Banks lies the Point, a popular offshore destination that teems year-round with gamefish such as yellowfin, bigeye, and blackfin tuna.
  • The Nature Conservancy's Nags Head Woods is especially attractive for its diversity of landscape, all compressed into a single, walkable, area. Between its hardwood forests, pine covered hammocks, freshwater ponds, and sand dunes, Nags Head Woods will show you a broad sampling of the Banks' feathered residents and annual visitors.


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

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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.
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  • 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??
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  • 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.?
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Hotels

THE INN AT COROLLA LIGHT

1066 Ocean Trail
Corolla, NC 27927 Map

Distance: 60.3 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
4.0

The Inn on Pamlico Sound

49684 Highway 12
Buxton , NC 27920 Map

Distance: 18.5 mi.
(from destination center)

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

Morris Marina Kabin Kamps

1000 Morris Marina Rd.
Atlantic, NC 28511 Map

Distance: 65.1 mi.
(from destination center)

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

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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

Outer Banks Beaches

expert favorite attraction
One Visitors Center Circle
Manteo, North Carolina 27954

Distance: 30.9 mi. (from destination center)

Description: The Outer banks beaches are a 175 mile chain of islands offering an expanse of unspoiled natural... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
5_0
5_0

Ocracoke Island

expert favorite attraction
PO Box 456
Ocracoke, North Carolina 27960

Distance: 39.6 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Ocracoke Island, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, has almost 16 miles of undeveloped... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
5_0
4_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




Outer Banks Vacation Rentals

check rates
from: $234

Affordable Oceanfront House, tons of amenities!

Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 5.5
Sleeps: 20
Amenities: Air Conditioning, BBQ, Balcony, Blender, CD Player, Cable/Satellite TV, Coffee Maker, DVD Player, Dishwasher, Full kitchen, Hot Tub, Internet Access, Iron, Laundry, Microwave, No Pets, Non-Smoking, Oceanfront, Outdoor Shower, Oven, Patio, Phone, Pool Table, Refrigerator, Restaurant, Screened porch, Stereo, Stove, Swimming Pool, TV, Toaster, VCR
check rates
from: $153

6 Bedroom VACATION HOME in NAGS HEAD, NC

Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 6.5
Sleeps: 16
Amenities: Air Conditioning, BBQ, Cable/Satellite TV, Coffee Maker, Computer Access, DVD Player, Dishwasher, Fireplace, Freezer, Full kitchen, Hot Tub, Internet Access, Laundry, Linens, Microwave, No Pets, Non-Smoking, Oven, Phone, Refrigerator, Screened porch, Stereo, Swimming Pool, TV, Toaster, Utensils, VCR, Wireless Internet Access
check rates
from: $164

5 Bedroom VACATION HOME in NAGS HEAD, NC

Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 4
Sleeps: 13
Amenities: Air Conditioning, BBQ, Cable/Satellite TV, Coffee Maker, DVD Player, Dishwasher, Freezer, Full kitchen, Hot Tub, Internet Access, Laundry, Linens, Microwave, No Pets, Non-Smoking, Oven, Phone, Pool Table, Refrigerator, Swimming Pool, TV, Toaster, Utensils, VCR, Wireless Internet Access

Outer Banks Parks and Outdoors Travel Guides

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