4 Big-and-Small Facts About the Outer Banks
By Aaron Tuell on Dec. 03, 2020
Think of the Outer Banks as one of the biggest small towns on the East Coast: a place where small seaside villages, distinct local character, and wide-open natural coastline all meet. The Lost Colony of Roanoke marked one of the first major chapters, and plenty has unfolded here in the centuries that followed. Here are more reasons to appreciate the OBX as you think through your next trip.
1. Andy Griffith appeared in The Lost Colony before television fame
Long before his own TV series won over audiences starting in the 1960’s, the late Andy Griffith — one of Roanoke Island’s most famous residents — performed in The Lost Colony. Our country’s longest running outdoor symphonic drama tells the story of England’s first New World settlement, set circa 1584-1587.
Each year, more than 100 actors, technicians, designers and volunteers help bring the production to life. The performance happens in an open-air theater beside Roanoke Sound, in the same forest landscape once explored by the colonists. The question for fans: which real historical figure did the screen legend portray onstage?
2. North Carolina’s Longest Coastal County sits in the Outer Banks
Dare County, at the center of the OBX, stretches 100 miles, making it longer than any other North Carolina county along the Atlantic Ocean. A walk from Duck to Hatteras, NC would be roughly like walking halfway toward the International Space Station. In other words: that is a serious amount of shoreline.
Across the area, there are 14 towns and villages to discover, with clean national parks and refuges spread between them. Since the islands average around a mile wide, the ocean or sound is often only a short walk from a vacation rental home, no matter where you stay. Brindley Beach Rentals, for example, offers over 600 home rentals, ranging from oceanfront places to quieter beach homes reached only by 4-wheel drive vehicles.
3. Shipwrecks made the OBX the Graveyard of the Atlantic
Around 3,000 sunken craft are estimated to rest off these shores, which explains why the Outer Banks is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The wrecks span from the early English settlement era more than four centuries ago to as recently as spring 2020.
Seasonal winds sometimes uncover wooden remains by sweeping sand away, creating memorable beach scenes. Other wrecks sit close enough offshore to draw snorkelers and spearfishing fans. Many striking underwater images exist of Outer Banks wrecks and relics.
The same forces that shaped these islands over the millenia answer to no one. Cape Hatteras and Bodie Island Lighthouses stand so high largely so they can be spotted from far across the horizon, warning sailors and ship captains to take care along this coast.
4. The Outer Banks is the Capital Of Big Fish
Ask the International Gamefish Association—the Outer Banks is one of the likeliest places to catch 1,000-pound Atlantic Blue Marlin. Still, the range of fishing access is what makes the OBX such a draw for anglers.
Fishing options are available year-round, including surf fishing, pier fishing, inshore trips, and offshore charters. The Outer Banks also offers videos and insider guidance on where and when to make those fish stories real. Recreational fishing — fishing for fun rather than food — had one of its early beginnings as a national sport and pastime here in 1937 with the Albatross Fleet of Hatteras, NC.
Author
Aaron Tuell
Public Relations Manager at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau