5 Outer Banks Activities That Can Make Your Family Trip Unforgettable

By Danielle Taylor
May 10, 2022

Find ideas for turning an Outer Banks visit into a trip your family will remember. Spend time on the beaches at sunrise, fish from a pier, ride along the shore, or step inside a lighthouse.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina has always known how to leave an impression. Hundreds of years back, English colonists attempted one of their earliest New World settlements here. In the early 20th century, two brothers launched the first-ever human-powered flight from these sands. Then, in 1953, 70 miles of the 100-mile-long Outer Banks became the country’s first national seashore.

These days, “America’s First Beach” is just about made for family getaways. High dunes, classic lighthouses, laid-back coastal towns, shores filled with wildlife, and unspoiled mid-Atlantic maritime forest create the backdrop for real vacation fun. Whether these ideas are new to your family or not, they’re the kind of experiences that stay with you for a long time.

1. Watch your first unforgettable ocean sunrise

If your kids are usually up and moving at the crack of dawn, bundle them into the car for an early outing they’ll remember. Because Cape Hatteras National Seashore protects this stretch of coast, the Outer Banks does not have high-rise condos or other development that overwhelms the shoreline, making it easy to find a peaceful piece of beach and watch the dark fade into morning together.

This is the easternmost point in the state, so expect the sun to show up a little sooner than it does back home. As the light grows, the sound level rises too — the area is home to some 400 species of birds. The birds may not care about the cool dawn breeze, but you’ll probably be glad to have sweatshirts and blankets along, or one oversized blanket everyone can share.

Once the sun is well above the waterline, start the day at one of the Outer Banks’ beloved breakfast stops. Duck Donuts makes hot doughnuts to order, while Stack ‘Em High Pancakes earns its name with towering stacks that may bring Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to mind.

2. Experience the beach through surf, wind, and sky

Photo: Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

Pick your preferred section of the national seashore — remember, it stretches across 70 of the Outer Banks’ 100 miles — and settle in for a full day beside the water. With younger kids, bring buckets, shovels, and other toys for digging holes and shaping sandcastles, or let them watch overhead while you handle a kite or flying gadget from one of the 15+ locations of Kitty Hawk Kites. Bigger kids may be ready for surfing, boogie boarding, or skimboarding with Hatteras Island Surf & Sail. For a true first-time family adventure, try hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

If possible, linger after sunset or return once dinner is over, since the shoreline becomes a different kind of place at night. From May to October, sea turtles come ashore after dark to nest; beginning in July, hatchlings leave their nests under moonlight and make their way to the ocean. During summer nights, ghost crabs can also be seen darting across the sand. Give any animals you come across plenty of room, and follow local guidance and regulations for safe wildlife viewing, especially when sea turtles are involved.

Even without a glimpse of these hard-to-spot animals, an evening on the sand under the stars is a memory your family is unlikely to lose. If you expect to stay several hours or spend the night outdoors, look into a beach bonfire permit and pair the experience with hot dogs, s’mores, and a few stories.

3. Bring in lunch from the water

Fishing on the Outer Banks ranges from offshore charters to casting from the sand or from a pier. Families trying it for the first time, or traveling with small children, may want to choose the pier option and visit Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. The historic, 1,000-foot pier gives anglers plenty of room to cast, and it also has interactive educational exhibits plus a complete tackle shop stocked with what your family needs to land that first fish.

A number of Outer Banks restaurants provide “hook and cook” service: you supply the fish, and the kitchen prepares it the way you like it. It’s a smart vacation choice for anyone who would rather not wash dishes. After you’ve caught a few fish suitable for eating, bring them to a place such as Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar and let the chef take over. Nags Head Fishing Pier and its onsite Pier House Restaurant offer the same kind of dining option in the summer season.

4. Make the climb inside a lighthouse

Before today’s navigation technology, the Outer Banks’ low islands posed dangers for ships offshore. Tall lighthouses were built along the coast to alert mariners to shifting shoals and hazardous shorelines. While most vessels now rely on electronic navigation, these landmark structures remain active and still function as important directional beacons — and for visitors, they offer sweeping sunny views and hands-on history.

In the warmer part of the year, both Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — the tallest brick lighthouse on the continent — and Bodie Island Lighthouse welcome visitors ready to take on the spiral stair climb. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will be under construction and not open for climbing the 2022 season, however, the grounds are open for visiting. For a lower-to-the-water option, Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in Manteo rises only a few dozen feet above the water.

Tip: Tickets for the larger lighthouses are offered each day on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early to secure a time.

5. Take a horseback ride beside the sea

Unlike a spinning amusement-park ride, this is an outing kids are not likely to forget. Hatteras Island Horseback Riding and Lighthouse Horse Rides welcome riders of all ages and skill levels, including those with no prior experience, and take them out on calm, beginner-friendly, tame steeds for relaxed rides through the surf. You should stay mostly dry, though your feet may get splashed — going barefoot can be the right move.

Tip: For a chance to see the Outer Banks’ well-known wild horses, drive NC-12 north to the 4x4 beach in Corolla and keep watch.

New to staying on The OBX?

Many families like the ease of renting a vacation house, townhouse, or condo, giving everyone enough room to unpack, relax, and feel at home. You can also choose cozy bed & breakfasts, inns with a romantic sense of the past, campgrounds and RV parks for more time outdoors, or classic hotels and motels. For larger groups, a cottage court can be a good fit, with multiple houses arranged around a shared courtyard.

Once you know where you want to stay, renting a vacation home is a simple process. Reserve your place, and you’ll be closer to the next adventure — and to family memories that can last for generations.

Categories

Family Fun

Tags

Hatteras, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Manteo

Author

Danielle Taylor is a freelance travel and outdoor adventure journalist, tourism marketing professional, editor, blogger, emerging photographer, and sometimes meandering wifi hobo. Her work covers outdoor recreation, conservation, public lands, history, and travel, with a special emphasis on America’s national parks. After six years as a magazine editor in northern Virginia, she shifted her home base in 2015 to a family homestead in rural western Pennsylvania, launched a full-time freelance writing business, moved into the back of her Subaru Outback, and spent two years on the road writing articles like this one to support her gas tank, her meals, and her postcard collection. For now, she’s enjoying a slower pace for her wings and itchy feet as she puts down deeper roots. This article was originally posted on Matador Network.