Explore Standout Things to Do on the Outer Banks’ Northern Beaches

Dec. 19, 2024

From surfing and fishing to hiking and sunsets, the Northern Beaches offer remarkable ways to enjoy the outdoors.

The Outer Banks brings together natural scenery, historic landmarks, and nearly endless recreation. In the Northern Beaches, the experience feels especially special thanks to wildlife refuges such as Kitty Hawk Woods, maritime forests, and the largest living sand dunes on the East Coast. Use this guide to make the most of your visit to this extraordinary place.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Among the OBX’s three National Parks, Wright Brothers National Memorial blends a historic landmark, museum experience, and open-air park. Honoring the country’s first successful flight, the site features a striking 60-foot granite monument along with a handful of museums and exhibits focused on aviation and local history. Visitors can also enjoy outdoor spaces and routes such as the 2500-foot Wright Brothers Multi-Use Path, well suited for walking, jogging, and biking.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Home to the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast, Jockey’s Ridge State Park spans 426-acre and delivers a truly memorable landscape. The park also creates many ways to enjoy the Great Outdoors, including hang gliding, hiking, kiteboarding, windsurfing, and swimming. Thanks to its elevation and clear air, it is one of the best spots on the Outer Banks for sunset — so notable that it even hosts a Sunset Festival. For another memorable end-of-day view, visitors can also charter an Outer Banks sunset cruise.

Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve

Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve is one of the region’s largest surviving maritime forests, a 1,824-acre nature preserve that reveals a vivid ecosystem filled with plant and animal life, including several globally rare plant communities. Birding opportunities are plentiful, too. A network of hiking trails supports cycling and hiking, while calm sound waters are inviting for boating and paddleboarding.

Fishing

Anglers can cast from scenic piers such as Kitty Hawk, Avalon, Nags Head, and Jennette’s, or fish from the shoreline throughout the Northern Beaches.

Dolphin Tours

For a memorable wildlife experience, travelers can book a dolphin tour and watch these swimming mammals play, roam, and thrive in their natural environment. Along the way, guests also learn more about dolphin life and habitat.

Watersports

The Northern Beaches of the Outer Banks provide a beautiful refuge for water sports enthusiasts, where nature feels close and immersive. With miles of golden shoreline and the Atlantic Ocean ready for adventure, visitors can experience this unspoiled natural beauty by kayak, kiteboard, surfboard, or paddleboard.