Local-Approved Top 10 OBX Vacation Ideas for 2020

By REAL Watersports · Apr. 13, 2020

Known around the world, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, frequently styled as OBX, is the #1 kiteboarding destination in the USA. The Outer Banks, and Cape Hatteras especially, also offers some of the best and most consistent waves for surfing on America’s East Coast.

So what else is there to enjoy when you are not on the water? Whether your trip is solo, romantic, or built around a family vacation with young kids, the Outer Banks has plenty of ways to keep every traveler entertained from start to finish. If you want to make planning easier, use this locally approved guide to the Top 10 Things To Do during an Outer Banks getaway.

#1 — Pristine, Uncrowded Beaches

Cape Hatteras beach scenery. (Ryan Osmond)

The Outer Banks includes over 100 miles of beautiful beaches, so time on the sand belongs on every itinerary. Travelers who want quiet stretches and fewer people should look toward Cape Hatteras, south of the Oregon Inlet Bridge. Inside Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe, beachgoers can find long open stretches for secluded sunbathing or extended walks with hardly anyone in sight. The beaches along the small Cape Hatteras villages are similarly relaxed and make an ideal setting for evening beach bonfires; beach fire permits are FREE.

#2 — Outdoor Live Music

Donavon Frankenreiter performing from the waterfront stage at Watermen’s Bar & Grill. (Zack Giroux)

Music is a lively part of the Outer Banks experience, with many bars and restaurants also serving as venues for live performances. Larger national acts often include the Outer Banks on their routes, while many local musicians bring coastal energy and laid-back talent to stages night after night. Look for the full events lineup for the year, including the Sky Blue Summer Concert Series with 115 nights of live waterfront performances throughout the summer.

#3 — Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Light. (Ryan Osmond)

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is an Outer Banks icon, instantly identified by its black-and-white spiral design. Constructed in 1868, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse rises 210 feet and is one of the largest brick lighthouses in the world.

#4 — Skateboarding & Skateparks

The Outer Banks offers several free skateparks for skateboard, inline, or BMX riders.

Skateboarding began as a way for surfers to keep riding when the waves went flat, and it has grown into one of the world’s biggest boardsport activities. Many young people have spent at least some time on a skateboard, and active skaters looking for post-beach plans will find several FREE skate parks across the Outer Banks. Each location has a different feel, letting riders sample different features and difficulty levels by visiting multiple parks.

• Kitty Hawk Skatepark — FREE Admission: Found on Kitty Hawk Road in Kitty Hawk, this park includes an open street-style zone and a mini-bowl tucked into one corner.
• Aviation Skatepark — FREE Admission: Set at milepost 7.5 just south of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Aviation Skate Park uses a concrete flow layout with bowls, hips, rails, and multiple street features.
• Manteo Skatepark — FREE Admission: Located on Roanoke Island in Manteo, The Manteo Skatepark uses a straightforward linear-flow design with quarterpipes at both ends and several street elements between them.
• Buxton Skate Park — FREE Admission: On Cape Hatteras in Buxton, the Buxton Skate Park at Dare County’s Fessenden Center includes a full wooden bowl plus wooden street-style ramps and rails.

#5 — Wright Brothers National Memorial

The Wright Brothers Monument is among the exhibits at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

In 1903, the Outer Banks became the site of the first successful airplane flight, made possible by Wilbur and Orville Wright. Located at Milepost 7.5 on the west side of Highway 158, the Wright Brothers National Memorial includes exhibits on the early flight experiments, replicas of the original gliders, and more. Visitors can see the large Wright Brother’s Monument and stand where the Wright Brothers launched and landed during their historic 1903 flight.

#6 — First Flight Adventure Park

Take on a challenge at First Flight Adventure Park.

First Flight Adventure Park is a one-of-a-kind Aerial Adventure Park where kids and adults can climb, balance, swing, and zip-line across 48 different obstacles with a range of difficulty levels. Positioned on the Pamlico Sound waterfront at Milepost 16, the park looks out over Nags Head and the Pamlico Sound. Its platforms and obstacles begin at 12 feet above the ground and top out at 50 feet high. Because guests are safely harnessed into the overhead safety lines, all ages can test themselves while friends and family cheer, stumble, laugh, and retell the adventure for the rest of the day. The big question is whether you can reach the highest challenge.

#7 — Oregon Inlet Fishing Center

Part of The Fleet at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is home to the largest and most modern charter boat fishing fleet on the eastern seaboard, making it a strong choice for booking a fishing charter or simply watching the boats return to the docks with the day’s catch. Since the Outer Banks extends far out from the mainland, charters departing Oregon Inlet Fishing Center can quickly reach deep water for big fish or tap into the rich fishing grounds of the Gulf Stream.

#8 — Bird Watching

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Bring binoculars and spend time bird watching at Pea Island. The 6,000-acre refuge shelters more than 360 species of birds. From spring through autumn, visitors may see many wading, shore, and upland birds. Observation platforms are located close to parking areas.

#9 — Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Museum

Chicamacomico Life Saving Station & Museum includes multiple historic buildings on one beachfront site.

In the Village of Rodanthe on Cape Hatteras, at the easternmost point in North Carolina, Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station dates back to 1874 and remains one of the Outer Banks’ most frequently missed historic attractions. The station first served the United States Life-Saving Service starting in 1874, and when the USCG was established in 1915, Chicamacomico became one of the original United States Coast Guard stations. Guests can tour the property, explore exhibits, and attend daily programs about North Carolina’s first US Life-Saving Service Station. Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station & Museum are open Monday through Friday 10am – 5pm.

#10 — Epic Sunrises and Sunsets

Sunset from REAL Watersports / Watermen’s Bar & Grill. (Ryan Osmond)

With wide-open water views facing both East and West, the Outer Banks lets visitors take in nature’s light show twice a day. Early risers can visit the east-facing beaches to see the sun come up over the Atlantic Ocean. Later, head west to any number of waterfront viewpoints to watch it drop into the Pamlico Sound. Sunsets are especially striking on the Outer Banks, where red, orange, blue, and purple often fill the sky, reflect on the water, and play across the clouds. Watermen’s Bar & Grill, shown above, is a favorite Outer Banks sunset spot with live kiteboarding action, a full bar, live music, a full dinner menu, and views from the covered outdoor deck.

Author

REAL Watersports was founded in 2001 and has become the number one kiteboarding and surfing shop, lesson center and destination in the world. From its home in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, REAL ships gear worldwide and is committed to providing the highest possible level of customer service.