The Outer Banks of North Carolina Welcome to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Since 1587, people have been drawn to this undisturbed beauty. More than 420 years later, visitors still marvel at the quiet sanctuary that lies before them as the historical imprints many visitors have left behind. The Outer Banks of North Carolina mixes the past and the present into a well-kept balance of solitude and activity that is ideal for all ages and spirits. It’s easy to find along the North Carolina coast. The Outer Banks is a string of sandy barrier islands more than 130 miles long that bow out into the Atlantic Ocean and cup the shoreline. The islands are filled with watery hideaways where wildlife takes refuge and nature lovers delight, quiet beaches for sport or peace, and history that dates back to America’s beginnings. The Outer Banks is a destination sure to delight you with its variety of adventure, art, dinning, and history and beach fun in the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and Roanoke Island to the undeveloped shores of Hatteras Island.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a chain of barrier islands midway on the Atlantic Seaboard, 90 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia and 321 miles north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. From Virginia, The Outer Banks are accessible by Highways 168 and 158 and in North Carolina by Highway 64. Surrounded by 900 square miles of water, it has the third largest estuary system in the world, wildlife refuges, maritime forests, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the highest sand dunes on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Check out the Parks and Wildlife
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Elizabethan Gardens, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nature Conservancy at Nags Head Woods, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Roanoke Island Festival Park, U.S.A.C.E, and the Field Research Facility “Duck Pier”.
Visit Great Museums
Airport Museum – Preserving Aviation History, Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center,The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island, Roanoke Island Festival Park and The Whalehead Club.
Fantastic Historical Sites
Wright Brothers National Memorial, Civil War Trail, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Historic Site, The Freedmen’s Colony of Roanoke Island, Lost Colony Outdoor Drama, Outer Banks History Center, Roanoke Island Festival Park and The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.
Water Activities for the everyone!
The Outer Banks is made up of 409 square miles of water. This makes the area perfect for a variety of water activities including jet skiing, ocean and sound kayaking, diving, surfing, parasailing, wind surfing, kite surfing, boating, swimming and of course fishing. Enjoy Beautiful Sandy Beaches, Crabbing, Cruises, Diving, Fishing, Kayaking and Canoeing, Kiteboarding, Parasailing, Pontoon Boats, Sailing, Shelling, Surfing, Waterfowling, Waverunners and Jet Skis and Windsurfing.
The Outer Banks is a place of unforgettable experiences. It’s where you won’t just come to visit, you’ll come to life. Plan to spend some time in North Carolina’s Outer Banks soon!