Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
The Outer Banks are a long chain of narrow barrier islands strung along the North Carolina coast, separated from the mainland by wide, shallow sounds. Shifting sand, steady wind and the open Atlantic define the landscape, and the history runs deep: English colonists attempted a settlement on Roanoke Island in the 1580s, and centuries later the Wright brothers chose these breezy dunes to test their flying machines.
Up north, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the restored Whalehead estate anchor Corolla, where wild horses roam the beaches beyond the end of the paved road and guided tours head out to find them. Duck has a boardwalk along the sound and a cluster of shops and restaurants. Farther south, the Wright Brothers National Memorial marks the site of the first powered flights, and Jockey's Ridge State Park lets visitors climb enormous dunes and watch hang gliders at sunset. On Roanoke Island, Fort Raleigh recalls the Lost Colony, with the Elizabethan Gardens and the small waterfront of Manteo close by.
This is a place for families renting beach houses, anglers on Jennette's Pier and anyone who likes a slower coastal rhythm. Summer weekends bring traffic, while late spring and early fall offer warm water and quieter beaches. The Bodie Island Lighthouse is an easy stop on the way toward Hatteras.
WiserMap travel guideOuter Banks North Carolina Wild Horses and LighthousesDiscover the Outer Banks: Corolla wild horses, Wright Brothers Memorial, Jockey's Ridge, Hatteras and Bodie Island lighthouses, Ocracoke and local seafood.Read the guide
A red brick lighthouse in Corolla, left unpainted, first lit in 1875. Visitors can climb the 220 steps to the top for views over Currituck Sound and the Atlantic. It is usually open from spring to late fall. Climbing may close in high winds or storms, so check before going, and bring cash or card for the fee.
A black and white horizontally striped lighthouse near Nags Head, first lit in 1872, run by the National Park Service. Climbing tours to the top are offered seasonally and need tickets. A boardwalk leads to a marsh viewing platform for birds. Climbing tickets are limited, so reserve online in advance.
The tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, painted with black and white spiral stripes, guarding the dangerous Diamond Shoals. In 1999 it was moved about 2,900 feet inland to protect it from erosion. Climbing is seasonal and may be suspended for repairs, so check the park website.
The site in Kill Devil Hills where Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered airplane flights in 1903. Markers show the distances of each flight, and a granite monument stands on Big Kill Devil Hill. The visitor center has a replica of the 1903 Flyer. Ranger talks explain the flights well.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island marks the location of England's first colonies in the 1580s, including the colonists who vanished. The outdoor drama The Lost Colony has been performed at the Waterside Theatre since 1937. Shows run in summer evenings, so bring bug spray.
Whalehead is a 1920s Art Nouveau style mansion with a mustard yellow exterior, built as a winter hunting retreat by a wealthy couple. It sits in Historic Corolla Park beside the lighthouse and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. Guided tours run most days. The waterfront park is good for sunset.
Wild Spanish mustangs that are thought to descend from colonial era horses roam the four-wheel drive beaches north of Corolla. Guided tours in open vehicles are the easiest way to see them. Federal law requires staying at least 50 feet away. Driving on the beach needs four-wheel drive and a permit, so a tour is simpler.
A refuge on the north end of Hatteras Island, known for migrating birds such as snow geese and tundra swans in winter and shorebirds in spring and fall. Trails and platforms overlook ponds beside Highway 12, and there is a visitor center. Fall and winter bring the biggest flocks, so bring binoculars.
Home to the tallest living sand dune system on the US East Coast in Nags Head. Visitors climb the dunes, fly kites and take hang gliding lessons, and the sound side has a calm shoreline. The sand gets very hot in summer, so wear shoes, and come back at sunset, which is popular here.
The town of Duck is known for its boardwalk running about a mile along Currituck Sound, linking shops, restaurants and the town park. It is a good place for sunset, kayaking and paddleboarding on the calm sound. The Duck Jazz Festival takes place in fall. Parking is limited in summer, so arrive early.
The Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island are formal gardens built as a memorial to the Lost Colony, with statues, fountains and seasonal blooms. Nearby downtown Manteo has a waterfront boardwalk, shops and the Roanoke Island Festival Park. Combine the gardens with Fort Raleigh, which is right next door.
A small island reached only by ferry from Hatteras, with a quiet village, a white lighthouse and wide undeveloped beaches within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The pirate Blackbeard was killed nearby in 1718. Ferries from Hatteras are free, but they fill in summer, so get in line early or book the ferry route ahead.
No reviews yet. Been to Outer Banks? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Outer Banks? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photos
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: SamChem7, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kenneth M Fischer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sarah Stierch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: DrStew82, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Aaronm86, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Kabongolei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: USFWS/Southeast, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: User:badolfsson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Myoder006, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: DearEdward from New York, NY, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Eliot Jones from OBX, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: François Bianco, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: DearEdward from New York, NY, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bonnie Gruenberg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Riokausa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Madhatter987, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Mathieu Landretti, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Sarah Stierch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: OBXlove, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kabongolei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kabongolei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kabongolei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kabongolei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bonnie Gruenberg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Watts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Watts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bohemian Baltimore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: bobistraveling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: bobistraveling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: bobistraveling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: M0M3NTUM at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Jjjjjjjjcross, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Memcgee4, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Progress P, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
