A trip to North Carolina’s Outer Banks is essentially choosing to spend your vacation in the great outdoors, and nature lovers won't need much help as they peruse travel tips to guarantee a great vacation.
If you’re visiting this North Carolina coast, you obviously plan to spend time in the ocean. But the Outer Banks offers many ways to enjoy the beach. You can try your hand at surfing swells throughout the area, or try stand-up paddle boarding for a new twist on water sports. Don't forget the wildlife refuges, state parks, and ecological refuges, too.
Latest: What's Your Favorite Type of Vacation? Relaxing or Exploring?
Here are six ideas that will help you find your outdoor fun during an Outer Banks vacation:
1. Take a kayak eco-tour to learn more about this special part of the Tar Heel State environment.
Outer Banks Kayak Tours offers visitors a glimpse of the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary, among other trips, which offers secluded water trails and solitude to explore the natural habitat of the area.
2. Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a must-see for every nature lover. One of the main features is the largest sand dune on the East Coast and a unique landscape. "Shifting sands, high winds, extreme temperatures and a lack of water make the park resemble barren environments such as the Sahara Desert," the park website said.
3. While you’re visiting Jockey’s Ridge, you can also soar like a bird by taking a tandem hang gliding lesson. See the sand dunes from a unique perspective when you visit
Kitty Hawk Kites, the largest hang gliding school in the country.
Tell Us: What Part of the World Do You Like to Visit?
4. The
Hatteras Island Ocean Center is chock full of activities that put you in touch with nature, from classes in nature and art, photography, and beginning birding. You can also learn how to catch live crabs, if you dare.
At the
Ecology Park, you can kayak, have fun with a stand-up paddle board or use other no-motor watercraft to get a glimpse of land and water wildlife in these coastal wetlands.
5. You can take your pick of wildlife refuges in the area:
Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve, Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, and more. All offer trails, opportunities to spy a variety of wildlife, and just enjoy being outdoors.
6. Catch a sunset from the
Duck Town Boardwalk and it will be a memory you'll always treasure. Before you hang out on the boardwalk, you can walk the Duck, North Carolina, seven-mile trail to get to know the area. As with most areas in the Outer Banks, kayaks are welcome.
Vote Now: Should the Government Be Doing More to Promote Tourism in America?
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.