Spectacular beaches are the reasons families return to Nags Head, NC year after year. Vacationers enjoy the best of both worlds, from the charm of classic beach cottages with wrap around porches and shuttered windows, to posh oceanfront hotels with sensational views of the beach.
Relax by the Atlantic Ocean, surf, walk on the beach, fish, eat well and play hard. Then, retire to any of the excellent Nags Head vacation rentals, inns, and hotels that line the oceanfront, sound and everywhere in between.
The island's popularity as a perfect beach vacation spot goes well back to the 1800s. North Carolina plantation owners would escape from sweltering inland Carolina summers to these pristine, beautiful beaches and sea breezes. Slowly cottages began to dot the landscape, along with the impressive old resort known as the Nags Head Hotel.
Still, even though summer crowds now bring this OBX vacation spot to life - Nags Head, NC has nowhere near the pace or crowds as many other North Carolina beaches, even during peak season.
Nags Head rests at the center of the Outer Banks. Just to the north is Kill Devil Hills, and with a few minutes' drive south on NC 12 you'll be at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Beach Access on Nags Head
If you don't have oceanfront or ocean side accomodations, Nags Head offers over 30 public beach access points - one about every 1/2 mile - with plenty of free parking, all with signs on the Virginia Dare Trail. On the sound side, you'll also find several public access sites to the Roanoke Sound.
Getting Around Nags Head NC
The main north-south thoroughfare (the 5-lane road) is U.S. Highway 158, and is street named the Croatan Highway. This is locally referred to as "the bypass."
The Virginia Dare Trail and N.C. Highway 12 are one and the same. This is known locally as "Beach Road." The Beach Road and the Bypass run side by side.
Everything within the Nags Head area (and points north) are marked by a milepost. It's a simple and effective way to locate points of interest. For instance, mileposts 1-6 are in Kitty Hawk, 7-12 are in Kill Devil Hills, and mileposts 13-18 are in Nags Head.
The town named its east-west streets by giving all streets within a given mile a name beginning with the same letter of the alphabet, going in alphabetical order from north to south.
View of Nags Head - Sound Side
Jockeys Ridge State Park
Take a hang gliding lesson, or go fly a kite at the top of Jockey's Ridge State Park. When you stand at the top of the dunes - the largest dunes on the east coast - and look across the Outer Banks, the view is breathtaking. On the back side of Jockey's Ridge is a hiking trail that goes all around the Roanoke Sound. In the fall, the turning colors of the maritime forest are spectacular. The State Park is free to explore, and is well worth the time. It's an incredible visit for the entire family.
Fishing Piers
The town has 3 fishing piers, Nags Head Pier, Outer Banks Pier, and Jennette's Pier.
Destroyed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, Jennette's Pier has just recently been rebuilt with the aid of the North Carolina Aquarium, and now reaches 1,000 feet out over the Atlantic. With an educational emphasis and windmills that produce much of the pier's electricity, it's really something to experience.
Nags Head Dolphin Watch
This is a great tour, especially for kids. On a big pontoon boat, you'll go searching the sound for dolphins... but it's much more than that. You'll learn about the area beaches and islands, and see all sorts of wildlife. Since the tours actually fund research projects, kids get interactive and learn how to test wind speed, water temps and more.
Nags Head just wouldn't be an NC Beach without putt-putt golf and amusement centers, complete with go-karts and bumper cars. There's also great shopping for rainy days, from all sorts of boutique shops to the shopping mall at Tanger Outlet.
Bustling, family-friendly restaurants are plentiful, from raw bars, soups and pastas to upscale bistro-style menus with fresh seafood and steaks. You'll also find a great variety of bars and pubs, coffee shops and breakfast spots. A personal favorite is the prime rib, seafood, and overall ambiance at Kelly's Outer Banks Restaurant and Tavern!
Also good to know: the Outer Banks Hospital (the only hospital on the Outer Banks) is located in Nags Head.
You can experience a quiet family vacation on miles of beautiful beaches; or you can step it up and go hang gliding on the dunes, wind surfing or kayaking in the Roanoke Sound, para-sailing, golfing or exploring the rest of the Outer Banks – the list goes on. So relax…or play - the choice is yours!
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