The Outer Banks landscape is a mesmerizing geographic wonder. Climb Jockey’s Ridge to see the Atlantic Ocean to the East, the sound to the West and the variations between thin strips of sand and flat marshland in between. Fortunately for you, Outer Banks outdoor things to do aren’t limited to sunning on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Take advantage of the beautiful landscape by participating in activities that put the warm sun over your head and sea salty air in your lungs. With Outer Banks outdoor activities, you can look for native animals and plants in wooded nature preserves, take vehicle tours to find some wild ponies playing in Corolla, stand over the water on a pier, take a fishing trip with a captain who knows all of the top fishing spots, visit docks to watch boat captains and mates unload the day’s catches, promenade through lovely gardens and take nature-oriented classes at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, the Ocean Center in Avon or the Wildlife Education Center in Corolla. With such a wide selection of activities, you’ll stay busy and entertained. Check out the below listings of Outer Banks outdoor things to do that you can enjoy during your visit to the beach.
Outer Banks Things To Do by Area
Corolla | Duck & Southern Shores | Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head
Roanoke Island & Manteo | Hatteras Island | Ocracoke Island
Outer Banks Things To Do by Category
The Town of Kill Devil Hills' Aviation Park is on Veterans Drive, near Kill Devil Hills Town Hall. The park includes a paved path and fitness trail that is...read more
Stretching about 600 feet into the Atlantic Ocean, Avon Fishing Pier opened its doors in 1963 and was the final pier to be built on Hatteras Island. It’s...read more
This playground in Avon provides a castle-style climbing area and shaded picnic tables. read more
When you are driving to the village from the lifeguard beach, look for a large black granite marker on the right side of N.C. Highway 12 just before you...read more
Ocracoke’s beach has attracted increasing national attention as it worked its way up on Dr. Beach’s acclaimed annual list of 10 Best Beaches in the USA; he...read more
Bermuda Triangle OBX is a certified dive center on Hatteras Island, as close as you can get to the wrecks of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Their scuba shop...read more
Hatteras Village is the offshore fishing capital of the Outer Banks. Big-game marlin fishing began here in the 1930s. To see a blue marlin (one that's been...read more
Pronounced “body,” this horizontally striped lighthouse is on the soundside at the southern end of Bodie Island in Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It re-...read more
On May 11, 1942, about 40 miles south of Ocracoke, a German submarine torpedoed and sank the British vessel HMS Bedfordshire. The 170-foot ship was...read more
Near the lighthouse on the National Park Service grounds is a 3/4-mile trail through the maritime forest of Buxton Woods. From N.C. Highway 12, turn onto...read more
Buxton Woods is one of the largest remaining maritime forests in the Southeast. It consists of pine- and oak-covered dune ridges interspersed with maritime...read more
