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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
817 B Ocean Trail, N.C. Highway 12, Corolla
Back Beach Wild Horse Tours' highly trained staff has a great reputation for being entertaining and informative. Their tours last two hours and incorporate quite a bit of local history to complement the sightseeing while showering you with interesting lore. In the four-wheel-drive area you’ll see the Corolla wild horses grazing in their natural habitat and the occasional deer and surfing dolphins. Back Beach tours are given in safari-style, open-air vehicles for a one-of-a-kind Outer Banks activity. They can accommodate large groups of up to 15 people. Call for details and reservations.
Back Beach Wild Horse Tours' highly trained staff has a great reputation for being entertaining and informative. Their tours last two hours and...read more
Back Beach Wild Horse Tours' highly trained staff has a great reputation for being entertaining and...read more
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
5805 S. Seachase Drive, Nags Head
Village Beach Club has been an oceanfront gathering place in Nags Head for decades, but now it feels completely new. Updated and transformed into a hub of coastal hospitality, entertainment, wellness and connection, Village Beach Club offers a full-service oceanfront restaurant called Gather, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; fitness classes like yoga, Pilates, beach volleyball, surf lessons and water aerobics; pickleball courts, clinics and competitions; poolside relaxation; and live entertainment.
Village Beach Club members enjoy easy beach access, pool and recreation amenities, indoor lounge and bar amenities, kids programming, free fitness classes and members-only events and classes. The public is invited to dine in the restaurant and join fitness classes for a small fee. At 5 p.m. the Club opens to the public for nightly live music, DJs, comedy shows, themed events, interactive murder mysteries and Dive-In Movie Nights in which you can watch a movie while floating in the pool. It's a year-round gathering space with events and activities to match every season. The Club is also an event venue that can be rented for weddings, parties and other events.
Village Beach Club has been an oceanfront gathering place in Nags Head for decades, but now it feels completely new. Updated and transformed into a hub of...read more
Village Beach Club has been an oceanfront gathering place in Nags Head for decades, but...read more
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
610 Currituck Clubhouse Drive, Corolla
If you want to see the wild horses in the four-wheel-drive area north of Corolla, Wild Horse Adventure Tours can be your guide for this popular Outer Banks activity. They’ll get you into horse country in their open-air Hummer H1s, which have been custom designed to seat up to 13 passengers comfortably. With exclusive rights to the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Swan Beach, the seasoned guides at Wild Horse Adventure Tours know exactly where to look for the horses. They know how to drive in the sand and they know a lot about the history of the area too, making for an enlightening trip. They’ll also point out wildlife, plants and interesting natural aspects of this ocean-side environment. They run many scheduled trips per day, so call to get all the details and make a reservation. Prices vary per season.
If you want to see the wild horses in the four-wheel-drive area north of Corolla, Wild Horse Adventure Tours can be your guide for this popular Outer Banks...read more
If you want to see the wild horses in the four-wheel-drive area north of Corolla,...read more
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
This playground in Avon provides a castle-style climbing area and shaded picnic tables. read more
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
If you love plants, you'll love this curated garden shop in Downtown Manteo. You'll find a collection of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants, plant...read more
Outer Banks Nature & Outdoor Oriented
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
