Outer Banks Tours

Some of the best wildlife viewing and paddling on the Outer Banks takes place in the remote northern waterways of the Currituck Sound near the Virginia border. Back Country’s unique 4x4 & Kayak Safari carries small groups and families by custom open-air Safari Cruisers through 30 miles of off-road beach, dune and sand trail to paddle from the private Spanish Mustang Preserve where they have exclusive access. The waters are protected from wind and current, and the tandem kayaks are super stable. Naturalist guides, who are also your kayak instructors, will explain Outer Banks ecology and point out local wildlife. In an effort to preserve this unspoiled habitat, Back Country limits space to just 10 people. Each tour is three-plus hours and is the best of both worlds, an off-road 4x4 Safari excursion and a kayak tour. Tours are available for beginner or intermediate paddlers. Reservations are required.

Bob White is a legend in the horse-tour business. He and his highly trained staff have been offering tours since 1996, and they have a reputation for being both entertaining and informative. Bob’s tours last two hours and incorporate quite a bit of local history and interesting lore to complement the sightseeing. In the four-wheel-drive area, you’ll see the horses grazing in their natural habitat, often along with the sight of dolphins in the ocean. All tours are given in safari-style, open-air vehicles for a one-of-a-kind experience, and they can accommodate large groups of as many as 15 people. Call for details and reservations. 

The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is the nation’s largest and most complete existing example of the life-saving stations that were built along the Atlantic coast in the late 19th century to attend to shipwrecks and to rescue survivors. The 1874 Station was the first operational U.S. Life-Saving Service station built in North Carolina, serving until 1954. Chicamacomico has been partially restored, thanks to numerous volunteers who formed a nonprofit organization to save it, and it is now a fine museum and historic site; all structures are original buildings.

On a visit here you’ll see the 1874 Station, the 1911 Station, two cookhouses, water tanks and a cistern, a stable, a tractor shed, the smaller boathouse and a village home built in 1907. In the museum, you’ll learn about the U.S. Life-Saving Service Station and some of the rescues that occurred here. Artifacts, uniforms, rescue equipment, displays, video presentations and self-guided tours help complete your knowledge of place and history. These stations have many stories to tell. Life-Saving crews at Chicamacomico performed many daring rescues, including one of the greatest rescues of WWI, that of the British tanker Mirlo in 1918. When the Mirlo was sunk by the German submarine U-117, Chicamacomico’s crew rescued 42 of 51 British sailors. The gift shop is full of unique nautical items and works by local craftspeople plus books and old-fashioned toys.

The historic breeches buoy demonstration is held every Thursday at 2 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The 100th anniversary of the Mirlo rescue was commemorated on August 16, 2018, with a centennial event.

Check their website for special program information, admission fees and hours of operation and to see what is happening on any given day. Chicamacomico is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit raising all of its own funds; it has no federal, state or other budget.  

As one of the few boats in the Oregon Inlet fishing fleet that is licensed to carry more than six anglers, the 57-foot Country Girl can be chartered for Gulf Stream trips for parties of six or more people. These full-day offshore charter fishing trips can yield tuna and mahi-mahi, wahoo, king mackerel, marlin or sailfish depending on the season and conditions. The Country Girl also offers head boat-style bottom fishing for up to 27 passengers. You’ll catch a variety of species, including black sea bass, triggerfish, dolphin, gray tilefish, amberjack and more. Bait, tackle and fishing licenses are furnished on all fishing charters, and the captain and mate are experienced and helpful. Country Girl also offers private cruises in the sound (a great way to get a big group of friends together on the water) as well as ashes at sea ceremonies.

The red-brick Currituck Beach Lighthouse towers above the Historic Corolla Village. Visitors to this Outer Banks attraction can climb the winding staircase, 220 steps in all, to the top of the lighthouse for a panoramic view of Currituck Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Outer Banks. Inside the lighthouse, at the base and on the first two landings, there are museum-quality lighthouse exhibits. On the way up or down, stop to learn about the history of coastal lighthouses, the Fresnel lens, shipwrecks and the lighthouse keepers.

The 162-foot lighthouse was first lit on December 1, 1875. Onsite keepers, who lived in homes at the base of the lighthouse, operated the lighthouse until it was automated in 1937. With automation, the lighthouse no longer required a regular keeper. The lighthouse and its outbuildings fell into disrepair for decades until a nonprofit group called Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. (OBC) stepped in to save the site in 1980. OBC renovated the keepers’ buildings to re-create their past glories and restored the lighthouse to make it safe to climb. In July 2003 The U.S. Department of the Interior awarded OBC ownership of the lighthouse.

It costs only $10 to climb the lighthouse. Payment conveys an understanding and acceptance of the lighthouse's posted waiver of liability (the tower construction predates modern building codes and safety regulations). Children must be 4 years old to climb, and children ages 4 to 12 years old must have adult supervision. Parents or guardians must sign a waiver for children ages 13 to 17 to climb alone. Children younger than 4 may enter free but only if in a carrier. Visitors stand in line to pay admission outside the lighthouse. The lighthouse is open daily from mid-March through December 1. Climbing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. During extreme weather, the lighthouse is closed to climbing. Parking is free. Leashed dogs welcome on the grounds. 

The nearby Double Keepers’ House is used as a private residence, but it makes for great photographs. You can go inside the small Keeper’s House, moved to the site in 1920 from Long Point Light Station in the Currituck Sound, which is now a Museum Shop and stocks everything lighthouse-related you could ever imagine. T-shirts, hats, books, postcards, blankets, taffy, ornaments, jewelry, magnets, figurines and more fill this former keeper’s residence.