Visitors to the Outer Banks are recreation lovers. After all, with an area known for its natural beauty, why wouldn’t you want to be outside taking full advantage of every Outer Banks thing to do you could think of? Perhaps the Outer Banks’ biggest draw is Mother Ocean and her surrounding sandy beaches. When it comes to things to do on the Outer Banks, the top of anyone’s to-do list involves getting in or near the water. That translates into sunbathing, swimming, body boarding, skimboarding, surfing, scuba diving, shelling, sea glass hunting, shore walking…and did we mention just sitting and looking at those meditative waves rolling in? Check out the Things To Do in Hatteras section and the Things To Do in Ocracoke section for the scoop on the best ways to enjoy the water.
Of course, the Outer Banks things to do on the sound are just as numerous as those on the ocean. Take a peek at the sound, and you almost always see someone boating, sailing, parasailing, kiteboarding, standup paddleboarding, clamming, windsurfing, kayaking or Jet Skiing. Check out Things To Do in Nags Head or Things To Do in Duck, NC, for your watersports options.
Outer Banks Things To Do on Dry Land!
Feel more like a dry activity? No problem! If fishing is the ticket, there are many opportunities to wet a line with piers, bridges, shorelines, the sound, bays, offshore and inshore charters. Along a similar drift, a dolphin or sightseeing boat tour is a popular Outer Banks thing to do, and you can learn more in the Things To Do on Roanoke Island section. And no equine lover's trip to the Outer Banks is complete without seeing the wild horses, a popular Thing To Do in Corolla, NC. Want to see as much of the Outer Banks as you can by walking, jogging or biking? Then you’ll love it here! Each town has either a designated bike path, boardwalks or back roads that are so lovely you’ll forget all about the fact that you have three more miles to go!
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 5-acre Dowdy Park is a popular place for relaxation, play and entertainment. The park includes an amphitheater, green space, restrooms, a fitness trail...read more
Downeast Rover is a 55-foot topsail schooner offering sailing tours into the Roanoke Sound daily. The ship’s home berth is right on the Manteo...read more
On Saturday mornings from mid-May through the early fall, Manteo's Downtown Market features home-grown, home-baked and homemade goods for sale. Pick up...read more
Tucked into Duck Commons near Sweet T’s, Duck Cycle is a friendly place to rent bike shop-quality cruisers for the whole family, including baby seats and...read more
North Duck Watersports, home to Corolla Parasail’s sister company, Duck Parasail, sits at the north end of the Town of Duck. This peaceful location is a ...read more
The Town of Duck has a fabulous boardwalk stretching about a mile on the Currituck Sound. You can't see it from the main road, so you might not know it's...read more
Duck Woods Country Club is a full-service country club that provides a variety of amenities such as a fitness center for members, tennis courts and an award...read more
The small seaside town of Duck is a popular beach destination for good reason. The 7 miles of privately accessed beaches are wide and uncrowded, the town...read more
A surf shop staple in Duck for almost two decades, DVO also has a location in Salvo on Hatteras Island. A trusted local outfitter, DVO rents bikes,...read more
Whether you want a full day of pampering or a quick hair cut, Eden Day Spa & Salon can fill the bill. This full-service salon offers massage therapy,...read more
Enterprise Rent-A-Car provides cars of several sizes for rent, including open-air Jeeps.read more
