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 southernmost marina on the island, next to the ferry docks and closest to the inlet, Hatteras Landing books both inshore and offshore fishing charters...read more
There’s nothing like a bird’s-eye view of the Pamlico Sound to lift your spirits. Hatteras Parasail can take you hundreds of feet above the islands for a...read more
For a local historian’s perspective of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, you won’t want to miss this bus tour of Hatteras Island. Island native Danny Couch...read more
Hatteras Village Park is a nature preserve with a trail that winds through a maritime forest and salt marsh. You'll see high marsh and tidal marsh and cross...read more
Located on the sound in Salvo, Hatteras Watersports is a family-owned business that’s celebrating 32 years of providing watersports fun on Hatteras Island....read more
On the southern end of Hatteras Island, Hatteras, or as the locals call it, Hatteras village, is known for its ties to offshore fishing. The village borders...read more
hattiebuilt Jeep Rentals offers Jeep rental on Hatteras Island. You can take the vehicle on the beach at approved NPS locations. Call to inquire about the...read more
The Haulover Day Use Area is also known as Canadian Hole because it is a hotspot for windsurfers and kiteboarders, many of whom hail from Canada. This...read more
Hayman Park is a simple neighborhood park with swings, playground equipment, live oaks to climb and a lot of open space for kite-flying and Frisbee throwing...read more
This marker is a little hard to find, but it’s worth seeking out. It’s on a grassy patch behind the National Park Service Visitor Center and next to the...read more
Enjoy an affordable golf outing at Holly Ridge Golf Course, where you can walk or ride their relaxing 18-hole, par 71 course. Conveniently located only a...read more
